Nitrous oxide traps over 270 times more heat than does the same amount of
carbon dioxide. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane
concentrations have more than McDonald 4 doubled, and nitrous oxide
concentrations have risen by about 15%. These increases have enhanced the
heat-trapping capability of the earth’s atmosphere This chart shows how much
warming could be caused by each of the gases that human activities release.
Carbon dioxide accounts for three fourths of the predicted increase in the
greenhouse effect. History of Global Warming This graph shows changes in global
temperature since 1880, when reliable temperature records became available
worldwide. Each vertical bar represents the global average temperature for that
year. The curved line shows the overall trend. The global average temperature
has risen nearly 1°F since 1880. McDonald 5 During the industrial revolution we
began to slowly alter our climate and environment by changing agricultural
practices and industrial practices. These new practices have causes a change in
the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the build-up of “greenhouse
gases”. Due to the exponential growth of the world's population and the fact
that nation economies and the use of technology are also growing, the global
temperature is expected to continue to increase by an additional 1.0 to 3.5
degrees Celsius by the year 2100.
This seemingly subtle change in the global temperature could prove to
have catastrophic results. We're altering the environment far faster than we can
possibly predict the consequences. This is bound to lead to some surprises.Dr.
Stephen Schneider, National Center for Atmospheric Research. The earth’s
temperature would rise on it’s own, but that takes thousands of years, were
doing it in a century. Nobody can really predict what may happen. What is Being
Done? The developed countries are all working to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Several European countries impose heavy taxes on energy usage, designed partly
to curb such emissions. Norway taxes industries according to the amount of
carbon dioxide they emit. In The Netherlands, government and industry have
negotiated agreements aimed at increasing energy efficiency, promoting
alternative energy sources, and cutting down greenhouse gas output. In the
United States, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency,
product manufacturers, local utilities, and retailers have collaborated to
implement the Energy Star program. This voluntary program rates appliances for
energy use and gives some money back to consumers who buy efficient McDonald 6
machines. The Canadian government has established the Fleet-Wise program to cut
carbon dioxide emissions from federal vehicles by reducing the number of
vehicles it owns and by training drivers to use them more efficiently. By 2004,
75 percent of Canadian federal vehicles are to run on alternative fuels, such as
methanol and ethanol. Many local governments are also working against greenhouse
emissions by conserving energy in buildings, modernizing their vehicles, and
advising the public. Individuals, too, can take steps. The same choices that
reduce other kinds of pollution work against global warming.
Every time a consumer buys an energy-efficient appliance; adds
insulation to a house; recycles paper, metal, and glass; chooses to live near
work; or commutes by public transportation, he or she is fighting global
warming. Kyoto Protocol As this issue becomes more prevalent, pressure has been
put on international leaders to face this problem and come up with a valid
solution. International cooperation is required for the successful reduction of
greenhouse gases. In 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 150
countries pledged to confront the problem of greenhouse gases and agreed to meet
again to translate these good intentions into a binding treaty. In 1997 in
Japan, 160 nations drafted a much stronger agreement known as the Kyoto
Protocol. This treaty, which has not yet been implemented, calls for the 38
industrialized countries that now release the most greenhouse gases to cut their
emissions to levels 5 percent below those of 1990. This reduction is to be
achieved no later than 2012. The United States voluntarily accepted a more
ambitious target, promising to reduce emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels;
the European Union, which had wanted McDonald 7 a much tougher treaty, committed
to 8 percent; and Japan, to 6 percent. The remaining 122 nations, mostly
developing nations, were not asked to commit to a reduction in gas emissions.
Most developing nations fear this will pause their development, The Kyoto
Protocol will not be binding until nations accounting for 55 percent of 1990
greenhouse gas emissions have ratified it. To date, only three small island
nations: Fiji, Tuvalu, and Trinidad and Tobago, have actually ratified the
treaty. Most countries are waiting for ratification by the United States, at
present the source of one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions. The Congress of the
United States has so far refused ratification, partly to protest the exemption
of developing nations from efforts to reduce emissions. Some critics find the
Kyoto Protocol too weak. Even if it were enforced immediately, it would only
slightly slow the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Much stronger
action would be required later, particularly because the developing nations
exempted from the Kyoto rules are expected to produce half the world's
greenhouse gases by 2035. The most influential opponents of the protocol,
however, find it too strong.
