Current Events Day: Global Warming – A World in Crisis
Global History and Geography I
E. Napp
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Date: ___________________
So, what is Global Warming?
The Earth is wrapped in a blanket of air called the 'atmosphere', which is
made up of several layers of gases. The sun is much hotter than the Earth
and gives off rays of heat that travel through the atmosphere and reach the
Earth. The rays of the sun warm the Earth, and heat from the Earth then
travels back into the atmosphere.
The gases in the atmosphere stop some of the heat from escaping into
space. These gases are called greenhouse gases and the natural process
between the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth is called the “Greenhouse
Effect”, because it works the same way as a greenhouse. The windows of a
greenhouse play the same role as the gases in the atmosphere, keeping some
of the heat inside the greenhouse.
Global warming is the rise in temperature of the Earth's atmosphere.
The earth is naturally warmed by rays from the sun which pass through the
atmosphere and are reflected back out to space again. The atmosphere's
made up of layers of gases - some of which are called greenhouse gases.
They're mostly natural and make up a kind of thermal blanket over the Earth.
Most scientists think if extra greenhouse gases are made, the thermal
blanket gets thicker and too much heat is kept in the earth's atmosphere that's when global warming's bad.
What warms the Earth?
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What are greenhouse gases?
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What is the “Greenhouse Effect”?
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What is global warming?
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When is global warming bad?
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Some of the activities of man also produce greenhouse gases. These gases
keep increasing in the atmosphere. The balance of the greenhouse gases
changes and this has effects on the whole of the planet. Burning fossil fuels
- coal, oil and natural gas - releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Cutting down and burning trees also produces a lot of carbon dioxide.
A group of greenhouse gases called the chlorofluorocarbons, - which are
usually called CFCs, because the other word is much too long! - have been
used in aerosols, such as hairspray cans, fridges and in making foam plastics.
They are found in small amounts in the atmosphere. They are dangerous
greenhouse gases because small amounts can trap large amounts of heat.
Because there are more and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more
heat is trapped which makes the Earth warmer. This is known as GLOBAL
WARMING.
How does man produce greenhouse gases?
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Why are these man-made gases dangerous?
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Is Global Warming Drowning Africa?
By Alexis Okeowo/Kampala
Africa has always been predicted to be the continent that will be worst hit
by global warming and climate change. Could those predictions be coming
true? Extreme rains and floods have made for a very wet summer in Africa,
and there is no end in sight to the downpours that are swallowing towns and
forcing over a million to flee their homes in at least 20 countries. Since June,
Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya have had hundreds of thousands of
people uprooted from their homes. Scores have died since. West Africa has
seen its worst floods in years, with 300,000 fleeing the earth-colored waters
of northern Ghana. Meanwhile, forecasts by African meteorologists say the
rains have yet to peak. October may be the worst month to come in this very
wet year.
Questions:
1- How has climate change affected Africa?
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"This weather is what climatologists predicted, and it is happening even
faster than expected," says Grace Akumu, executive director of the Kenyabased Climate Change Network. "We are overwhelmed." An immediate
consequence of climate change in Africa is that countries will experience
either torrential floods or severe drought during a season. Akumu says that
the unpredictable climate will threaten the food supply in Africa and
potentially eliminate key crops. Africans are expected to face a severe lack
of food and drinkable water by the end of the century.
Questions:
2- What are the consequences of climate change in Africa?
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3- How will food and drinkable water be affected by these changes?
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Scientists on the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
warned this week that the effects of global warming are already being felt in
Africa. The IPCC's most recent report on Africa predicted a minimum 2.5
degree centigrade increase in the continent's temperature by 2030. Growing
seasons will be cut short and stretches of land made unsuitable for
agriculture, with yields declining by as much as 50% in some countries. In
sub-Saharan Africa, between 25% and 40% of animals in national parks may
become endangered. Africa's major bodies of water, including the Nile, will
suffer excessive flooding caused by rising sea levels.
4- What are additional effects caused by global warming?
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Africa is particularly vulnerable because it has a low institutional capacity
to combat the changing weather. As a result, says Ugandan climate change
specialist James Magezi-Akiiki, "in Africa, adaptation to climate change is
more important than mitigation." In response to the floods devouring
Uganda, Magezi-Akiiki says that the government will now consider the
effects of global warming, such as increased rainfall, in its planning of future
infrastructure projects. Ironically, Africa produces far less carbon than other
continents, leading some scientists to blame industrialized countries for
Africa's climate plight. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni announced at
an African Union summit this year that developed countries were
"committing aggression" against Africa by causing global warming.
Questions:
5- Who do many Africans blame for climate change? Why do they
blame these nations?
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"There's not much Africa can do — unless other countries cut their
greenhouse emissions, our efforts will be undercut," Akumu says. In the
meantime, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides and other natural
disasters are expected to become more frequent, along with the occurrence
of diseases such as typhoid, cholera and malaria. Akumu warns that without
aid from richer countries in the form of cash to pay for more durable roads
and hospitals, Africa will be unable to handle more disasters like this
summer's.
Additional Facts:
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You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces
global warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 9 simple actions you
can take to help reduce global warming.
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.
2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
3. Change a Light Bulb
Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent
light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a
CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times
longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70
percent less heat.
If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would
eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5
million cars off the road.
4. Drive Less and Drive Smart
Less driving means fewer emissions.
5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products
6. Use Less Hot Water
7. Use the "Off" Switch
8. Plant a Tree
9. Encourage Others to Conserve
Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your
friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage
public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the
environment.
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