Claudia's life in words: February 2011

Introduction:

When you think of global warming, you may not believe in it. You may think it’s a natural occurrence and it’s nothing to get worried about; or you may think humans have nothing to do with it and go on living your normal life. And your beliefs are entirely respected, but I’m here to show you something new and, perhaps, your opinion may change about the topic.

On the other hand, you may be completely clueless about global warming. You might ask something like: “Who makes it?” or “Why is it so hard to get rid of?” or simply, “What is it?” But don’t fret, for I’ve concocted this report to inform you about everything about global warming you need to know about it.

What It Is:

Global warming starts with heat from the Earth exiting in infrared waves. Normally, the rays should bounce into space, but the atmosphere is too thick to do so. When this happens, the hot rays get trapped in the atmosphere, do to the gases (methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor) that, the atmosphere is made up of, which makes the Earth much hotter. Most of these gases are made from human activity, but some are natural.

Yet not all greenhouse gases are bad. Without any, the Earth would be very cold, and uncomfortable to live on. But too much heat could cause severe damage (I’ll explain more on page 6).

Causes:

Global warming is caused by many things we humans do, but one thing in particular that is a major cause to global warming, is over usage of electricity. When we use electricity, it is provided by a power plant, which burns fossil fuels, which are sources of fuel that have been made from living things a long time ago.

Another big cause of global warming is factory emissions. Everything we buy has to be made in them, so there are many around the world, and they’re always running, emitting gas and burning fossil fuels.

Whenever we drive or ride in mostly any vehicles, they are also emitting greenhouse gases.

Deforestation is also a big problem, contributing to global warming. This is when people cut down forests for wood, farmland, and new cities or towns. We need trees, because they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe oxygen for us to breathe. Without them, the atmosphere would get even worse.

History:

Global warming began in The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) when people started building big machines and factories to help production of products. This led to growth in industry, agriculture (farming), and transportation.

In the 1930’s chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) was discovered. This was used in mostly aerosols and propellants. It was bad for the atmosphere, but people had no idea back then how bad it was.

But soon, people started to think differently. A man named Professor Revelle was the first to start measuring gases in the atmosphere in 1958. Soon after, he hired a scientist named Charles David Keeling to help him with his experiments. They started by taking measurements on the island of Hawaii each year. Then they’d graph the data, and show it to many people all around the world, for they had realized this atmosphere was not all it was cracked up to be.

More evidence appeared on December 24, 1962 on Apollo 8 (preparation for Apollo 11, the mission to the moon). On that mission, the crew took the first picture of Earth from space. It was coated in clouds. There was so much fog, you could barely make out the continents! This got ecologists thinking about what has happened to Earth that made it this way.

Even after this evidence people still didn’t believe that anything bad was happening. In the 1970’s CFCs were very common in many refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosols.

But this didn’t go for much longer. In 1986, a hole had formed in the atmosphere. This evidence finally made people realize that they had to get together and make a difference.

Effects of Global Warming:

I bet you’re thinking, ‘So what if the Earth gets hotter?’ You probably didn’t know that global warming takes a serious toll on our planet.

For one, heat rise can affect many species of plants and animals that aren’t used to this kind of weather, especially since it took so long for them to adapt to their regular environment.

Many animals try to move to colder places to live, but this makes the ecosystems change. For instance, predators may not have prey to hunt, so they go hungry. Some of the animals that move die because they can’t find anywhere to live. Many of them have become endangered from this, such as the Emperor penguin, the tree frog, and the greater mouse lemur.

Hot weather also attracts troublesome pests like bark beetles, who destroy trees, which makes the problem worse. Some pests, like ticks, lice, and snails carry harmful diseases that can hurt the other animals.

High temperatures start to make the poles and ice caps deteriorate, and turn to water. This water sinks into the ocean to make water levels rise. When this happens, floods become more frequent! Additionally, beaches and islands get smaller when they start getting covered up with ocean water.

How to Stop It:

You may think global warming is impossible to solve, but fear not! There are many ways to reduce the effects of this horrible problem.

For one, you could think before you buy something, so the factory usage will go down. Don’t buy things you don’t need. If you do buy something, make sure it’s durable and useful, like a good pair of headphones, not a pack of gum (Unless, of course, if you have horrible breath). If you have bought too much stuff, don’t just leave it lying around. Sell it online or at a yard sale, give it to someone else who wants it, or donate it to charity (If you can’t think of any charities, research about ones in your area.).

Don’t buy things that have a lot of packaging, like packing peanuts, wrappers, and bubble wrap (yes, I know it is fun, but it’s bad for the environment!).

Reduce riding/driving in a car, van, truck, or any other gas-powered vehicle, for they emit lots of gases. Instead, try riding your bike or walking for short distance trips. When you have to go pretty far, carpool with a friend or neighbor. Or use public transportation, like a bus. These suggestions will help reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Another huge factor of global warming is over usage of electricity, so cut down a little! Turn off lights when you’re not using them, instead of leaving them on the whole time. And when you are using lights, only use necessary ones. For instance, you don’t need five lights on if you’re just reading a book. Another light tip is to change your incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient CFLs (Compact Florescent Lights)! These will save plenty of energy needed for other things.

When you use appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, or dishwashers, you’re also using energy, so cut back on those as well. Replace your appliances with energy-efficient ones that use less electricity and water. Instead of using a dryer to dry your clothes, hang them on a clothesline. And when you wash your clothes, use cold water instead of hot whenever possible, so you don’t have to use your hot-water heater as much. The same goes for showers. And keep your showers short, so you don’t waste too much water, but you’ll use even less water if you take showers instead of bathes. Another way to use less water is to fix leaky faucets, so you’re not wasting water without knowing about it. To reduce water washing dishes, wash them by hand instead of using the dishwasher. But if you absolutely must, only run it when it’s full!

Another great way to help the atmosphere is to plant trees and gardens to keep the air clean. These plants will suck up the gases in the air and replace them with oxygen we can breathe! And if you want to be really green, use soil from your compost pile to fertilize it!

What is compost, you ask? Well, it is pretty much organic matter that has been turned to dirt by worms and other creatures. Now I know you’re probably wondering how to make a compost pile, right? Well, all you do is gather up some garden and food scraps and pile them together in your backyard. Maybe put some worms in there to help decompose it. Everyday turn the soil to mix it. You should also water it often to keep it fresh.

Save trees by writing on recycled paper, and use both sides of the paper as well. If you have to make a model of something for class, try using Paper Mache, which is newspaper held together with plaster. It’s a great way to recycle and reuse something for another purpose.

A single change in packing your lunch can reduce trash by a lot too. Use reusable lunchboxes instead of paper bags, which you have to throw out each time. Instead of using plastic bottles for your water, use refillable ones. And cut down on your packaging! You don’t need to wrap everything single thing in plastic wrap! A good alternative is using plastic containers that keep everything separated neatly.

Your heaters and air conditioners are working very hard for you, especially in the winter and summer, so give them a break to reduce energy usage! To keep warmer, where thicker, longer clothing or snuggle up with some blankets or a pet! To keep cool, drink colder beverages, including water and lemonade. Go swimming in a cool lake, beach, or pool! Just make sure to put on your sunscreen!

And, of course, recycle! To keep more out of the landfill, recycle metal, plastic, glass, and paper products that you’ve already used, so less methane can get into the air!

Conclusion:

If you keep working at it, and do all these many things to take care of the environment, global warming won’t be as much of a problem. I know you must think going green is a chore, but it can be a lot of fun!

Be creative with new and inventive ways to save the planet! Maybe you could make a competition to see who in your family recycles the most! Or you could make cool Halloween costumes out of reused material!

Inform people about the problem by forming clubs and groups about ecology and going green. You can discuss important problems and issues in the environment, and try to do something about it! Or make up some fun crafts that are eco-friendly! And make sure every member spreads the word!

To learn more about nature, go explore it! Whether going on hikes in the Adirondacks or swimming in the Hudson River, see the world around you from a whole new perspective!

And no matter what, if we join together, and work with plenty of perseverance, we can solve the epic problem of global warming.

Bibliography:

1. Fact Monster

"Fluorocarbon" Dictionary

<http://dictionary.factmonster.com/fluorocarbon>

2. Fact Monster

"Global Warming" Encyclopedia

<http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0821016.html>

3. 363.7387 GOR

Gore, Albert An Inconvenient Truth

Emmaus, PA; Rodale Books, 2006

4. National Geographic