Cause and Effect for Global Warming

Cause and Effect for Global Warming

Do you notice that the leaves on the trees have never turned to yellow even though it is winter? Do you notice that the temperature is increasing in the whole world? Do you know what happen to our earth? These are some of the effects of global warming, which we aren't aware. You may ask that what global warming is, and how does it tamper with our lives?

" 'Global Warming' is the expected slow, gradual warming of the lower layers of the Earth's lower atmosphere by the slowly increasing concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, and to a lesser extent methane. These gases trap infrared radiation, which is the "heat radiation" that cools the Earth. (In order for the Earth to remain at a constant temperature, the Earth must lose as much energy through infrared radiation as it gains from the sun. This concept is called energy balance.) The burning of fossil fuels, mainly petroleum and coal, produces carbon dioxide as one of the by-products. As of 2003, the concentration of carbon dioxide is over 50% higher than it was before the start of the industrial revolution in the late 1800's---which is when the burning of fossil fuels really took off." (Weatherquestion.com, http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_global_warming.htm) Global warming is caused by the man-made greenhouse gases. It makes the energy from the sun can't be sent out, which means that the earth have to keep all the energy of the sun (the heat) on it, so that the earth becomes hotter and hotter.

One of the reasons of causing global warming is because we use car too much. "Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Cars: About 33% of U.S carbon dioxide emissions come from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of cars and light trucks (minivans, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, and jeeps).US Emissions Inventory 2006 page 8 Vehicles with poor gas mileage contribute the most to global warming. For example, according to the E.P.A's 2000 Fuel Economy Guide, a new Dodge Durango sports utility vehicle (with a 5.9 liter engine) that gets 12 miles per gallon in the city will emit an estimated 800 pounds of carbon dioxide over a distance of 500 city miles. In other words for each gallon of gas a vehicle consumes, 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted into the air. A new Honda Insight that gets 61 miles to the gallon will only emit about 161 pounds of carbon dioxide over the same distance of 500 city miles. Sports utility vehicles were built for rough terrain, off road driving in mountains and deserts. When they are used for city driving, they are so much overkill to the environment. If one has to have a large vehicle for their family, station wagons are an intelligent choice for city driving, especially since their price is about half that of a sports utility. Inasmuch as SUV's have a narrow wheel base in respect to their higher silhouette, they are four times as likely as cars to rollover in an accident." (Ecobridge, http://www.ecobridge.org/content/g_cse.htm) As the information shows, when a car is running, it emits a lot of carbon dioxide. Carbon Dioxide is the serious cause of global warming. It destroys the atmosphere, even pollutes the air.

Another cause of global warming is Deforestation. "After carbon emissions caused by humans, deforestation is the second principle cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide. (NASA Web Site) Deforestation is responsible for 20-25% of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, by the burning and cutting of about 34 million acres of trees each year. We are losing millions of acres of rainforests each year, the equivalent in area to the size of Italy. The destroying of tropical forests alone is throwing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. We are also losing temperate forests. The temperate forests of the world account for an absorption rate of 2 billion tons of carbon annually. In the temperate forests of Siberia alone, the earth is losing 10 million acres per year." (Ecobridge, http://www.ecobridge.org/content/g_cse.htm) Deforestation, it reduces the carbon dioxide replacement, but "throws hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere". Such an action doesn't only cut down the capacity of reducing CO2, but also accelerates the earth to "reach" the worse effect of the global warming.

The effect of global warming affects our lives very closely. If it keeps on spreading and never stop, one day in the future, the earth will "turn off" and we can do nothing