Global Warming

1. Global Warming By: Cindy Harryram& Miriam Khan

2. What is it? Global warming is the average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. When the Earth becomes more warm, a change in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans follow. It happens when greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere.

4. Polar Bear • Temperatures in the Antarctic and Arctic has increased significantly to the point that sea ice has diminished in the both regions. In the Arctic this has meant a decreased habitat for the polar bear. • The polar bear depends heavily on the capture of ringed seal, because this seal has a very heavy lipid layer. This fatty tissue is especially needed by the female, who banks on the energy stores for the winter when she gives birth to a couple of cubs. • Nowadays ice melts off the Hudson Bay three weeks earlier, which means that much less time to pursue and feed on seal pups. It also means they have that much less time to gorge on seals and increase their bodies' fat stores. • It has been found that now less cubs are born and fewer and fewer polar bears are being spotted.

5. Sooty Shearwater • This U.S west coast bird at one time numbered 5 million, now numbers about 450,000. | • Warmer water has reduced upwellings in the Pacific Ocean, which bring the Shearwaters' main source of food, squid and plankton to the surface. Populations of sooty shearwaters off the coast of California and Washington declined by 90 percent between 1987 and 1994, a period when sea surface temperatures increased. • The warmer water triggers a reduction in upwelling, a circulatory process that brings nutrient-rich water to the ocean’s surface. Over the past two decades, reduced upwelling apparently has caused a 70 percent decrease in zooplankton, a key food source for shearwaters and the small fish that the shearwaters eat. • Already about 11% of all birds are threatened with extinction, while two-thirds of the planet's 9600 bird species are in a state of decline

6. Harlequin Frog Species • This species is from Central and South America.| • It has been found that many of them have disappeared completely. Scientists believe this is due to disease. This disease is caused by the chytrid fungus which seeps through the thin skin of the amphibian. • Global warming has increased evaporation in the tropical mountains of the Americas, which in turn has promoted cloud formation, the study reports. That cloud cover may have actually decreased daytime temperatures by blocking sunlight. At the same time, it may have served as an insulating blanket to raise nighttime highs. • This causes the ideal temperature for the fungus to thrive.

7. The Minke Whale • The Minke is the world’s most hunted whale, and there has been an astounding decline in the number left. • Scientists are saying that a sharp contraction in sea ice in Antarctica is the reason. The latest findings say that fallen by nearly half in less than a decade. • Many believe that this animal is becoming extinct because of the lack of krill, which is it’s main food source, and krill live on the edge of sea ice.

8. Global warming is a growing issue and most people aren’t aware of how this can directly affect them. • Climate change is responsible for at least 150,000 extra deaths a year--a figure that will double by 2030. • In 2003, extreme heat waves claimed as many as 70,000 lives in Europe. In France alone, nearly 15,000 people died during two weeks of soaring temperatures, which reached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Warm temperatures can also increase air and water pollution which turns into damage of the human health. • The extent of climate change impacts on human health vary by relative vulnerability of population groups; furthermore by the extent and duration of exposure to climate change itself and by society’s ability to adapt to the change. • Even though climate change is expected to bring a few benefits to health such as fewer deaths due to exposure to cold, the IPCC has concluded that, overall negative climate-related health impacts are expected to outweigh positive health impacts.

10. Climate change may directly affect human health through increases in average temperature. These increases may lead to more extreme heat waves during the summer while producing less extreme cold courses during the winter. • In addition, it might perhaps increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis.

11. Our water will be affected in numerous ways. Many researchers believe in the future sea level rise is projected to increase salt-water intrusion into groundwater in some regions, affecting drinking water and agriculture in coastal zones. • Increased evaporation will reduce the effectiveness of reservoirs. Heavy rainfall events can wash pathogens from contaminated soils, farms, and streets into drinking water supplies. Increased extreme weather means more water falls on hardened ground unable to absorb it, leading to flash floods instead of a replenishment of soil moisture or groundwater levels. Buildings and roads close to the water could be flooded and they could suffer damage from hurricanes and tropical storms.

12. The air we breathe in everyday may potentially cause us harm. So many studies have linked higher ozone levels to death rates from heart and lung ailments that many cities issue smog alerts to warn those at risk to stay indoors. • A new study reveals that air pollution associated with elevated carbon dioxide levels is already responsible for around 22,000 deaths every year. • Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, and is especially harmful for those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases. • Sunlight and high temperatures, combined with other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, can cause ground-level ozone to increase.

13. Economy • Due to the high temperatures, the production of crops has been affected and of course has a negative effect on sales. • One study said that potential economic impact is extremely high. In this study it was stated that the weather change might reduce global gross domestic product by up to one percent and in a worst-case scenario global per capita could fall 20 percent.

14. Kyoto Protocol • The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. • The objective is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. • The Kyoto Protocol establishes legally binding commitments for the reduction of four greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluroide and two groups of gases hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons produced by industrialized nations as well as general commitments for all member countries.

15. THE END