Global Warming

GLOBAL WARMING/THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

What frightens me is the indifference. It can devour the world,
our tiny little planet, the little heart that beats in the universe.

- Nika Turbina, a young Russian girl

The greenhouse effect is a natural process which keeps the temperatures upon our planet within a range conducive to life, meaning relatively warm and livable. There is a stratum of clouds and natural gases (CO2 and others) in our atmosphere which form a sort of blanket or layer. As sunlight passes through this layer, some of the solar energy held in as heat warms our atmosphere and the surface of the planet, and some of this heat escapes back into space. Just as the glass in a greenhouse traps warm air inside, this gas and cloud layer traps enough heat from the sun to maintain the delicate climatic balance on our planet, warming our atmosphere to temperatures vital for the continuation of life.

For the first time in history, human activity is now actually responsible for altering the climate of our entire planet. Because of our “industrialized” way of life, we are pumping billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into our atmosphere, along with smaller amounts of gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide. Scientists are concerned about the atmospheric overload of greenhouse gases created by human activities, because those extra gases (mainly carbon dioxide) are trapping too much radiant heat inside the Earth’s atmosphere, thus creating global warming. The global temperature is higher now than it has been since 1862. It is interesting to note that out of every country in the industrial world, the United States, with only 5 percent of the world’s population, is the largest contributor to the global warming problem!

As a direct result of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion (mostly from automobiles), along with the pollution we spew into our atmosphere from other sources, the world is getting warmer. Climatic zones are shifting, glaciers are melting, and the levels of our oceans are rising. As global warming continues, it is estimated that forests will die, and we will have more frequent and severe forest fires, coastal areas will flood, the world’s agricultural areas will wither, and we may even experience great economic upheaval. Greenhouse effect experts project that if we continue polluting our atmosphere the way we have been, weather can be expected to change in ways we have never experienced before. This means extreme climatic abnormalities of heat, cold, drought, and flood. This is not a science fiction fantasy; this is a reality that we ourselves have created by way of our lifestyles and habits.

Because of the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and the destruction of our forests and rainforests, we have created a 25 percent increase in the total amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. (Please note: When forests are cut down and burned, the trees release stored carbon as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.) Each year, humans send 5.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air. Carbon dioxide alone is the largest single cause of the greenhouse effect, being responsible for about 50 percent of the problem.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are industrial chemicals manufactured for use as coolants for refrigerators and air conditioners, cleaning solvents in computer manufacturing, plastic (such as styrofoam), and foam insulation. CFCs account for roughly 15-20 percent of the greenhouse effect and have 20,000 times the heat-trapping capacity of carbon dioxide.

Methane, with 25 times the heat-trapping capacity of carbon dioxide, contributes to about 20 percent of the greenhouse effect. Methane is produced in farming due to nitrogen-based fertilizers, by landfills (garbage dumps) when organic waste breaks down, and in the production of livestock (cows give off huge amounts of methane gas).

Nitrous oxide, with 250 times the heat-trapping capacity of CO2, is responsible for about 10 percent of the problem. It is formed when micro-organisms are breaking down certain chemical fertilizers in the soil, and by the burning of wood and fossil fuels.

Global warming is creating a future for our planet that seems like something out of a science fiction novel. If our warming trend continues, the arctic ice sheets and alpine glaciers will warm and partially melt, the seas will expand, and sea levels will rise. This would create serious problems for many of the world’s major cities which are built on river deltas and coastal areas. Shorelines and beaches would be eroded and subject to storm damage. Many small islands which are homes to thousands of people would be submerged. Almost half of the population of our world lives in coastal regions that would be threatened by rising sea levels. Increased drought in many agriculturally-sensitive areas would be a catastrophe for the world’s food supplies. Natural disasters such as hurricanes could become much more common and intense.

Because the various parts of our planet’s biosphere (trees, plants, soil, animal and insect species, rivers, lakes, atmosphere, weather, etc.) are so intricately connected, a problem in one portion of our global ecosystem would have a dramatic and immediate effect upon all other parts as well. What this means is that we need to open our eyes and grasp the fact that this is not a scene out of a science fiction novel….it is reality. The issue here is not whether the global warming will continue and cause climatic and ecological disasters, but how fast these inevitable conditions will occur!

Things You Can Do To Make A Difference:

* Because the primary cause of the greenhouse effect is the burning of fossil fuels, cutting energy consumption in our nation and our world is the main solution. We need to use energy more efficiently in our homes, offices, and automobiles, and develop renewable energy sources to reduce our use of fossil fuels.

* Conduct an energy efficiency survey of your home. Make sure your home is well insulated. Consider investing in storm windows or the new “super windows.” Make sure there is adequate weather stripping and caulking to prevent air leakage and energy waste.

* Improve lighting efficiency in your home and office by utilizing energy efficient appliances and light bulbs.

* Turn off lights and the TV when they are not in use.

* Buy fuel-efficient cars, and try to car-pool as often as possible. If every commuter car carried just one more passenger, 600,000 gallons of gasoline would be saved and we could keep 12 million pounds of “greenhouse gases” out of the atmosphere every day.

* Ride a bicycle. If you don’t have one, consider purchasing one. Bicycles offer a great form of enjoyable exercise and do not directly pollute the environment. For short trips, try walking.

* Eliminate chlorofluorocarbon pollution by avoiding foam packaging. This includes avoiding fast foods packaged in foam containers and grocery products packaged in styrofoam.

* Bring your own coffee cup to work instead of using disposable styrofoam cups.

* Reduce your garbage by recycling.

* Buy organic food. Farmers who grow organic food do not use nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers which contribute to the methane levels in the atmosphere.

* Since beef consumption is directly related to this issue, reducing or eliminating your beef consumption will help moderate the tremendous amounts of energy (the burning of fossil fuels) which go into the process of meat production, the vast acreage of forestland cut down for raising commercial beef, and will hopefully reduce the number of cows needed to feed people, since cows contribute methane to greenhouse gasses which cause global warming.

* Plant a tree. Every tree planted will help take carbon dioxide out of the air, supply healthy oxygen, filter out toxins that seep into the soil, and help cool urban neighborhoods reducing the need for air conditioning. If every American family planted just one tree, over 1 billion pounds of “greenhouse gases” would be removed from the atmosphere every year. Take part, in whatever way you choose, in helping stop the massive destruction of our forests.

For Further Information Contact:

* Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) - 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011 (212) 727-2700.

* Environmental Defense Fund – 257 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010.

* Worldwatch Institute – 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-1904 (202) 452-1999. One of the many educational resources Worldwatch Institute offers is a report called Slowing Global Warming: A Worldwide Strategy (available for $4).

* Real Goods Trading Corporation – 966 Mazzoni St., Ukiah, CA 95482 (800) 762-7325 / FAX (707) 468-0301. The Real Goods catalog offers energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, along with an assortment of other related products.

*Seventh Generation – Colchester, VT 05446-1672 (802) 655-3116 / (800) 456-1177. Seventh Generation offers an assortment of environmentally conscious and energy-saving products including books and magazines, recycled paper products, compact fluorescent light bulbs, etc.

* Consumer Guide To Home Energy Savings – Published by the American Council For An Energy-Efficient Economy, 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 535, Washington, D.C. 20036. This book is an excellent source of data for comparing the efficiency of major home appliances, and includes actions consumers can take to save money and the environment through energy efficiency. Available through local bookstores.