Global Warming 4 Essay, Research Paper

I. Intro

Pollution releases 60 millions tons of CO2 per day. That s 850 billions tons per century. The number of cars will double by the year 2030. The U.S. releases about 40,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person each year. Think about a constant heat wave. Always having to be cautious about having heat stroke or having a heart attack or anything else caused by heat. What about having to move from your home because the heat is unbearable. There are things we can do to at least slow down the process of global warming, and yes this is something that will require immediate attention.

II. Body

The atmosphere has always contained carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These gases–together with water vapor–create the natural greenhouse effect. They trap some of the sun’s energy and keep the Earth warm enough to sustain life.

By increasing some of these heat-trapping gases–and adding new ones–we intensify the natural greenhouse effect and further warm the atmosphere.

Several plans are being discussed in Congress having to do with this issue. First is the fuel efficiency and standards issue. A new type of fuel called ethanol. According to the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, ethanol fuels reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming by approximately 40 percent. This would mean that all fuel distributed would be used at maximum efficiency. When Al Gore talked about cutting taxes, he mentioned that the programs that would lose the money would be the programs such as the ones for developing better technology on cars that use fuel to its maximum efficiency. It would be moronic to remove funding from much need projects such as this.

Another issue is enforcing an air quality standard. By doing this, the amount of Co2 released into the air will be greatly reduced. This would help the Ozone layer and overall slow down the effects of global warming. Reforestation would also be an option that has been brought to the attention of Congress. Trees purify the air and help slow the flow or carbon dioxide. Replacing the damaged forests would greatly help along with making stronger attempts to preserve the rainforests that are still intact. Mass transportation is the final issue having to do with global warming the Congress is discussing. They want to find a way to get more people to use public transportation like subways.

In any case something must be done. As global warming changes climate zones, disease-carrying insects would migrate toward the Earth’s poles. Diseases such as malaria and yellow fever may become widespread in many more countries than at present; some with health services not prepared to eliminate them. Hot, stagnant conditions could cause smoke particles and noxious gases to linger in the air and accelerate chemical reactions that generate other pollutants. Such conditions increase the risk of respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma. By studying patterns of water supply and use around the country we can identify those regions especially at risk to floods, droughts and water quality problems, impacts that global climate change may bring. Regions of the western U.S. are most vulnerable, but all areas of the country will be affected. Climate changes may make continued farming uneconomical in some regions. Computer models predict that the East and Southeast would lose the largest amounts of agricultural land. In the Pacific Northwest and the northern lake states, land usable for agriculture would increase.

III. Conclusion

So there are several things we can do to at least slow global warming. Encourage the use of an ethanol fuel. Then having an air quality standard. Reforestation to clean the air. Finally, mass transportation would help by taking more Co2 emitting cars of the road. So there are many ways to help. The cost as far as higher taxes may be a reason people don t want to go this way in helping the environment. They think that its to risky and that it may not work or benefit the environment, but I think that these are all legit ideas. So I encourage you to write to congressman encouraging these bills and telling him that much aid is needed for the enviorment.