c
 

  
c
 



By: George Christodoulou

Global warming has been discussed over and over again. In recent months even
politicians like Al Gore have gotten involved. He created a documentary called, "An
Inconvenient Truth", to try and push for more action as well as to enlighten the public.
His view is that there are solid facts that global warming exists and skeptic scientists
don't. Many people believe that global warming does not exist because they are not
being affected directly; however, scientists believe that the increase in natural disasters
comes from global warming.

In NY, I hear a few people here and there saying, "you call this global warming" just
because the temperature is at 10 degrees even though this winter it only snowed once
compared to the past. Have you ever seen the painting of George Washington sailing
across the Delaware River? If you have, you know there is ice in that water. Now if you
look at that river during the time of year that picture was taken, there is no ice. What
about in the summer when you feel the heat of the sun and realize it is a little hotter now
then a few years ago? That could all be in your mind due to media hype and all, but how
can you tell?

Where does all this global warming stem from anyway? Who or what is the cause of all
this debate and discussion? Some People are afraid and they want answers to their
questions. The following is the list of the top 10 causes of global warming. With all the
facts laid out, one can make a better decision about what global warming is and how it
might affect them.

1. Carbon Dioxide From power Plants

One of the largest contributors to global warming is said to be pollution from power
plants. Every time you turn on a light, you add to the tons of carbon spewed into the sky
by long tubes connected to these massive coal or oil driven "machines". According to
recent studies, approximately 40% of all carbon dioxide emissions comes form power
plants. Natural gas, coal, and oil are the 3 types of polluting power plants. Coal is the
biggest contributor out of the 3 because of it releases more carbon than the rest of them
per capita. Studies, like the one done in the film, "An Inconvenient Truth", show that the
levels of carbon in the atmosphere has increased drastically in recent years and will
probably continue to increase in the years to come.

Some skeptics believe that the levels of carbon are completely normal. According to
Geocraft.com, the levels of carbon found in the atmosphere today mirror those found
hundreds of thousands of years ago. They believe the scientific "proof" that global
warming exists is taken out of cortexes because they look at the past 100 years instead
of the bigger picture. The earth has been around of billions of years; earthquakes,
monsoons, ice ages, meteors, and so forth, have all affected the earth without
destroying every living thing on it.

Despite what others say, many people have created solutions for the pollution caused
by power plants. For example, products that help to reduce the green house emissions
have emerged. Filters that improve the quality of the air released into the atmosphere
have been created to solve this problem. In addition, government regulations have been
placed to force owners of large industrial buildings to improve the quality of the air
produced by their buildings. Finally, hydrogen power has also become a way of
reducing carbon. According to Tom Simonite using carbon is better than using water to
generate power, and it is completely environmentally friendly.

2. Pollution Emitted from Cars

Driving to work in the morning is one example of this. When your stuck in traffic, how
long does your car stay idle on the road, releasing it's pollution into the air? There are
approximately, 3 billion vehicles being used today. Similarly with the power plants, cars
also emit carbon into the air. Cars emit millions of tons of pollutants into the air. In some
dense cities, this causes some of the smog and ozone problems. 1,500 cases of cancer
are reported each year from pollution according to www.nsc.org.

Luckily, solutions are available. Many ask, "What can I do." One thing that can be done
is a switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles such as hybrid or electric cars.
Some countries are even using cars that run on hydrogen. In the near future, talk about
ethanol to replace gasoline in cars seems to be a promising change.

3. Pollution from Trucks

Trucks, although less in volume, make up for a large portion of the earth's pollution with
each truck's individual output of pollutants. The difference between cars and trucks is
the type of fuel used to run them. Diesel, the standard for trucks and other vehicles
used for carrying large loads, is known to be less clean than gasoline. Trucks roaring
down streets can bee seen from a mile away with a tiny smoke stack blowing out the
product of having to carry large amounts of goods from one place to the other.

How can our society get rid of trucks? They are vital for the economic health of certain
companies. They are used to build homes and carry supplies, People go camping and
carry gear with them, and the list goes on. According ucsusa.org, diesel is reaching a
point where it can no longer meet the standards of government regulations. What kind
of alternative can be used instead?

4. Pollution from Airplanes

Airplanes are indispensable to today's society. Businessmen fly across the country on a
daily basis to meet the demand of industry. In less than 24 hours, you can fly across the
circumference of the planet traveling from the US to China. So how can you possibly
blame these amazing gravity defying machines of global warming? 10% of the green
house gas emissions come from airplanes. You might be going to a vacation or to a
business meeting but those airplanes you travel on are releasing their pollution directly
into the air they fly in.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, during the 3 days after 9/11, there was a
difference of 4°F in the average highs and lows compared to other days. What caused
this change? It is believed that the contrails of the air crafts are the cause of this.
Following 9/11, all airplanes were grounded. This allowed scientists to see the
difference in the temperatures with contrails in the sky and without them. Although
airplanes do pollute the sky, they accidentally reflect some sunlight.

5. Pollution from Buildings

Although many believe those large SUV's and Airplanes are the cause for all the
commotion going on about global warming, the houses we live in may be a larger
contributor. Unlike cars and airplanes, homes have a long lifespan of 50- 100 years
meaning that changes in this area may be difficult to accomplish. Houses are mainly
built to burn oil, or run on coal. In most houses, coal is used for electricity because it is
the cheapest and most abundant resource.

To assist with this problem, architects will have to start using materials that can reduce
the consumption of fuels by making them better ventilated or better at holding in heat.
Government regulators must pass laws forcing contractors to follow stricter guidelines
when building homes to reduce energy consumption. Finally, individuals can reduce the
amount of frivolous energy they use on a daily basis.

6. Methane Stored in Water and Ice

With the increase in temperature, a fear of methane being released into the air arises.
Methane is approximately 60 times stronger than carbon dioxide as a green house gas.
According to scientists, in the past, a rapid release of methane has led to immense
heating of the earth. In the past, when the earth's temperature rose to a certain level,
such as 8 degrees above normal, the earth's temperature then increased an additional
14 degrees.

Methane is stored in the earths oceans and is released when the temperature increases
and pressure reduces. Also, methane can be found in ice. When ice melts, methane
stored in the ice is released. Scientists fear that if the earth reaches a certain
temperature, it would be impossible to turn back and prevent a massive increase in
temperature.

Article Source: http://www.bestglobalwarmingarticles.com