...On the other, the technological, economic and political issues that have to be resolved before a concerted worldwide effort to reduce emissions can begin have gotten no simpler, particularly in the face of a global economic slowdown. After years of preparation for climate talks taking place in Copenhagen through Dec. 18, 2009, President Obama and other leaders announced on Nov. 15 what had already become evident — that no formal treaty could be produced anytime soon. Instead, the leaders pledged to reach a placeholder accord that would call for reductions in emissions and increased aid to help developing nations adapt to a changing climate and get access to non-polluting energy options. This would in theory give the nations more time to work out the all-important details. Negotiators would then seek a binding global agreement in 2010, complete with firm emission targets, enforcement mechanisms and specific dollar amounts to aid poorer nations. At the heart of the debate is a momentous tussle between rich and poor countries over who steps up first and who pays most for changed energy menus. Read More... Within the United States, Congress is similarly fighting over legislation on climate change. The House in the summer of 2009 passed a bill outlining a cap-and-trade system that could, over the next few decades, lead to an early end to conventional use of coal and oil, fuels that have underpinned prosperity and growth for more than a century. But between stiff...
Words: 1940 - Pages: 8
...Global Warming Global warming, an increase in the earth's temperature due to the use of fossil fuels and certain industrial and agricultural processes leading to a buildup of “greenhouse gases” (principally carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor) in the atmosphere. Since 1896 it has been known that these gases reduce the escape of the earth's infrared radiation into space and this function to maintain the earth's relatively warm temperature. This is called the greenhouse effect. Although there is broad agreement that human activity, such as burning fossil fuels has reached a scale that is beginning to influence climate, there is much uncertainty and debate over how much and how fast the climate will warm. Elevated global temperatures could result in coastal flooding and the shifting of major climatic zones and may have serious implications for agricultural productivity. Since 1850 there has been a mean rise in global temperature of approximately 1.8 Fahrenheit and a 28 percent rise in carbon dioxide levels. While most scientists think this temperature rise to the increase in carbon dioxide levels, other scientists argue that this temperature rise could just be part of a natural fluctuation; such fluctuations have been recorded for tens of thousands years and operate in short-term as well as long-term cycles. Because of the difficulty of distinguishing between emissions caused by humans and those caused by natural sources, and a number...
Words: 667 - Pages: 3
...Assignment Two Urban sprawl, being one of the unavoidable adverse effects of global economic growth, means uncontrolled city expansion. It contributes to higher demand in consumption goods such as the gasoline and vehicles, which allows the economy continues to flourish in many developed countries as well as developing countries (especially in China). However, urbanization poses an acute ecological threat because it highly depends on the massive development of motorization which is a significant driver of more energy and lands consumption and more emissions of global warming gases. Furthermore, as the motorized urban sprawl means unhealthier, less affordable places for the poor to survive caused by the dispersal of their communities, on the one hand, and growing public health problems, on the other, it also creates serious social problems. To address these adverse effects of urbanization, the technological solution is recommended given that nowadays technology plays a crucial role in socio-ecological development. This essay will outline the problems driven by urbanization and argue that the technological solution is not the most fundamental one to deal with the social and ecological problem driven by urban sprawl. In terms of social problems associated with the spread of urban development, the technological solution may pose greater difficulties to cope with the social polarization in the sprawled cities. The global development of urban sprawl will lead to the explosion...
Words: 1005 - Pages: 5
...vulnerability. Bangladesh is the nation most vulnerable to global climate change in the world, according to German Watch’s Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) of 2011. This is based on the analysis of impacts of major climate events that occurred around the world in the twenty-year period since 1990. The reasons are complex and extremely intertwined. Located at the bottom of the mighty GBM river system (comprising the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna), Bangladesh is watered by a total of 57 trans-boundary rivers coming down to it: 54 from neighbouring India and 3 from Myanmar. The country, which has no control of the water flow and volume, drains to the Bay of Bengal over 90% of the total run-off generated annually. Coupled with the high level of widespread poverty and increasing population density, limited adaptive capacity and poorly funded, ineffective local governance have made the region one of the most adversely affected in the planet. There are an estimated one thousand people in each square kilometre, with the national population increasing by 2 million people each year. Almost half the population is in poverty (Purchasing Power Parity of $1.25 per person a day). Hence these people do not have the ability to respond to a natural disaster and the government cannot help them.[2] Effects[edit] It is projected that, by 2020, from 500 to 750 million people will be affected by water stress caused by climate change around the world. Low-lying coastal regions, such as Bangladesh...
Words: 425 - Pages: 2
...Trina Poston Poston pg.1 18 November, 2012 GLOBALLY GREEN? The Effectiveness Our Attempt At Going Green. Our planet is a magnificent, wonderfully, beautiful and, totally amazing place. With the almost unreal complexities, with all the variations of life from microscopic to hundreds, even thousands of pounds. All life forms these and all those in between. We all share this planet although we don’t all have quite as devastating effect as humans have. The sad fact is that our planet is actually in very serious trouble. With the hole in the Ozone layer the very inconsistency of the weather. The oceans are warming which will have a devastating effect on every living thing, this is also causing the glaciers to melt which in turn makes the water levels to rise. The severity of the storms across the globe and they are coming more frequently every day. The many different catastrophic weather patterns and, the ever increasing number of devastating storms all over the world. Everything from hurricanes, tornados, even tsunami’s, and earth quakes. the fact that these storms are hitting more inhabited areas and much more frequently. Leaving so much destruction and devastation that follows each and every time one hits. People die and entire cities are turned to rubble in only moments. These facts alone should be opening the eyes of people, you would think, right! Maybe not, maybe it’s just me who thinks this way. I don’t really...
Words: 1559 - Pages: 7
...Peoples Attitudes towards Climate Change A group paper is presented to the faculty of Mindanao University of Science and Technology – Jasaan Campus presented by Steven Castino, Geneth Caturan, Marjohn Deleon, John Henry Mercado, Julan Aricayos, Kimbert Pacana, Joseph Sumayang, June Rey Tarpin, Richard Nacua, Joel Cabelto, and Rey Carlou Cailing. I. Introduction Climate Change or Global warming is the increase of the average temperature of earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and landmasses. Scientists believe earth is currently facing a period of rapid warming brought on by rising levels of heat-trapping gases, known as greenhouse gases, in the atmosphere (Harvey, 2012). Ironically, “It is not climate change that is our problem, but the attitude of people that should be addressing the problem” (Fernandez, 2012). Most previous studies evaluating the cause of awareness to the people towards the climate change is the effects of people’s attitude towards climate change (Gallup, 2008; Barret & Dannenberg, 2012). Most of the studies confirm the explicit and implicit attitudes towards climate change suggest targeting hidden thoughts a better way to change people’s behavior (Corner, 2010; Kormos & McIntyre, 2011). There are also findings that proved the countries to firm one another to build human activities towards climate change. This paper is intended to transport cognizance on the necessary ideas on what are the people’s perception towards climate change that have been affected...
Words: 3065 - Pages: 13
...below. – Anthony ================================================================ Guest essay by Bob Tisdale The recently published climate model-based paper Recent global-warming hiatus tied to equatorial Pacific surface cooling [Paywalled] by Yu Kosaka and Shang-Ping Xie has gained a lot of attention around the blogosphere. Like Meehl et al (2012) and Meehl et al (2013), Kosaka and Xie blame the warming stoppage on the recent domination of La Niña events. The last two sentences of Kosaka and Xie (2013) read: Our results show that the current hiatus is part of natural climate variability, tied specifically to a La-Niña-like decadal cooling. Although similar decadal hiatus events may occur in the future, the multi-decadal warming trend is very likely to continue with greenhouse gas increase. Anyone with a little common sense who’s reading the abstract and the hype around the blogosphere and the Meehl et al papers will logically now be asking: if La Niña events can stop global warming, then how much do El Niño events contribute? 50%? The climate science community is actually hurting itself when they fail to answer the obvious questions. And what about the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)? What happens to global surface temperatures when the AMO also peaks and no longer contributes to the warming? The climate science community skirts the common-sense questions, so no one takes them seriously. UPDATE...
Words: 1039 - Pages: 5
...MKT01760 Tourism Planning Environments Assignment 2 – Proposal for preparation of a tourism plan or policy Due Date: Week 8 Position Statement “Climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing tourism today. Australia’s tourism industry, like all sectors, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The industry is also susceptible to climate change impacts, with some of Australia’s most iconic natural attractions and World Heritage Areas particularly sensitive to changes in climate conditions” (Australian Government website, 2010). “Tourism is fundamental to Australia’s economy. The direct GDP contribution of the tourism industry was $38.9 billion in 2006-07. However, many of these tourism-related goods and services contribute to significant GHG emissions. (Tourism Australia, 2008). As stated by Tourism Queensland, 2009, “internationally and domestically our competitors are gearing up so they can promote themselves as climate friendly destinations. Queensland must act if we are to be competitive”. They have also stated ways to make this a reality. Some actions include: Promote environmentally responsible and safe use of your product/service to visitors; monitor the sustainability performances of main competitors; pursue a carbon neutral option for your product or service. Tourism Queensland was established in 1979 (Tourism Queensland, 2009), Tourism Queensland is a statutory body under the...
Words: 3937 - Pages: 16
...deforestation activities are only phases that the earth is experiencing, besides the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect which is water vapors, carbon dioxide and methane which our all gases and which water vapor accounts for “80 percent of natural greenhouse warming; the remaining 20 percent is due to the other gases that are present in very small amounts (murck, skinner and porter 488)”. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapors are harmful gases that humanity helps in emitting into the atmosphere. Subsequently there are consequences that society as a whole has to deal with like the rise of sea levels, melting of snow and ice glaciers, climate changes, floods and droughts. All in which can be disastrous (absolute astronomy, 2011). With the significant changes in our climate, our agricultural industries are becoming deserts and its making it difficult for crops to grow and with the bad economic conditions people will have to move, for that reason it’s very important to carefully manage the greenhouse effect by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that is going into the air and planting more trees. There have to be some way to control global warming with the growing...
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...House Effect Who is Responsible for Green House Emissions Debates on Global Warming A. Opposing Viewpoints 1. What do Scientists Agree on What do Scientists Disagree on Evidence of Global Warming A. Climate Changes 1. Melting Polarized Caps * 2. Rise in Sea Level * IV. Summary and Conclusion * A. Strategies to Abate Global Warming * 1. Individual Efforts * 2. Energy Conservation and Efficiency * 3. Political Position Global warming: fact or fiction Global warming is one of the most eminent scientific topics of the twenty-first century stimulating the precise configuration of society. Global warming inherently means there is a rise in temperature when the earth heats up. It sounds unpretentious in its term; however, it is an extremely complicated subject. It occurs when greenhouse gases; (carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane) entrap the sun’s warmth and radiance in the earth’s environment which initiates temperature increases. (Global Warming, n.d.) The greenhouse effect is a result from the sunlight’s heat energy that is consumed by the earth and atoms in the earth's environment. This energy is customarily emitted in the direction towards space. However; due, to domestic living changes, the gases in the earth's atmosphere traps this energy resulting in an insignificant percentage that returns to space. The trapped energy transforms into heat, therefore, causing a constant aura of warmth around the earth...
Words: 1337 - Pages: 6
...Global Warming Jamilla Taylor June 10, 2012 Professor Eric Freeman AIU Online Global Warming I. What is Global Warming A. Climate Change 1. The cause of global warming 2. The effect of global warming II. Fight Global Warming A. What are people doing to stop Global Warming? 1. Conserving energy on a daily basis III. Reasons of Global Warming 1. Process of slowing it down 2. Consequences of global climate change Global Warming Global warming is the increase of a surface temperature that traps heat in that needs to escape from the earth, (Global Warming FAQ, n.d.). This is known as a greenhouse effect. The cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide and many other air pollutants that are in the atmosphere collect in the sky to make a thickening blanket (Global Warming, 2005). Some effects are: rising sea levels, salt water intrusion, beach erosion, extreme weather, and increased rainfall, destabilization of local climate, acidic oceans, and drought. Conserving energy is important so the earth won’t get polluted so much. When car buying choosing a hybrid vehicle is the best option, they contain gas electric engines. Carpooling puts less greenhouse gases into the air. Recycling means less trash goes to the dump to be burned. Using fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs save energy. Although they may cost more but they last longer and provide safer air to breathe. Reasons for global warming: * Deforestation ...
Words: 359 - Pages: 2
...century. Global warming is climate change that causes the average temperature of the Earth's lower atmosphere to increase. Global warming can have many different causes, but it is most commonly associated with human interference, specifically the release of excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. With this gas buildup, the Earth's atmosphere warms to unnatural temperatures, which causes an increase of natural disasters and causes sea levels to rise amongst other things. This warming trend is sometimes called the greenhouse effect because gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, act like a greenhouse around the earth. Scientist continue to struggle to determine whether or not the global warming and the increase in carbon dioxide emissions is caused by human burning of fossil fuels, farming, and deforestation activities or whether it is a completely natural phenomena caused by the Sun. To understand global warming’s impact on the Earth we must first understand the Sun’s contribution to the warming effects. As supplier of almost all the energy in Earth's environment, the Sun has a strong influence on our climate. According to Dr Sami Solanki, the director of the renowned Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany, the Earth is getting hotter because the Sun is burning more brightly than at any time during the past 1,000 years. Solanki states that increasing radiation from the sun is responsible for recent global climate changes. The Sun has been at its...
Words: 1097 - Pages: 5
...sustainable development, operationalizes sustainable development into specific items that can be studied, and clearly identifies questions that need to be answered. Although normally a proposal would include a budget, you do not need to develop one for this project. 4. Conduct a photographic study of a sociology of the environment issue. Think of an issue for which it would make sense to conduct a visual analysis. Follow appropriate visual sociology methods (see the professor for relevant literature). Photographs, or some other visual format, should be part of the final paper. 5. One of the major difficulties of dealing with potentially large-scale environmental problems (e.g., ozone depletion, elimination of biodiversity, global climate change) is the uncertainty in the risks posed by these problems. In other words, given current levels of knowledge, we don’t know how and to what extent these problems will affect us economically,...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
... 2 Global Warming Fact or Fiction I. Concept of global warming A. What is Global warming B. What causes Global warming II. Climate changes A. Fact about Global dimming Fiction about global warming III. Global warming Impacts A. Global warming impacts on infrastructure B. Water quality affects people and ecosystems IV. List four things that can be done to help with global warming Running head: PROFESSION BUSINESS WRITING 3 Global Warming Fact or Fiction Introduction Global warming has changed this world drastically over the past decade. Vice President Al Gore, set out to study the issue at hand in grade school about the situation of global warming and even today the concerns of this matter is still in existence. Global warming is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Concept of global warming Think of heat trapped in a blanket with other gases and no way to escape that is what global warming is doing with the earth. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main heat-trapping gas largely responsible for most of the average warming over the past several decades. CO2 stacks up in influence to the many other important heat-trapping gases contributing to the change. With these main issues such as burning coal, oil and gas fossil fuels in which generates electricity or cars that creates carbon dioxide which releases it into the atmosphere...
Words: 1026 - Pages: 5
...radiation budget, clouds, aerosols, and tropospheric chemistry. The ASDC specializes in atmospheric data that is important to understanding the causes and processes of global climate change and the consequences of human activities on the climate. In 2012, the ASDC facilitated the development of the first-ever strategic plan intended for fiscal year 2013 and beyond [4]. The 2013 Strategic Plan serves as a mission-focused plan with six defined goals. The first goal says: The ASDC will strive to expand beyond our existing customer base by increasing accessibility to a broader, worldwide market; through the use of innovative technologies, the ASDC will enhance data access capabilities and develop plans to share data with new user communities. Pursuant of this goal, the ASDC is piloting the use of new technologies to implement for enhanced data access capabilities for observing Earth’s climate. The technologies being explored and piloted include Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, which can be leveraged for planning, response, and awareness of climate change. The purpose of the pilot is to increase discoverability of and accessibility to the useful big science data held at the NASA’s ASDC. The growing GIS community can access ASDC data holdings in order to gain a better understanding of climate change and to coordinate responses. The GIS user community works with tools and applications that require different formats and services for data than what are currently served...
Words: 428 - Pages: 2
