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