Climate Change
What is Global Warming and How is it Affecting the Planet
Earth is Getting Warmer
While there is still debate over the effects human activities have on global warming or what is causing global climate change, experts are in agreement that the earth is indeed getting warmer. Many climate scientists believe that left unchecked, global warming could have devastating consequences for Earth. Alexander E. MacDonald, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, warns that summers may become much drier with the potential to devastate some of the globe's most productive agricultural areas. The Artic ice cap may disappear, a huge blow to a unique and sensitive eco-system. Atlantic ocean currents that warm Europe may be disrupted. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet may collapse, resulting in a rise of sea levels around the world.
Not all scientists believe that the consequences of global warming will be so dire. Some predict that a warmer climate will yield more crop fields, that an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will be a boon to plant life. They point to early predictions of sea level rises of 25 feet over the next century that have not come to pass. Under the worst case scenario now envisioned by the IPCC, the oceans should rise no more than a foot over the next century. Some researchers believe that the dangers of trying to slow global warming may be worse than the impact of global warming itself, slowing the world's economy, aggravate hunger, and reduce public health.
This site is does not attempt to present an exhaustive, all-encompassing account on Global Warming. Rather it is an introduction of global warming and it's effects on climate, how it's measured, how it compares to past atmospheric changes, and if or why we should be concerned, and what remedies, if any, may be available to us. The best place to start, as they say, is in the beginning, so I invite you to dive right in and explore "Climate Change: What is Global Warming and How is it Affecting the Planet."
Watch the video below for a brief primer on climate change, it's effects, and human's contribution to global warming.