Monday, April 7, 2008

Cause of global warming

Almost 100% of the observed temperature increase over the last 50 years,
are due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas concentrations
like water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and ozone.
Greenhouse gases are those gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect (see below).
The largest contributing source of greenhouse gas is
The burning of fossil fuels,
the largest contributing source of greenhouse gas,
led to the emission of carbon dioxide.


The greenhouse effect

When sunlight reaches Earth's surface,
some is absorbed and warms the earth,
and most of the rest is radiated back to the atmosphere
at a longer wavelength than the sun light.
Some of these longer wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before they are lost to space.
The absorption of this longwave radiant energy warms the atmosphere.
These greenhouse gases act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth some of the heat energy which would otherwise be lost to space.
The reflecting back of heat energy by the atmosphere is called the "greenhouse effect".

posted @ 5:11 AM |


Signs Are Everywhere



Signs Are Everywhere.

The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole,
and everywhere in between.
Globally, the mercury is already up more than 1 degree Fahrenheit
(0.8 degree Celsius),
and even more in sensitive polar regions.

And the effects of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future.
They’re happening right now.
Signs are appearing all over, and some of them are surprising.
The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice,
it’s also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals on the move.

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Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening:

  • Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.
  • The number of Adélie penguins in Antarctica have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years.
  • Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
  • Butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
  • Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average.
  • Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. These insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.

Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues:

  • Sea levels are expected to rise between 18 and 59 centimeters by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 10 to 20 centimeters.
  • Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
  • Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. Plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active.
  • Floods and droughts will become more common.
  • Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
  • Diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.
  • Ecosystems will change—some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct. Polar bears had gotten considerably skinner with less ice in which they live and fish for food. If sea ice disappears, polar bears might be extinct.

posted @ 2:59 AM |

THE EARTH.

What can we do to save the earth?

What is happening to the earth as time passes by?

Everyone wishes to see the healthy earth revolving by itself.

No one hopes to see natural disasters.

Mother Nature is just too pure for us to destroy...


THEREFORE

We should...

Say 'NO' to Plastic Bags!


Plastic Bags Reduction




In the marine environment,

plastic bag litter is lethal,

killing at least 100,000 birds,

whales and turtles every year.

On land, plastic bag litter can block drains and trap birds.

Plastic bags take between 15 and 1,000 years

to break down in the environment.


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My Actions Taken on Saying ''NO'' to Plastic Bags:

1. Use recyclables instead of plastic bags such as paper bags.

2 Bring my own recycle bag to supermarkets.

3. Reuse the plastic bags at home instead of asking for more in shops.

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