Effects of Global Warming:
There is a range of harmful effects that come from Global warming such as rising sea levels, flooding coastal areas, higher percentage of heat waves and more intense, droughts and wildfires occure more often, disease, and possible extinction of species that cannot accommodate to these changes. Rising temperatures are already a factor in most parts of the world, with Northern America having its' highest temperatures on record in the last 10 years. Globally the earth expierenced 19 of its 20 hottest days since 1980, 1998 being the first, and then 2002 and 2003 following. The rise in temperature means greater evaporation, especially in the summer and fall causing excesive and intense wildfires and droughts. In recent years North America has received the worst wildfires in over 50 years, with the US loosing 7 million acres to fire. Over in the Eastern world they have suffered tremendously to numerous droughts in the past years. Global warming also brings about heavy rainstorms in some parts of the U.S. due to the un-balanced climatic system.
The U.S. national percipitation has increased somehwere between 5 and 10% since the beginning of the 20th century, mainly due to the heavy down pours in different areas. Heat waves have never been so deadly killing over 20,000 people in Europe and more than 1500 in India in 2003. The shifts in temperature are also causing hightened disease rate, with mosquitos being more accessible to different locations, where they weren't able to inhabit before. Recently the Malaria disease transmitted by mosquito have been found in higher elevations of Indonesia, before mosquito's were limited to elevations of 3,300 feet but now are being recorded up to 7,000 feet. Another effect of Global Warming is melting glaciers and early ice thaw, with river and lakes undoubtly thawing more quickly than ever before.
It is figured that by 1970 all of the glaciers in Glacier National Park will have been melted away. Antarctica is also suffering, with ice caps melting at an alarming rate of about 9% every 10 years. In 2002 between January and March the Larson B ice shelf in Antarctica collapsed, it is comparable to the size of 1/3 of British Columbia. Since the 1960's the thickness of the ice has reduced by 40%. In relevance to melting ice caps is rising sea level which has raised by 4 to 8 inches in the past century and is expected to raise anywhere from 19 to 37inches by the year 2100.
Chemicals:
Use of any chlorine compounds is very harmful to the environment including bubbles in plastic foam, spray paint, fire extinguishers, bleach and bunch of discarded household and industrial chemicals. Phosphates in many laundry detergents and soaps contribute to water pollution and should be avoided. Aerosols such as air fresheners and hair sprays can contain butane/pentane, which contributes to air pollution. Bleached white products like baby wipes and writing paper and products which are whitened with peroxide and chlorine dioxide which is less harmful to the environment.
Appliances:
Maintenance of your refrigerator and air conditioners can be very important because they can leak very toxic and harmful chemicals. Furnace maintenance will help to reduce the amount of heat you need, reducing fossil fuel production.
Home maintenance:
Weather-stripping, insulation and proper ventilation will help a lot to reduce the amount of heat your home needs. Using cold water instead of hot will reduce the amount of energy needed, as well only running dishwashers and washing machines when full. Composting helps dispose of biodegradable waste in your home and planting trees on your property will help to control carbon dioxides in the air, and helps to dispose of toxins in the soil. Therefore preventing them from being released into the atmosphere.
Summary:
The temperature of the atmosphere near the earth's surface is warmed through a natural process called the greenhouse effect. Visible, short-wave light comes from the sun to the earth, passing unimpeded through a blanket of thermal, or greenhouse, gases composed largely of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Infrared radiation reflects off the planet's surface toward space but does not easily pass through the thermal blanket. Some of it is trapped and reflected downward, keeping the planet at an average temperature suitable to life, about 60°F (16°C).
