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Global warming and its implications on humans
Greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming, have increased by 31% since
preindustrial times
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Although there are natural sources of carbon dioxide, such as
volcanic eruptions, human activities have caused an increase from 280 parts per million before
the development of industrialization to 390 parts per million now
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6 degree Celsius increase in global air surface temperature in recent
decades include methane and nitrous oxide, both of which are produced by human activity
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7 to 4
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Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming
Carbon dioxide regulates temperature by absorbing infrared radiation, which is carried by the air
molecules of carbon dioxide
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However, much of the energy in the
infrared spectrum is reradiated by the earth
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Carbon dioxide
concentrations over a certain threshold make even the weaker absorption bands more effective,
allowing for higher absorption of infrared radiation in the process
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Causes of Global Warming
Global warming looms large over humanity
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The rise in carbon dioxide

concentrations in the atmosphere accounts for approximately eighty percent of this increase
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1
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Ninety-three percent of the electric industry emissions result from burning coal
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2
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3
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Farming contributes forty percent of the methane and twenty
percent of the carbon dioxide to worldwide emissions
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Deforestation: Deforestation to use wood for building materials, paper and fuel increases
global warming in two ways -- the release of carbon dioxide during the deforestation
process and the reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide that forests can capture
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Fertilizers: The use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers increases the amount of heat cropland can
store
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Sixty-two
percent of nitrous oxide released comes from agricultural byproducts
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Oil Drilling: Burn-off from the oil drilling industry impacts the carbon dioxide released
into the atmosphere
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7
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8
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Scientists calculate that approximately
five-hundred gigatons of carbon is trapped in the Siberian permafrost alone
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9
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Approximately eighteen percent of methane gas in the atmosphere comes from waste
disposal and treatment
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Volcanic Eruption: Volcanoes expel large quantities of carbon dioxide when they erupt
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Implications on humans
As a result of man-made global warming, climate change is occurring, and it has various
consequences:

• Increased average global temperatures
• Warming oceans
• Sea-level rise
• Increased extreme weather events such as extreme disasters
• Ocean acidification
• Shrinking ice sheets, shrinking glaciers and reduced snow cover
How to Solve Global Warming
Global Warming is the general term for a complex set of changes happening to the environment
of our planet
...
”
The reason for the additional heat trapped in the atmosphere and in the oceans is the creation of
greenhouse gasses by humans
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Planet
Earth has always had a greenhouse effect, however human activities have increased the amount
of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, leading to an increased amount of heat being trapped –
this warms the planet
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This means transitioning to renewable and carbon-free energy sources such
as solar, wind, and hydro which cause less than 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel
energy sources
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Because plants breathe in carbon dioxide and store it, they actually remove carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere
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Transportation must end reliance on fossil fuels – must be powered by clean electricity
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5% of emissions are from transportation
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Electricity production must come from clean energy sources such as hydro, wind, and
solar
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4% emissions are from electricity production
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Industry must learn to capture emissions from chemical production, cement production
and utilize green energy for all energy needs
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4
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11% greenhouse gas

emission are from residential and commercial users – primarily from heating and
electricity use
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Agricultural practices must be improved to use fewer fertilizers, less industrial production
of beef, and better sustainable agricultural practices such as sustainable crop rotation and
reduced tilling of the soil (which releases carbon)
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6
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Sustainable forestry and land use lead to carbon
dioxide being taken out of the atmosphere

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