What is it?
Global warming is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere which acts as a blanket, trapping in heat. Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are higher than they have been at any time in the past 400,000 years. During ice ages, CO2 levels were around 200 parts per million (ppm), and during the warmer interglacial periods, they hovered around 280 ppm. In 2013, CO2 levels surpassed 400 ppm for the first time in recorded history. This recent relentless rise in CO2 shows a remarkably constant relationship with fossil-fuel burning, and can be well accounted for based on the simple premise that about 60 percent of fossil-fuel emissions stay in the air.
What is the effect of global warming?
- Melting of glaciers, sea ice and less snow cover
- Increase in sea levels
- Increase in ocean heat content and sea surface temperature
- Increase in temperature and humidity over the oceans and land
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that an increase of more than 2°F above where we are today poses severe risks to our well-being. Sea levels will rise three feet or more and there will be increasingly major changes in the severity of weather patterns.
What causes it?
There is a scientific consensus (95% level of certainty) that climate change is occurring, and that human activities are the primary driver. Overuse of fossil fuels and deforestation being the primary cause. About one half of the forests that covered the Earth are gone. Each year, another 16 million hectares disappear. The World Resources Institute estimates that only about 22% of the world’s (old growth) original forest cover remains “intact”. The world’s rain forests will completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.
What can we do about it?
Near-term climate change policies could significantly affect long-term climate change impacts. Stringent mitigation policies might be able to limit global warming (in 2100) to around 2 °C or below, relative to pre-industrial levels. Without mitigation, increased energy demand and extensive use of fossil fuels will lead to global warming of around 4 °C.
OPINION
It seems to me that, regardless of whether we (us humans) are the cause, or not, of global warming, we have a moral responsibility to protect our precious planet. We need to stop irresponsibly polluting our atmosphere and oceans and decimating our rain forests. Do we not owe it to our children and grandchildren to do all that we can to save our planet?
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