发布时间 : 星期一 文章What can We Do to Help Slow Down the Pace of Global Warming作文更新完毕开始阅读
What can We Do to Help Slow Down the Pace of Global Warming?
With the development of economy, more and more greenhouse gases are being discharged into the air. CO2 makes up about 70% of the greenhouse gases, which is considered to be one of the greatest causes of global warming. It has harmful effects, causingthe sea level to rise and many natural disastersto strike.
So we must take effective measures to save our planet. First, we should use more clean energy and less coal and oil. Second, we should go to work on foot or by bus instead of driving a car if possible. Third, we should plant more trees, because plants can turn CO2 into oxygen. More importantly, we should form the habit of saving energy in our daily life. Nearly all scientists agree that the planet is warming. What is still open for debate is how much of the warming is due to human activites, and what all the potential effects will be worldwide. The Pentagon commissioned a report on the possibility of rapid climate change -- in particular examining the collapse of the north atlanticthermohaline conveyor (a process that delivers warmth from the gulf stream to Europe).
The report looks at historicaprecendent for such significant events, of which there are a few. The good news is that life survived all those previous events, the bad news is that there could be significant negative political and economic consequences to such a rapid shift.
In terms of what we can do, everyone can work to reduce carbon emissions... but we need to realize that such a fix will not stop warming for quite some time. Current models show that even with a complete halt to human based carbon emissions, that the world would not stop warming for decades. This same lag effect has made it difficult for scientists to finally agree that long term warming was taking place. Now we have enough data to be pretty sure on that, but we don't have many solutions as how to significantly slow the warming.
Ultimately, it would be ideal for the human race to move toward energy and economic growth solutions that would sustainable in the long long term (centuries or more)... To reach that state we need to move entirely to renewable energy sources and close the loop on materials and toxics used in manufacturing. This will probably take at least 50-100 years, but we'll never get there unless we start... and not getting there is not really an option for the human race as a whole. What is the Greenhouse Effect? The “greenhouse effect” often gets a bad name because of its association with global warming, but the truth is we couldn’t live without it. What Causes the Greenhouse Effect? Life on earth depends on energy from the sun. About 30 percent of the sunlight that beams toward Earth is deflected by the outer atmosphere and scattered back into space. The rest reaches 5 the planet’s surface and is reflected upward again as a type of slow-moving energy called infrared radiation. As infrared radiation is carried up by air currents, it is absorbed by “greenhouse gases” such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane, which slows its escape from the atmosphere. Although greenhouse gases make up only about 1 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere, they 10 regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that surrounds the planet. This phenomenon is what scientists call the \would be colder by approximately 30 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit), far too cold to
sustain our current ecosystem. 15 How do humans contribute to the greenhouse effect? While the greenhouse effect is an essential environmental requirement for life on Earth, there really can be too much of a good thing. The problems begin when human activities distort and accelerate the natural process by creating more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than are necessary to warm the planet to an 20 ideal temperature. ? Burning natural gas, coal and oil —including gasoline for automobile engines—raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. ? Some farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane and nitrous oxide. 25 ? Many factories produce long-lasting industrial gases that do not occur naturally, yet contribute significantly to the enhanced greenhouse effect and “global warming” that is currently under way. ? Deforestation also contributes to global warming. Trees use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in its place, which helps to create the optimal balance of gases in the atmosphere. 30 As more forests are logged for timber or cut down to make way for farming, however, there are fewer trees to perform this critical function. ? Population growth is another factor in global warming, because as more people use fossil fuels for heat, transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases continues to increase. As more farming occurs to feed millions of new people, more 35 greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere. Ultimately, more greenhouse gases means more infrared radiation trapped and held, which gradually increases the temperature of the Earth’s surface and the air in the lower atmosphere. The average global temperature is increasing quickly Today, the increase in the Earth’s temperature is increasing with unprecedented speed. To 40 understand just how quickly global warming is accelerating, consider this:
During the entire 20th century, the average global temperature increased by about 0.6 degrees Celsius (slightly more than 1 degree Fahrenheit). Using computer climate models, scientists estimate that by the year 2100 the average global temperature will increase by 1.4 degrees to 5.8 degrees Celsius (approximately 2.5 degrees to 10.5 45 degrees Fahrenheit). Not all scientists agree While the majority of mainstream scientists agree that global warming is a serious problem that is growing steadily worse, there are some who disagree. John Christy, a professor and director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is a respected 50 climatologist who argues that global warming isn’t worth worrying about. Christy reached that opinion after analyzing millions of measurements from weather satellites in an effort to find a global temperature trend. He found no sign of global warming in the satellite data, and now believes that predictions of global warming by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21st century are incorrect. 55 The effects of global warming Scientists agree that even a small increase in the global temperature would lead to significant climate and weather changes, affecting cloud cover, precipitation, wind patterns, the frequency and severity of storms, and the duration of seasons. ? Rising temperatures would raise sea levels as well, reducing supplies of fresh water as 60 flooding occurs along coastlines worldwide and salt water reaches inland. ? Many of the world’s endangered species would become extinct as rising temperatures changed their habitat. ? Millions of people also would be affected, especially poor people who live in precarious locations or depend on the land for a subsistence living. 65 ? Certain vector-borne diseases carried by animals or insects, such as malaria, would become more widespread as warmer conditions expanded their range. Carbon dioxide emissions are the biggest problem Currently, carbon dioxide accounts for more than 60 percent of the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by the increase of greenhouse gases, and the level of carbon dioxide in
the 70 atmosphere is increasing by more than 10 percent every 20 years. If emissions of carbon dioxide continue to grow at current rates, then the level of the gas in the atmosphere will likely double, or possibly even triple, from pre-industrial levels during the 21st century. Climate changes are inevitable 75 According to the United Nations, some climate change is already inevitable because of emissions that have occurred since the dawn of the Industrial Age. While the Earth’s climate does not respond quickly to external changes, many scientists believe that global warming already has significant momentum due to 150 years of industrialization in many countries around the world. As a result, global warming will continue to 80 affect life on Earth for hundreds of years, even if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced and the increase in atmospheric levels halted.
What is being done to reduce global warming?
To ease those long-term effects, many nations, communities and individuals are taking action now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming by reducing dependence on 85 fossil fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy, expanding forests, and making lifestyle choices that help to sustain the environment. Whether they will be able to recruit enough people to join them, and whether their combined efforts will be enough to head off the most serious effects of global warming, are open questions that can only be answered by future developments. GLOBAL WARMING How do humans contribute to the greenhouse effect?? While the greenhouse effect is an essential environmental prerequisite for life on earth, there really can be too much of a good thing. The problems begin when human activities distort and accelerate the natural process by creating more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than are necessary to warm the planet to an ideal temperature. -Burning natural gas, coal and oil, including gasoline for automobile engines, raise the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. -some farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane and nitrous oxide. -many factories produce long-lasting industrial gases that do not occur naturally, yet contribute significantly to the enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming that is currently under way. -deforestation also contributes to global warming. Trees use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in its place, which helps to create the optimal balance of gases in the atmosphere. As more forests are logged for timber or cut down to make way for farming, however, there are fewer trees to perform this critical function. -population growth is another factor, because as more ppl use fossil fuels for heat, transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases continues to increase. As more farming occurs to feed millions of new ppl, more greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere. What Can We Do? 个人 1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever
you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there
isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. 2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home. Turn down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could sa
ve about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. 3. Drive Less and Drive Smart
Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.
When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. 4. Buy Energy-Efficient Products
When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs. Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and other packaging that can't be recycled. If you reduce your household garbage by 10 percent, you can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. 5. Plant a Tree
In addition to reducing the gases we emit to the atmosphere, we can also increase the amount of gases we take out of the atmosphere. Plants and trees absorb CO2 as they grow, \carbon naturally. Increasing forestlands and making changes to the way we farm could increase the amount of carbon we're storing.
They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. 公司
There are many possible wedges, including improvements to energy efficiency and vehicle fuel economy (so less energy has to be produced), and increases in wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, biofuels (produced from crops), natural gas, and nuclear power. There is also the potential to capture the carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuels and store it underground—a process called \The problem for the business world is that all of the incremental solutions we keep hearing about - use less electricity, drive a hybrid, buy recycled and organic products - don't exactly set entrepreneurs' imaginations on fire. Sure, such efforts cut energy usage bit by bit, but global warming presents opportunities beyond dutiful belt-tightening.
\IBM (Research) executive and author of The Sustainability Advantage.
What makes cashing in on climate change tricky is the fact that it could go in one of two radically different directions. Either the world will continue to heat up, or a complex series of climate chan