| While you may not like Al Gore and not | | | | ever before. They are moving to higher, |
| believe a single word he says, you do need to | | | | cooler areas. |
| give him credit for bringing global warming | | | | |
| to the public eye. Global warming is a real | | | | - Precipitation such as rain and snowstorms |
| threat and threatens all of us regardless of | | | | has increased on average all across the |
| religion, race, or background. Sure, we've | | | | world. |
| all been aware of pollution and greenhouse | | | | |
| gasses. We just didn't know it was actually | | | | - The invasive Spruce bark beetles of Alaska |
| that bad. | | | | have seen a boom in populations because of |
| | | | twenty years of warmer than usual summers. |
| All of the most recent scientific data | | | | These insects have caused unheard of |
| confirms that the earth's climate is changing | | | | environmental damage by chewing up 4 million |
| at an alarmingly rapid pace. Global | | | | acres of spruce trees. |
| temperatures increased by about 1 degree | | | | |
| Fahrenheit over the course of the last | | | | While the above effects can bee seen and |
| century, and it are only likely to rise even | | | | found now, there are other drastic events |
| more rapidly in coming decades. A thickening | | | | that we will soon witness if this trend |
| layer of carbon dioxide pollution traps heat | | | | continues. Some of these other effects which |
| in the atmosphere causing the phenomenon. | | | | can happen at some point this century are: |
| | | | |
| Scientists say that unless we reduce our | | | | - Our sea levels are rising at a scary rate. |
| global warming emissions, average U.S. | | | | They are expected to rise between 7 and 23 |
| temperatures will rise another 3 to 9 degrees | | | | inches just by the end of this century. If |
| by the turn of the century with far-reaching | | | | we cannot stop global warming and it |
| effects and damaging consequences. Many of | | | | continues, add an additional four to eight |
| these changes have already begun. Some | | | | inches to that number from our polar caps |
| impacts from increasing temperatures are | | | | melting. |
| already happening. | | | | |
| | | | - Hurricanes and other high-powered storms |
| - First off, ice is melting worldwide, mainly | | | | are likely to become more common and even |
| in the Arctic and Antarctic waters. This | | | | stronger. The number of category 4 and 5 |
| also includes mountain glaciers and ice | | | | storms has greatly increased over the past 35 |
| sheets covering West Antarctica and | | | | years, along with ocean temperature. Think |
| Greenland. | | | | Hurricane Katrina and multiply that by ten |
| | | | continually throughout the summer season. |
| - Researchers and scientists have recently | | | | |
| tracked the decline of Adélie penguins at | | | | - Deadly floods and epic droughts will become |
| Antarctica and discovered their numbers have | | | | more common ever single year. The annual |
| fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to just | | | | precipitation of the United States increased |
| 11,000 in a little less than 30 years. | | | | between 5 and 10 percent since the early 20th |
| | | | century, largely the result of heavy |
| - The rise of the sea level was faster over | | | | downpours in some areas. The national |
| the last century than any other recorded data | | | | drought between the years 1999 and 2002 was |
| we had. | | | | one of the three most extensive droughts |
| | | | recorded by scientists in the last 40 years |
| - Much of the United States has warmed, in | | | | for the U.S. |
| some areas by as much as 4 degrees | | | | |
| Fahrenheit. Many had their hottest seasons | | | | - Some diseases like malaria and yellow fever |
| or days on record in the late 1990s. | | | | will spread from disease-carrying mosquitoes |
| | | | that are spreading as climate shifts allow |
| - Some species of butterflies, foxes, and | | | | them to survive in formerly inhospitable |
| alpine plants that are inclined towards cold | | | | areas. |
| weather have been found farther north than | | | | |