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About Global Climate Change
Below is a brief summary about the problem of global climate change. We encourage you to learn more and recommend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
What is Global Warming or Global Climate Change?
Global climate change is the undesirable rise in temperature of our earth's lower atmosphere. Many scientists agree that one of the root causes of global climate change is the increase of greenhouse gases. They believe that these gases act as a thicker layer of insulation and trap the sun's radiation in our atmosphere causing an increase in temperature. As the United Nations calls it, think of these greenhouse gases as a blanket and as with the blanket you use on your bed: "a 'thicker' blanket...traps more infrared radiation and raises temperatures."
What will the result of Global Climate Change be?
No one knows everything that can occur from global climate change, but at the very least it will disrupt our weather patterns. The IPCC projects that "heat waves and heavy precipitation events are very likely to increase in frequency in the 21st century. In a world that is crowded and under stress, millions of people depend on weather patterns, such as monsoon rains, to continue as they have in the past. Changes, at a minimum, will be difficult and disruptive."
What are Greenhouse Gases?
Many gases in the Earth's atmosphere act as greenhouse gases. Some occur naturally (carbon dioxide or methane, for example), while others are man made (aerosols, for example) or increase as a result of industrialization–including the burning of fossil fuels like oil or coal (carbon dioxide is released when we burn oil, for example). Regardless of their source, these gases allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere freely, but when the light is reflected back towards space as infrared radiation (heat) these greenhouse gases trap the heat in the atmosphere.
Scientists believe that our increased industrialization and burning of fossil fuels releasing carbon dioxide are one of the major contributors to the increase in greenhouse gases and therefore global climate change.
What is happening in the Northeast?
If nothing is done about global climate change, the Northeast can expect dramatic temperature increases and other climate changes over the course of the next century. However, if we lower our emissions now, we can minimize the effects of these changes.
- Sources:
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Environmental Defense
- United States Department of Energy
- Union of Concerned Scientists "The Changing Northeast Climate"
- World Resources Institute