After Reading this essay you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Global Warming 2. Green House Effect and its Sources 3. Contribution to Global Warming 4. Responses to Greenhouse Effect 5. Ozone Depletion in the Stratosphere 6. Effects of Ozone Depletion 7. Measures and Steps for Environmental Issues 8. Results from Global Warming 9. Climate Change Convention and Others.
Contents:
- Essay on the Meaning of Global Warming
- Essay on Green House Effect and its Sources
- Contribution to Global Warming
- Responses to Greenhouse Effect
- Essay on Ozone Depletion in the Stratosphere
- Essay on the Effects of Ozone Depletion
- Measures and Steps for Environmental Issues
- Results from Global Warming
- Essay on Climate Change Convention
- Contribution of India towards Global Warming
- Essay on the Problems Relating to Global Warming in India
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Essay # 1. Meaning of Global Warming:
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One of the global problems is the threat of a long run increase in the surface temperature of the earth. This goes under the name of global warming or sometimes the green house effect as it is popularly called, are long-term and largely irreversible. The principle of greenhouse is that the enclosing gases allow the passage of incoming sunlight but trap a portion of the green house above the outside temperature.
In other words sunlight warms the earth’s surface during day time and earth’s surface radiates heat back to the space. Certain gases in the atmosphere absorb this radiant energy and re-emit the heat back to the Earth Burning fossil, deforestation and production of certain synthetic chemicals are releasing large quantities of heat trapping gases into the atmosphere.
These gases absorb the earth’s infra red radiation preventing it to escape back into space. A green house is that body which allows the shorter wave length radiation.
According to But Kin & Keller in 1982, sunlight passes through the glass of green house and is absorbed by the earth surface which subsequently emits radiation of longer wave length manly infra red radiation. The glass of green house and the CO2 layer does not allow the heat to be reradiated and warm up the entire atmosphere.
The higher is the CO2 concentration in earth’s atmosphere, the greater will be the amount of infra red radiation absorption and consequently the warmer will be the atmosphere; such a phenomenon due to which the earth retains heat and gets warmed up is known as green house effect.
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Essay # 2. Green House Effect and its Sources:
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Global warming is the result of ‘Green House Effects’ created by green house gases. Sunlight warms the earth’s surface during day time and earth’s surface radiates heat back to the space. Certain gases in the atmosphere absorb this radiant energy and re-emit the heat back to the earth.
Those gases which are capable of absorbing and re-emitting the heat radiation are called green house gases. As we go higher the air thins out gradually except for the layer in the atmosphere called ionosphere which is composed partly of electrons and positive ions, the rest of the atmosphere is composed mostly of neutral molecules.
We can see the sun and stars clearly through the atmosphere because the atmosphere is transparent to visible radiation. Much of the visible light of short wave length from the sun that reaches the earth is reradiated as long wave length infra red which is readily absorbed by CO2 and other green house gases in the atmosphere. Thus carbon dioxide layer acts like a blanket and traps the infrared rays.
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The heat from the surface of the earth warms up the green house gases. These gases in turn emit some heat into space and some back down to the surface. This fraction of the heat provides global warming in addition to the sun’s direct heat. Without any green house gases in the atmosphere the average gases radiate sufficient heat back to earth to give an average global temperature of +15°C.
The gases responsible for green house effect are Carbon dioxide (CO2), Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Methane (CH4) and Ozone (O3). These gases are released into the atmosphere by different human activities. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main offender in the global warming crisis, according to the consensus of 1990.
CO2 is responsible for about half the global warming; other pollutants and the other green house gases account for the rest. The global temperature has risen by 0.5°C over the last century. It is estimated that it may be 2°C higher by the year 2030.
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So finally reduction in the Emission of Greenhouse Gases calls for:
(i) Increased energy efficiency in consumption and production.
(ii) Switch over to low or no carbon fuels.
(iii) Using substitutes of CFCs in refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.
(iv) Promote complete combustion in vehicles used for transport through proper maintenance and increase fuel efficiency in vehicles.
(v) Reduce methane production from live-stock and rice fields.
(vi) Switch over to non-fossil fuel sources of energy such as solar, nuclear, hydro, etc.
(vii) Increase afforestation, decrease deforestation since, forests absorb CO2 Economists have suggested two policy tools for reducing CO2 emissions that may be globally effective.
They are:
(i) A transferable discharge permit (TDP) and
(ii) Carbon tax
TDP requires that countries would be allocated CO, emissions permits equal to their permitted base level emissions that is determined by any of the ‘following’ four criteria:
(i) Equi proportionate reduction in emission
(ii) Ability to pay criteria.
(iii) Polluter pay principle
(iv) Equal per capita consumption
Essay # 3. Contribution to Global Warming:
Imagine a world of short of water, energy and all other things that we take for granted in our daily life. Imagine in other words, a world reduced to a nasty, brutish existence because of the competition for scarce resources.
For the sad reality is that the world is going to face a catastrophe if it continues to consume natural resources the way it is doing today with no thought of the morrow. Contrary to what one might believe the earths resources are finite, there are limits to how much we can exploit them.
No single country contributes more than small fraction of green house gases. Data for 1985 suggest that the developed countries contribution of CO2 emission was 3.95 million tones and this is expected to use the 6.71 billion tones by 2025.
Developing countries on the other hand, account for only 1.29 billion tones of CO2 emission. In 1985, 5.24 billion tones of Carbon-di-Oxide was emitted which is projected to increase to 12.18 billion tones by 2025. The CO2 emission is projected to increase by 2.6 per cent annually. USA is the largest contributor globally accounting for nearly 18 per cent.
Essay # 4. Responses to Greenhouse Effect:
The consequences of global warming clearly indicate two things:
(1) That both developed and developing nations have good reason to worry about global warming
(2) That global co-operation is an important consideration when addressing global warming issues.
In line with this responses to the global warming issues can be analyzed as technical response and policy response. Technical response attempts at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and at increasing the carbon dioxide absorbing capacity of the earth. Yet another “green issue” that constantly figures in international debates these days is the steady depletion of the ozone layer.
Essay # 5. Ozone Depletion in the Stratosphere:
Ozone, a pure form of oxygen, found in the stratosphere ten to thirty miles above the earth surface, act like a big umbrella to protect earth from the dangerous ultra violet rays of the Sun. It is the only gas in the atmosphere that limits the amount of harmful solar ultra violet radiation reaching the earth.
If the all stratospheric ozone were collected at the earth’s surface, it would form of a layer not much thicker than the sole of your shoe. Because it is so important, small changes in ozone concentrations could have dramatic effects on life on the earth.
This stratospheric ozone is critical in maintaining the earth’s balance. In the early 1960s (1963) Scientists have reported a large hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica where ozone layer dropped by 30%. The ozone hole covers an area as large as USA. CFCs were considered to be prime suspect for causing ozone depletion.
Essay # 6. Effects of Ozone Depletion:
Due to the depletion of ozone layer in the stratosphere, the harmful UV radiation easily reach the surface of earth causing mass destruction.
Some of the harmful effects of UV radiation may be outlined as given below:
i. UV radiation can cause skin burns, melanoma skin cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, photkoeratitis, cateracts etc.
ii. UV radiation may damage genetic material DNA leading to mutation.
iii. UV radiation injures plant proteins and causes depletion.
iv. The depletion of ozone layer will induce eye cancer in cattle.
v. Depletion of ozone layer leads to the loss of various plants from terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
vi. It will reduce the crop productivity.
vii. It will bring about significant changes in the climate.
viii. Due to the depletion of ozone layer UV radiation may cause Green house effect changing the global energy.
Essay # 7. Measures and Steps for Environmental Issues:
As the world community leaders meet for the world summit on sustainable development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in August 2002, it is necessary to take stock of where we stand.
Various pre-practice discussions on the draft agenda for the summit have identified poverty, potable water, sanitation, waste disposal etc. as the prime concerns to be addressed. Every initiative taken so far on conservation and development has run into a blank wall; the list goes on and on.
The Rio declaration on environment and development unanimously accepted at the earth summit of 1992 for the right to develop but unfortunately development has been viewed one-dimensionally as a mere enhancement of life styles; and already seems to be forgotten.
The talk initiated at the world climate conference in Geneva in 1979 to fight climatic change is hanging fire. The Kyoto protocol (KP) is for all practical purposes a dead letter in 1997, which was requesting industrialized nations to specify legally binding targets for emission of 6 Greenhouse gas emission by 7% below 1990 between 2008 and 2012.
The emission target includes all 6 major greenhouse gases. The Kyoto protocol (KP) assigned a critical role for afforestation activities that carbon such as planting trees to be offset against emission targets. Another important future of the Kyoto protocol is the clean development mechanism. Unfortunately Americans do not want to sign-up to ratify the Kyoto protocol agreement on reductions.
In a meeting President George W. Bush said, we do not agree on the Kyoto treaty, but we do agree that climate change is a serious issue and we must work together. In fact no EU country has yet ratified Kyoto treaty, although more than 30 smaller nations have done so.
The formation of the inter-governmental panel of climate change in 1998 is an attempt at achieving this global co-operation. The second world climate conference on Kyoto protocol is yet another mile stone in attempt to reduce global warming.
The Cartagena protocol Bio-safety (CPB) on preserving our ecological capital is harm strung by the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has lost its direction. The desertification plan has come un struck in the absence of administrative and support arrangements. In truth, global environment concerns have fell a foul of economic aspirations and political confusions, which have resulted in narrow-mindedness.
The trade proponents ignore the ecological and environmental integrity of markets. The result is serious environmental loss for meagre economic gains. A World Bank report of 1997 has enough to show that environment degradation already threatens food and health security of many nations.
Development needs to be redefined as a process that promotes environment and environment friendly living if it is to be sustainable. So let us globalize the minds before going to Johannesburg along with Kofi Annan to be realistic about making promises.
Essay # 8. Results from Global Warming:
Global Warming results primarily from human activities that release heat-trapping gases and particles into the air. The most important causes include the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, and deforestation. To reduce the emission of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides.
We can curb our consumption of fossil fuels, use technologies that reduce the amount of emissions wherever possible, and protect the world’s forests. As the Earth continues to warm, there is a growing risk that the climate will change in ways that will seriously disrupt our lives. While on average the globe will get warmer and receive more precipitation, individual regions will experience different climatic changes and environmental impacts.
The most severe consequences of global warming are:
i. Higher Sea Level:
Higher temperatures on the earth cause sea water to expand with heat and glaciers to melt, raising the sea level year after year. A 2 degree increase in earth’s average temperature is expected to raise the sea level by about 50 cm (minimum: 15 cm, maximum: about 95 cm).
A higher sea level intensifies erosion on natural beaches, with particularly serious impact on sandy beaches. It is estimated that a sea level rise of 50 cm would result in the disappearance of about 70% of the sandy beaches in Japan. A sea level rise of I metre would swallow about 90% of the sandy beaches in Japan and 100% of the sandy beaches in Osaka Prefecture.
As well, a sea level rise of 1 metre would result in a 2.7-fold increase in land below high tide and a 2.1-fold increase in density of inhabitants on the remaining land. Elsewhere in the world, 80% of some parts of the Marshall Islands and 18% of Bangladesh will be inundated.
The percentage of land that will submerge may vary from country to country, but on the whole those living on lowlands will lose their homes and become refugees.
ii. Impact on Water Resources and Natural Disasters:
Global warning accelerates the normal cycle of rainfall and evaporation, destroying balance of water supply and demand and even possibly expanding worldwide gap in water availability.
For example, there should be areas that were frequently flooded on one hand, and areas constantly suffering drought and water shortage on the other. In areas which already have a water shortage problem, the situation will worsen, many other areas will face similar problems.
iii. Impact on Agriculture:
Global warming will seriously affect agriculture as well. Some species of agricultural crops will be adversely affected by higher temperatures, increased weeds and harmful insects. It is also possible that global warming will lead to global food shortages. An investigation conducted by Nagoya University and the National
Institute for Environmental Studies predicts that rice production will increase slightly in some countries, but that a substantial drop in output of wheat and corn is likely in major production sites such as China and India. It is estimated, for example, that the production of winter wheat will decrease by 55% in India and 15% in China by the year 2100.
This will in turn have serious impact on Japan, which depends heavily on other countries for its food supply. In Japan, the impact of global warming is already being seen in the production of rice, the country’s stable food and wheat. While rice harvests are expected to increase in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, wheat production is likely to decrease in all regions.
It is also possible that global warming will trigger frequent natural disasters, including accelerated activity of weeds and harmful insects, allowing harmful insects from the tropical and subtropical zones to spread to the temperate zone and damage harvests.
iv. Impact on Human Health:
Climatic change affects human health in many different ways, most of which are adverse; it is anticipated that climatic change will lead to the loss of many lives. Direct causes of death will include intensified heat waves and diseases.
Indirect causes will include expanded geographical sphere of activity of organisms carrying contagious diseases, and their extended period of activity, resulting in an increase in contagious diseases, including malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever. Higher atmospheric temperatures and more frequent flooding are expected to result in higher rates of salmonella poisoning and cholera.
The negative impact of hot summer weather on the elderly is also worrisome. It is reported that the death rate increases, especially among those aged 65 and above, when the daily maximum temperature exceeds 33°C.
v. Impact on Animals and Plants:
Global warming will cause animals and plants to shift their habitats to northern and mountainous areas. It is anticipated, however, that some will become extinct if they cannot migrate due to topographical obstacles, urbanization of habitat changes much slower than climatic changes.
It is predicted, for example, that alpine flora growing near mountain summits will become extinct, and that many beech forests will disappear and be replaced by oak forests, which are widely distributed in warm regions.
As a result, not only wild animals that live in or feed on these trees, but also fruit cultivation and forestry will be seriously affected. Protected zones of flora and fauna demarcated by today’s environmental conditions will become inappropriate following climatic changes, and can even accelerate extinction.
vi. Impact on Cities:
While winter heating energy consumption will be reduced due to global warming, it will increase for summertime air conditioning. In urban areas, local temperature rise (heat island phenomenon) will increase, due to concentrated energy use, while water use and energy consumption for cooling will also largely increase.
Essay # 9. Climate Change Convention:
Introduction:
If the global climate changes as many have predicted, we will be moving into a world very different from the one we know. Wide spread scientific opinion today suggests that the accumulation of green house gases will lead sometime in the 21st century to a rise in surface temperature of 1.5 – 4.5° C.
The rate of heating is put at about 0.3°C per decade. This may not sound like a very rapid change but history studies have shown that in past episodes of warming and cooling during which agricultural societies of the time suffered major dislocation, climate change occurred at a rate only about 0.5°C per decade. Today’s rate of change in the world, is expected to be very much faster than that faced by humans in the past.
Global warming is expected to bring about a general rise in sea level because of the expansion of sea water, the melting of glaciers and perhaps eventually the heating up of polar ice sheets. Although this will be a general rise, it will have sufficient local impacts on tidal and current pattern changes in meteorological patterns will also vary very widely among regions.
In the northern hemisphere, blue regions will warm faster there equatorial zones, on the continental land masses the centres will become warmer than the peripheries etc. our ability to predict these changes will improve as the global climate models of atmospheric scientists are better developed.
Global warming and climate change are affecting the well-being of people and the survival of plants and animals around the world. There’s no doubt that the rate of species extinctions will increase as the climate warms. Rare species, fragmented ecosystems and areas already under pressure from pollution and deforestation are most vulnerable.
The Polar ice caps will begin to melt and the sea level throughout the world will increase. This will cause many low-lying coastal regions to submerge. As the polar ice caps melt, less sunlight will be reflected back from the snow or more sunlight will be absorbed which will contribute to the additional global warming.
II. In a warmer world, more water will be returned to the atmosphere by evaporation and transportation. There will be an increase in the total rainfall accompanied by stronger wind in the equatorial region. The present snow regions will have less snow in winter and hotter summer. The vegetation’s may go dry.
The problem of global warming and drastic climate changes and also the president degradation of the environment etc., have become international problems requiring solution by means of international cooperation.
The Rio Summit 1992 is an umbrella agreement which takes into account the cardinal principles on which actions to mitigate the causes of global waning are to be taken. We studied that some positive steps were taken under Montreal Protocol in 1989 for reducing the emissions causing decay of ozone layer.
International conventions and forums suffer from some fundamental weaknesses. Pious resolutions will be passed after making erudite discussions. But, when it comes to actual practice of implementing, most of the nations would lack the political will.
Similarly the convention on climate change has also some major weaknesses; i.e., omission of specific actions or commitments that are applicable to the parties to convention. Hence, there will be several problems and pitfalls in the implementation of convention.
The implementation of the climate change conversion mainly rests on the initiative shown by the developed countries of the world, as they are the major contributors of green house gases in the atmosphere. They have high levels of per capita fossil fuel consumption.
They are clearly in the strongest position to reduce emissions effectively and also rapidly .The interest and initiative of the developed countries are able to achieve on the issue.
On the other hand, in the case of developing countries, hard negotiations and vigorous analysis are very essential in drawing up the agenda for the immediate and short term future. As per the climate change convention, the developed countries will meet full incremental cost and provide necessary technology for mitigation measures adopted by the developing countries.
This principle appears to be very simple in statement and definition. But, it is very complex in interpretation and also putting into action. What constitutes the ‘agreed full incremental cost’, will become a dispute; and several disputes will come up in the international forum which may not be solved for many years.
Similarly, in the case of providing necessary technology for mitigating measures adopted by the developing countries, the developed countries would view the introduction of new technology, as a mechanical quick-fix.
This will generate lot of problems. Highly sophisticated western technologies cannot be introduced overnight in developing countries, nor could they be made to work in the absence of appropriate infrastructure, skills and institutional arrangements. All of these are complex and also costly in terms of resources and time.
The Situation is Becoming Critical:
The world is warming faster than at any time in the last 10,000 years. The 1990s was the hottest decade in the past millennium. As global warming tightens its grip, its effects are being felt from the highest mountain peaks to deep in the oceans, and from the Equator to the poles.
Europe’s Alpine glaciers have lost half their volume since 1850. The US Government predicts there will be no more glaciers left in Montana’s Glacier National Park by 2030.
North Pacific Salmon populations crashed after ocean temperatures in the region soared 6 degrees C (9 degrees F) above normal.
Food shortages linked to warming seas led to hundreds of thousands of seabird deaths off the coast of California.
Coral reefs around the world have been severely damaged by unusually warm ocean temperatures. At the current rate of degradation, the entire Great Barrier Reef could be dead within a human lifetime. Destructive fishing practices, pollution, coastal development and climate change are all taking their toll. Add your name to the global Push for Protection now before it is too late.
Cities like Chicago, Athens and New Delhi have sweltered under heat waves and seen death tolls rise.
Rising sea levels threaten entire nations on low-lying islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) had organised a seminar on “Environment and Development Policy Issues in Asia” in October 1992, in which one of the subjects was related to the climate change convention and its implementation.
In the recommendations of the conference, it was stated that “There is a marked asymmetry between industrialised and developing countries in their respective capacity for formulating informed and cogent positions during the negotiating process.
The asymmetry in capacity may have influenced the outcomes of the negotiations leading to the Rio agreements. The agreements themselves were negotiated in a relatively short period of time”.
Further, it was stated, “The whole process extended to a little more than a year. This was too short a period for building up institutional capacities in the several disciplines which are germane to formulating negotiation positions”.
In the future:
Super-hurricanes like Mitch and Floyd could well become more commonplace.
Floods, drought and the spread of infectious diseases, like malaria, into new areas will put food and water resources under severe stress. Global warming could spark regional conflicts as large numbers of environmental refugees are driven from their homes.
The rapid rate of global warming puts one-third of the world’s forests at risk, as well as the species that depend on forests for their survival.
Essay # 10. Contribution of India towards Global Warming:
Many statistical figures and statements are made regarding the extent of contribution of countries towards global warming. These figures are varying and also widely conflicting, and to make an assessment country-wise is rather a very tough exercise.
An estimate in 1990 by Western scientists tells that the contribution of India and Brazil is four per cent each towards global warming; and China’s contribution is seven per cent. Many of these calculations have been made without taking into consideration of recent observations made in India about green house fluxes. For carbon dioxide, we know that the main contributions are fossil fuel, biomass burning and deforestation.
In India, it had been estimated in 1989 that contributions from coal, petroleum, natural gas and transportation emissions were in the order of 85, 35, 5 and 15 million tonnes respectively of carbon, giving a total emission of about 140 million tonnes or 1.4×104g. The global injection had been estimated around 5 x 1015 grams of carbon per year. Thus, India’s contribution amounts to roughly 2.8 per cent of global CO2warming.
Regarding emission of methane too, there is no accurate statistical information. Water – logged paddy fields emit methane; and if that solid happens to be alkaline, there will be larger emission of methane. Measurements in India, mainly by the National Physical Laboratory exhibit wide variations of emission of methane even in the same area and at different times.
Those observations along with satellite remote sensing system, it has been estimated that the total injection of methane from the paddy fields of India is 3.9 x 1012 grammes per year against the global injection of 110 x 1012 grammes per year from paddy fields.
Here also the contribution of India is about 2 per cent. Methane emission is caused by animal population as well. In India, though the cattle population is very large, the average weight of Indian cattle is far less than western cattle; as such the emission of methane will be comparatively less.
In India, methane emission contribution from cattle is around 7 x 1012 grammes per year. The global average is fixed at 80 x 1012 grammes per year. In this case too, India’s contribution of methane flux from animals is 2 per cent.
Essay # 11. Problems Relating to Global Warming in India:
India is well aware of the problems relating to global warming and the need for reducing green house gases. Extensive programmes on several aspects of global change have been introduced.
These include:
(i) Ozone monitoring and development of CFC substitutes
(ii) Green houses molecules monitoring
(iii) Sea-level monitoring and modelling
(iv) Air-sea interactions
(v) Effect of increased UV-B and climatic changes on ecosystem, aquatic systems and industrial materials.
(vi) Paleo-environmental studies
(vii) Health hazards etc.
These wide varieties of programmes are earned out with varying techniques:
(a) At the ground level
(b) Instruments carried by balloons
(c) Apparatus and other sophisticated instruments in rockets.
Another major facility is the Mesosphere-Stratosphere Troposphere Radar (MST Radar) near Tirupathi that will continuously monitor the state of atmosphere from near the ground up to 90KM. The country already has substantial information on the middle atmosphere over India, gathered by ‘Indian Middle Atmosphere Programme’.
India must take the lead in this regard, as it has some basic skills and also infrastructure for meaningful research. Besides, India has a very important role to play in the global negotiations, as a major developing country.
This has to be done as pan of a strategy and not merely through a series of reactions, based on some crisis or the other. This can be effectively done by means of some drastic fundamental changes in the country’s policies and their adjustments.
Conclusion:
Global surface temperature has risen during the past century. Burning coal, oil and Natural gas is turning the earth into planetary hothouse, changing climates world-wide. Climate profoundly affects the way we live. When and where we farm, how we obtain our water, all depend on the weather around us.
But the energy-intensive activities of modern society are modifying the atmosphere to such an extent that climate of future generations may be virtually unrecognizable to those of us closing out the end of the twentieth century.
The planet seems to be heating up, and the implications are profound. Rainfall and soil moisture patterns could shift dramatically, skewing agricultural productivity worldwide; sea levels could rise from one to four feet, swamping coastal cities, fisheries whole populations of plants and animals could move north or south; and record heat waves and other weather anomalies that could harm people, crops and forests.
The foremost cause for the transformation of global environment is the ever increasing number of human beings on the globe. The present increase in just 50 years equals the total increase in the worlds population from the time human species first emerged until the middle of this century. In the name of industrialization & economic growth the population emitted has become unbearable within the 50 years.
Global warming is a huge problem. It will take every one – governments – industry – communities and individuals working together to make a real difference. We will advocate the policies that will combat global warming over the long term.
This like clean cars that run on alternative fuels, environmentally responsible renewable energy technologies and stopping the clear cutting of valuable forest. Raising awareness of the need for action and working to create congressional support ratification of the Kyoto climate treaty which will be sure help to reduce global warming.
But we do not stop here. These are solutions that will help to reduce global warming and you can be a part of them.