User:Henderson09

The science behind global warming.

http://www.globalwarming.org/2009/02/03/global-warming-101-science/

You can use the following link to calculate your carbon footprint individually or family impact on the climate.

http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/

The climate change is very slow, taking many years for us to see its effects. The effects that we are feeling now is the result of pollution that occured many hundred years ago.

The US is taking a lead role in addressing climate change by advancing, and stating the true facts. The White House has initiated a number of polices and partnerships that span a wide range of initiatives from reducing our emissions at home to developing transformational low-carbon technologies all the way to improving observations systems that will help us better understand and address the possible impacts of climate change. The Bali Action Plan represents an important step in global effort by recognizing that all countries that contribute to atmospheric emissions must undertake measurable, reportable, and verifiable actions in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Everyone must work collaboratively to slow, stop, and reverse greenhouse gas emissions in a way that promotes sustainable economic growth, increases energy security, and helps nations deliver greater prosperity for their people.

The Earth's climate has changed many times during the planet's history, with events ranging from ice ages to long periods of warmth. Historically, natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, changes in the Earth's orbit, and the amount of energy released from the Sun have affected the Earth's climate. Beginning late in the 18th century, human activities associated with the Industrial Revolution have also changed the composition of the atmosphere.

For over the past 200 years, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space, somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.

Greenhouse gases are necessary to life as we know it, because they keep the planet's surface warmer than it otherwise would be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth's temperature is climbing above past levels. According to NOAA and NASA data, the Earth's average surface temperature has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4ºF in the last 100 years. The eight warmest years on record (since 1850) have all occurred since 1998, with the warmest year being 2005. Most of the warming in recent decades is very likely the result of human activities. Other aspects of the climate are also changing such as rainfall patterns, snow and ice cover, and sea level. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

Science

If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century. Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planet's climate. But they are not sure by how much it will change, at what rate it will change, or what the exact effects will be. See the Science and Health and Environmental Effects sections of this site for more detail, or review the answers to some frequent science questions. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

U.S. Climate Policy The United States government has established a comprehensive policy to address climate change. This policy has three basic components:

Slowing the growth of emissions Strengthening science, technology and institutions Enhancing international cooperation To implement its climate policy, the Federal government is using voluntary and incentive-based programs to reduce emissions and has established programs to promote climate technology and science. This strategy incorporates know-how from many federal agencies and harnesses the power of the private sector.

In February 2002, the United States announced a comprehensive strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy by 18 percent over the 10-year period from 2002 to 2012. Greenhouse gas intensity is a measurement of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic activity. Meeting this commitment will prevent the release of more than 100 million metric tons of carbon-equivalent emissions to the atmosphere (annually) by 2012 and more than 500 million metric tons (cumulatively) between 2002 and 2012.

EPA plays a significant role in helping the Federal government reach the United States' intensity goal. EPA has many current and near-term initiatives that encourage voluntary reductions from a variety of stakeholders. Initiatives, such as ENERGY STAR, Climate Leaders, and our Methane Voluntary Programs, encourage emission reductions from large corporations, consumers, industrial and commercial buildings, and many major industrial sectors. For details on these and other initiatives as well as other aspects of U.S. policy, visit the U.S. Climate Policy section of the site. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

Greenhouse Gas Emissions In the U.S., our energy-related activities account for three-quarters of our human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. More than half the energy-related emissions come from large stationary sources such as power plants, while about a third comes from transportation. Industrial processes (such as the production of cement, steel, and aluminum), agriculture, forestry, other land use, and waste management are also important sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

For a better understanding of where greenhouse gas emissions come from, governments at the federal, state and local levels prepare emissions inventories, which track emissions from various parts of the economy such as transportation, electricity production, industry, agriculture, forestry, and other sectors. EPA publishes the official national inventory of US greenhouse gas emissions, and the latest greenhouse gas inventory shows that in 2005 the U.S. emitted over 7.2 billon metric tons of greenhouse gases (a million metric tons of CO 2 equivalents (MMTCO 2 e) is roughly equal to the annual GHG emissions of an average U.S. power plant.) Visit the Emissions section of this site to learn more, or review the answers to some frequent emissions questions. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

Health and Environmental Effects Climate change affects people, plants, and animals. Scientists are working to better understand future climate change and how the effects will vary by region and over time.

Scientists have observed that some changes are already occurring. Observed effects include sea level rise, shrinking glaciers, changes in the range and distribution of plants and animals, trees blooming earlier, lengthening of growing seasons, ice on rivers and lakes freezing later and breaking up earlier, and thawing of permafrost. Another key issue being studied is how societies and the Earth's environment will adapt to or cope with climate change.

In the United States, scientists believe that most areas will continue to warm, although some will likely warm more than others. It remains very difficult to predict which parts of the country will become wetter or drier, but scientists generally expect increased precipitation and evaporation, and drier soil in the middle parts of the country. Northern regions such as Alaska are expected to experience the most warming. In fact, Alaska has been experiencing significant changes in climate in recent years that may be at least partly related to human caused global climate change.

Human health can be affected directly and indirectly by climate change in part through extreme periods of heat and cold, storms, and climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, and smog episodes. For more information on these and other environmental effects, please visit the Health and Environmental Effects section of this site, or review the answers to some frequent effects questions. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

What You Can Do Greenhouse gases are emitted as a result of the energy we use by driving and using electricity and through other activities that support our quality of life like growing food and raising livestock. Greenhouse gas emissions can be minimized through simple measures like changing light bulbs in your home and properly inflating your tires to improve your car's fuel economy. The What You Can Do section of the climate change site identifies over 25 action steps that individuals can take to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, increase the nation's energy independence and also save money.

State and local governments and businesses play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas intensity. For example, major corporations, states and local organizations are taking action through participation in a wide range of EPA and other VoluntaryPartnershipPrograms?.html">federal voluntary programs.

You can start by assessing your own contribution to the problem, by using EPA's personal greenhouse gas emissions calculator to estimate your household's annual emissions. Once you know about how much you emit, you use the tool to see how simple steps you take at home, at the office, on the road, and at school can reduce your emissions. Visit the What You Can Do section of this site to learn more. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

Youtube video- IwJ7eAALpEY?&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJ7eAALpEY?&feature=related

Youtube video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzjOcOcQ90U

What this research will do:

Educate others on the effects of climate change Know what will happen if no one does anything What will happen if people do things to help Inform people on what they can do to help Recycling can help reduce the effect on the planet.

Saturday March 28, 2009, countries all over the globe turned out their lights at 8:30 p.m. during their respective local times. According to the Earth Hour Web site, more than 4,000 cities and towns participated, across more than 88 countries. The first event took place exclusively in Australia in 2007, but for this year's occasion, countries ranging from New Zealand to the Philippines participated. If Earth Hour, organized by the World Wildlife Foundation, makes any indication, it's presumable that the world's population really does care about the planet's environment, but its true influence on the world will be seen in December when world leaders meet at the 15th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations' Climate Change Convention. With climate change and greenhouse gases becoming more prevalent in news headlines, and with further developments in hybrid car technology, there is now a larger concern for saving energy and frankly, saving the planet. In the past, the United States refused to accept the 1997 Kyoto Protocol's climate guidelines, but with the meeting in Copenhagen just months away, there is a chance to change. According to CNN.com, President Barack Obama has invited 16 world leaders with major economies to the White House to discuss energy and climate. While it's refreshing and somewhat surprising to see a large chunk of the world population cooperate together for Earth Hour, the lasting energy effects ultimately lie with the world's leaders. On the WWF Web site, International Director Gen. James Leape said, "Our work continues, because over the next eight months, the leaders of the world will be deciding how they step up to meet this challenge, and we need, together, to make sure they do the right thing." And it's time for the United States to step it up, to get up on its mighty soapbox and send a message to other countries around the world. It's time for the United States to be in the news for something that impacts the world, rather than having countless stories about Octomom and pistachio recalls. Seventy-six years ago Franklin Delano Roosevelt uttered the now infamous line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." And with the tanking economy and environmental uncertainty, now more than ever is when the United States should get back into this form of thinking. But to do this, the United States must set the example by setting a benchmark at the Copenhagen meetings. Without U.S. support, the rest of the world can only do so much. To keep the environment clean and to make sure nature can remain as it is now, Copenhagen needs to be something remarkable. In addition to the United States, other economic leaders, such as China, need to make drastic change by using alternative fuel, waste removal methods and manufacturing processes. While Earth Hour was only for one night and was done more to increase political pressure, it's important for participants around the world to realize that saving energy should be an ongoing activity, and not simply a one-time anomaly. Earth Hour is over and the world's fate is seemingly out of our hands. But for once, the small things do count. Doing things such as buying Energy Star rated appliances, switching to Compact Fluorescent light bulbs, and recycling are all doable things to help save energy before Copenhagen. As nice it was to see global participation on Earth Day, it's all for naught if nothing gets done come Copenhagen.

http://media.www.ramcigar.com/media/storage/paper366/news/2009/03/31/Editorialopinion/Column.Saturdays.Earth.Hour.A.Start.For.Global.Climate.And.Energy.Change-3689544.shtml

Recycling can help with the change in the climate. By recycling there will be less space taken up in overloaded landfills. The amount of gasses given off by those landfills will drop. People will save money everyday due to the fact that they will not have to be paying for everyday supplies, for example water bottles.

By Peter Henderson

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Climate change may cost California tens of billions of dollars annually in coming years as sea levels rise and hot days cause people to turn up the air conditioning, a draft report from the state said on Wednesday.

Thirsty cities may be able to buy water from farmers and high-altitude forests are expected to benefit for most of the century as trees enjoy the warmer weather, but a long-term effort to understand the details of climate change suggests costs will be higher than expected.

Much depends on whether global efforts to slow the Earth's heating are successful.

"Climate change will impose substantial costs to Californians in the order of tens of billions of dollars annually," the Climate Action Team draft report said, adding that "costs will be substantially lower if global emissions of greenhouse gases are curtailed."

"On the whole, I am actually less optimistic," said Michael Hanemann, an economist co-director of the California Climate Change Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and an author of the report.

The summary of 37 climate change studies is the latest in a series that America's most populous state publishes every two to three years, adding detail as it goes. "As you fill in the detail, the whole gets worse," Hanemann said by telephone.

California leads the United States in setting climate change goals, aiming to cut carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, although proposed federal legislation could set similar targets for the nation.

Major concerns include a possible $100 billion loss from flooding concentrated around San Francisco Bay if sea levels were to rise and a hundred-year flood hit.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wants Californians to approve billions of dollars in bonds to build fresh water projects, focused on water scarcity.

"Today's new research reveals that California's severe drought conditions are only a preview of what is likely to come because of our changing climate," he said in a statement.

Heat may increase the output of some crops, but water will be a limiting factor. The study concluded the impact of climate change on the water sector itself could be modest -- but Hanemann said studies thus far assumed a perfect market where cities could buy extra water from farms, a situation that he said was not possible.

One of the major changes in the new report, based on an hourly look at California energy use, is that electricity demand may rise by 55 percent by the end of the century. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE5314S520090402

Climate difference from 1884 to 2006. Change in color.

http://geology.com/news/images/climate-change-animation.jpg

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Ice melting!

http://www.cs4fn.org/geography/images/iceberg-sml.jpg

The result that I want to see is 50 or more hits on the wiki, showing that people are reading the wiki and becoming informed on the issue of climate change.