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Global Warming and Acid Rain INTRODUCTION The phrase Global Warming has become familiar to many people as one of the important environmental issues of our day. Many views have been expressed concerning it, from the doom-laden to the dismissive. There is little debate that the earth is undoubtedly warming. It has been the subject of intense debate for decades now. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and industrial gases from fossil fuels play a huge role in why our environment is changing so rapidly. With projections of an increase between 2. and 10. 5 degrees by the year 2100, it is really nothing to take lightly. According to some scientific studies, the??main gas causing global warming, CO2, or carbon dioxide, has increased in our atmosphere by as much as 30 percent over the last 100 years. That is a significant increase to say the least. Global warming??refers to an increase in the Earth’s average surface air temperature. Global warming and cooling in themselves are not necessarily bad, since the Earth has gone through cycles of temperature change many times in its 4. 5 billion years.
However, as used today, global warming usually means a fast, unnatural increase that is enough to cause the expected climate conditions to change rapidly and often cataclysmically. Our planet is warmed by radiant energy from the sun that reaches the surface through the atmosphere. As the surface warms, heat energy re? ects back toward space; meanwhile, gases in the atmosphere absorb some of this energy and reradiate it near the surface. This is often called the greenhouse effect, named for the way heat increases inside a glass enclosure.
In the greenhouse effect around Earth, the atmosphere can be visualized as a blanket that is made thicker by the action of a small amount of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, other gases, and soot; it thus holds in more heat, forcing air temperature higher. The scienti? c term for this action is, in fact, “forcing. ” CONTENT Global warming??refers to an increase in the Earth’s average surface air temperature. Global warming and cooling in themselves are not necessarily bad, since the Earth has gone through cycles of temperature change many times in its 4. billion years. However, as used today, global warming usually means a fast, unnatural increase that is enough to cause the expected climate conditions to change rapidly and often cataclysmically. Our planet is warmed by radiant energy from the sun that reaches the surface through the atmosphere. As the surface warms, heat energy re? ects back toward space; meanwhile, gases in the atmosphere absorb some of this energy and reradiate it near the surface. This is often called the greenhouse effect, named for the way heat increases inside a glass enclosure.
In the greenhouse effect around Earth, the atmosphere can be visualized as a blanket that is made thicker by the action of a small amount of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, other gases (called green house gases), and soot; it thus holds in more heat, forcing air temperature higher. The scienti? c term for this action is, in fact, “forcing. ” The following diagram shows the Green House Effect: [pic] The following table gives the contribution of major green house gases in global warming: Gas |Formula |Contribution | |?? |?? |(%) | |Water Vapor |H2O |36 ??? 72??% ?? | |Carbon Dioxide |CO2 |9 ??? 26??% | |Methane |CH4 |4 ??? 9??% ?? | |Ozone |O3 |3 ??? 7??% ?? | On an average day, this effect is caused by water vapor and clouds (75 percent) and carbon dioxide (20 percent), with the rest of the heating caused by other gases.
Relatively small additions of carbon dioxide and methane force more heat, and that heat allows the air to hold more water vapor, creating a feedback loop that magni? es the effect. Although water vapor is naturally prevalent in the atmosphere, it does not trap as much heat per molecule as carbon dioxide and methane. Also, water vapor molecules cycle through the atmosphere in only a few days, a brief period compared to the residence time of CO2,which persists for many decades and creates some warming even after as long as three hundred years.
Dust and aerosol chemicals in the air cause some cooling (negative forcing); they are also very short lived. Even though the gases are measured only in parts per million (ppm) or billion (ppb), they have been powerfully, and naturally, in? uencing the Earth’s temperature for millions of years. Without them, instead of an average air temperature of about 58??F (14. 5??C), the Earth would be below the freezing point. Life as we know it now would be impossible. The following picture gives the effect of CO2 on Global Warming: [pic]
Earth’s temperature is also subject to natural forcing cycles from solar radiation and the movement of the planet around the sun. Scientists think these cycles, which have left a visible signature extending back millions of years, are what led to past ice ages and the warming that ended them. Currently, we are in a period between major ice ages. The last great glaciation, when temperatures were about 10??to 12??F (6??to7??C) cooler than today, began fading away about 18,000 years ago. The initial transition out of the ice age was unstable, with many rapid temperature shifts.
As temperatures warmed, climate was affected. GREEN HOUSE GASES which contribute to global warming: The following are the greenhouse gases: ??? Carbon Dioxide ??? Methane ??? Nitrous oxide ??? Water Vapors ??? Nitrogen oxides ??? And the natural sources Fluorocarbons Carbon Dioxide Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless non-flammable gas and is the most prominent Greenhouse gas in Earth’s atmosphere. It is recycled through the atmosphere by the process photosynthesis, which makes human life possible. Photosynthesis is the process of green plants and other organisms transforming light energy into chemical energy.
Light Energy is trapped and used to convert carbon dioxide, water, and other minerals into oxygen and energy rich organic compounds. Carbon Dioxide is emitted into the air as?? humans exhale,?? burn?? fossil fuels for energy, and deforest the planet. Every year humans add over 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by these processes, and it is up thirty percent since 1750. An isolated test at Mauna Loa in Hawaii revealed more than a 12% (316 ppm in 1959 to 360 ppm in 1996) increase in mean annual concentration of carbon dioxide.
Mauna Loa, located in Hawaii,?? is the worlds largest volcano at 40,000 cubic km and 4,170 meters above sea level. Ice core samples have also shown a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide levels. Drilling deep into glaciers and polar ice caps and taking out samples of ice, then melting the ice and capturing the gas has shown an increase in carbon dioxide concentrations over the past 100 years. Ice core samples are essentially “drilling through time”, because the deeper the ice is, the older the ice is. In 1996, carbon dioxide world emissions increased by 2. 8%. The U. S. reported a 3. 3% increase in CO2??concentrations.
The U. S. continues to emit more than any other country in the world, accounting for 25% of all emissions. The European Union had an increase of 2. 2%, much larger than a small increase of 1. 1% in 1995. Eastern Europe had a decreasing rate of -2. 4%. China’s increase in 1996 was 4. 7%. Fossil Fuels were created chiefly by the decay of plants from millions of years ago. We use coal, oil and natural gas to generate electricity, heat our homes, power our factories and run our cars. These fossil fuels contain carbon, and when they are burned, they combine with oxygen, forming carbon dioxide.
The two atoms of oxygen add to the total weight. The World Energy Council reported that global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels rose 12% between 1990 and 1995. The increase from developing countries was three times that from developed countries. Middle East carbon dioxide emissions from burning of fossil fuels increased 35%, Africa increased 12%, and Eastern Europe increased rates by 75% from 1990-1995. The following pie chart gives the role of different major things in increasing the CO2 concentration in atmosphere: [pic] Methane
Methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas. It is formed when plants decay and where there is very little air. It is often called??swamp gas??because it is abundant around water and swamps. Bacteria that breakdown organic matter in wetlands and bacteria that are found in cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, termites, and camels produce methane naturally. Since 1750, methane has doubled, and could double again by 2050. Each year we add 350-500 million tons of methane to the air by raising livestock, coal mining, drilling for oil and natural gas, rice cultivation, and garbage sitting in landfills.
It stays in the atmosphere for only 10 years, but traps 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Rice cultivation has developed into a large business; farmland has doubled in the past 45 years. It feeds 1/3 of the World’s population. It grows mostly in flooded fields, where bacteria in waterlogged soil releases methane. Livestock such as cows, sheep, goats, camels, buffaloes, and termites release methane as well. Bacteria in the gut of the animal break down food and convert some of it to methane. When these animals belch, methane is released. In one day, a cow can emit ? pound of methane into the air. Imagine 1. billion cattle each burping methane several times per minute! Nitrous Oxide Nitrous oxide is another colorless greenhouse gas, however, it has a sweet odor . It is primarily used as an anesthetic because it deadens pain and for this characteristic is called laughing gas. This gas is released naturally from oceans and by bacteria in soils. Nitrous oxide gas risen by more than 15% since 1750. Each year we add 7-13 million tons into the atmosphere by using nitrogen based fertilizers, disposing of human and animal waste in sewage treatment plants, automobile exhaust, and other sources not yet identified.
It is important to reduce emissions because the nitrous oxide we release today will still be trapped in the atmosphere 100 years from now. Nitrogen based fertilizer use has doubled in the past 15 years. These fertilizers provide nutrients for crops; however, when they breakdown in the soil, nitrous oxide is released into the atmosphere. In automobiles, nitrous oxide is released at a much lower rate than carbon dioxide, because there is more carbon in gasoline than nitrogen. Fluorocarbons Fluorocarbons is a general term for any group of synthetic organic compounds that contain fluorine and carbon.
Many of these compounds, such as chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs), can be easily converted from gas to liquid or liquid to gas. Because of these properties, CFCs can be used in aerosol cans, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Studies in the 1970s showed that when CFCs are emitted into the atmosphere, they break down molecules in the Earth’s ozone layer (World Book). Since then, the use of CFCs has significantly decreased and they are banned from production in the United States. The substitute for CFCs are hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s).
HFCs do not harm or breakdown the ozone molecule, but they do trap heat in the atmosphere, making it a greenhouse gas, aiding in global warming. HFCs are used in air conditioners and refrigerators. The way to reduce emissions of this gas is to be sure that in both devices the coolant is recycled and all leaks are properly fixed. Also, before throwing the appliances away, be sure to recover the coolant in each. CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING ??? Natural ??? Man-made Natural Causes Natural causes are causes that are created by nature.
One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas and a very dangerous gas to our environment. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Another natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This climate change usually lasts about 40,000 years. Some of the important causes are given below: Volcanic Eruptions Large volcanic eruptions can throw so much dust into the sky that the dust acts as a shield to solar radiation and causes a cooling trend in the atmosphere.
You probably can’t remember such an eruption as they are rare and infrequent occurances. Sunspots Changes in the Earth’s solar radiation levels can have some impact on the Earth’s climate. Increased solar activity can cause short-term warming cycles on the Earth. The Wobbly Earth As the Earth spins, it does not achieve perfect rotation. It actually wobbles slightly, thus alternately exposing the northern and southern latitudes to more and less solar radiation. This wobble in the Earth’s rotation has been causing changes in the temperature of the atmosphere for many millions of years. Ocean current changes Ocean current changes are also considered to be a natural cause of global warming, since the rise and fall of the current creates global change. Currents have a significant effect on heat changes around the earth. The effect of ocean current on heat changes, varies from region to region and this may be related to the rotation of the sun. Man-made Causes Man-made causes probably do the most damage. There are many man-made causes. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution.
Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal, or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. Also mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. Methane is naturally in the ground. When coal or oil is mined you have to dig up the earth a little. When you dig up the fossil fuels you dig up the methane as well. Another major man-made cause of Global Warming is population. More people means more food, and more methods of transportation, right? That means more methane because there will be more burning of fossil fuels, and more agriculture.
Now your probably thinking, “Wait a minute, you said agriculture is going to be damaged by Global Warming, but now you’re saying agriculture is going to help cause Global Warming? ” Well, have you ever been in a barn filled with animals and you smell something terrible? You’re smelling methane. Another source of methane is manure. Because more food is needed we have to raise food. Animals like cows are a source of food which means more manure and methane. Another problem with the increasing population is transportation. More people means more cars, and more cars means more pollution. Also, many people have more than one car.
Since CO2 contributes to global warming, the increase in population makes the problem worse because we breathe out CO2. Also, the trees that convert our CO2 to oxygen are being demolished because we’re using the land that we cut the trees down from as property for our homes and buildings. We are not replacing the trees (an important part of our eco system), so we are constantly taking advantage of our natural resources and giving nothing back in return. CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING The effects, or impacts, of Global warming may be physical, ecological, social or economic. ? Physical impacts:
The following are some of the physical impacts of the Global warming: Effects on weather Increasing temperature is likely to lead to increasing precipitation????but the effects on storms are less clear. Extratropical storms partly depend on the??temperature gradient, which is predicted to weaken in the northern hemisphere as the polar region warms more than the rest of the hemisphere. It also affects Biogeochemicals cycles and hence disturb the ecological balance. Glacier retreat and disappearance It has been found that, on average, mountain glaciers and snow cover had decreased in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
This widespread decrease in glaciers and ice caps has contributed to observed sea level rise. With very high or high confidence, numbers of predictions are made relating to future changes in glaciers: ? Mountainous areas in Europe will face glacier retreat ? In Latin America, changes in precipitation patterns and the disappearance of glaciers will significantly affect water availability for human consumption, agriculture, and energy production ? In Polar regions, there will be reductions in glacier extent and the thickness of glaciers. Temperature rise From 1961 to 2003, the global ocean temperature has risen by 0. 0 ??C from the surface to a depth of 700 m. There is variability both year-to-year and over longer time scales, with global ocean heat content observations showing high rates of warming for 1991 to 2003, but some cooling from 2003 to 2007. The temperature of the Antarctic??Southern Ocean??rose by 0. 17 ??C (0. 31 ??F) between the 1950s and the 1980s, nearly twice the rate for the world’s oceans as a whole. As well as having effects on ecosystems (e. g. by melting sea ice, affecting algae that grow on its underside), warming reduces the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2. Socioeconomic consequences
Socioeconomic impacts of??global warming??could be substantial depending on the actual temperature increases over the next century. Models predict that a net??global warming??of 1 to 3 ??C (1. 8 to 5. 4 ??F) beyond the late-20th-century global average would produce economic losses in some regions (particularly the tropics and high latitudes) and economic benefits in others. For warming beyond these levels, benefits would tend to decline and costs increase. For warming in excess of 4 ??C (7. 2 ??F), models predict that costs will exceed benefits on average, with global mean economic losses estimated between 1 and 5 percent of??gross domestic product.
Substantial disruptions could be expected under these conditions, specifically in the areas of??agriculture,??food??and??forest??products, water and energy supply, and human??health. Environmental consequences of global warming Global warming??and climate change have the potential to alter biological systems. More specifically, changes to near-surface air temperatures will likely influence??ecosystem??functioning and thus the??biodiversity??of??plants, animals, and other forms of??life. The current geographic ranges of plant and animal??species??have been established by adaptation to long-term seasonal climate patterns.
As??global warming??alters these patterns on timescales considerably shorter than those that arose in the past from natural climate variability, relatively sudden climatic changes may challenge the natural adaptive capacity of many species. It has been estimated that one-fifth to one-third of all plant and animal species are likely to be at an increased risk of??extinction??if global average surface temperatures rise another 1. 5 to 2. 5 ??C (2. 7 to 4. 5 ??F) by the year 2100. This temperature range falls within the scope of the lower emissions scenarios. Species-loss estimates climb to as much as 40 percent for a warming in excess of 4. 5 ??C (8. ??F)???a level that could be reached in the IPCC’s higher emissions scenarios. A 40 percent??extinction??rate would likely lead to major changes in the??webs within ecosystems and have a destructive impact on ecosystem function. Other impacts include??the destruction of many coastal??wetlands,??salt marshes, and??mangrove??swamps as a??result??of rising sea levels and the loss of certain rare and fragile habitats that are often home to specialist species that are unable to thrive in other environments. For example, certain??amphibians??limited to isolated tropical??cloud forests??either have become extinct already or are under serious threat of extinction.
Cloud forests???tropical forests that depend on persistent??condensation??of moisture in the air???are disappearing as optimal condensation levels move to higher elevations in response to warming temperatures in the lower atmosphere. STOPPING GLOBAL WARMING The biggest cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels — such as oil and coal — are burned for energy. So when you save energy, you fight global warming and save money, too. Here are some easy steps that you can take to help make a difference: Limit global warming pollution Raise your voice.
Congress needs to enact new laws that cap carbon emissions and require polluters pay for the global warming gases that they produce. Send a message to your elected officials, letting them know that you will hold them accountable for what they do — or fail to do — about global warming. Green jobs and clean energy Choose renewable energy. Pick a??Green-e-certified??energy supplier that generates at least half of its power from wind, solar energy and other clean sources. If you don’t have that option, look at your current electricity bill to see if you are able to support renewable energy in another way.
For details, see NRDC’s??guide to buying clean energy. Offset your carbon footprint. You can make up for your remaining carbon output by ??purchasing carbon offsets. Offsets represent clean power that you can add to the nation’s energy grid in place of power from fossil fuels. Not all offset companies are alike. See ourguide to carbon offsets??for tips on how to choose an offset supplier. Drive smarter cars Choose an efficient vehicle:??High-mileage cars such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids use less gas and save money. Over its lifetime, a 40-mpg car will save roughly $3,000 in fuel costs compared with a 20-mpg car.
Compare??fuel economy performance??before you buy. Drive smart. If all Americans kept their tires properly inflated, gasoline use nationwide would come down 2 percent. A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from 4 to 40 percent, and a new air filter could get you 10 percent more miles per gallon. Learn more about saving fuel and money through proper car maintenance at??Simple Steps. Green homes and buildings Weatherize your home or apartment. Heating and cooling consume about 40 percent of energy in the home. Sealing drafts and making sure that your home has adequate insulation are two easy ways to become more energy-efficient.
Visit Simple Steps for??more tips??and to learn how to take advantage of??federal tax credits??for energy-efficient home improvements. Buy energy-efficient appliances. Look for the??Energy Star??label, which identifies the most efficient appliances. At Simple Steps, you can learn more about investing in??energy-efficient products??and find out which appliances and rooms in the home??use the most electricity. Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
What’s more, CFLs lower your energy bills and keep a half-ton of carbon dioxide out of the air. For more on the benefits of switching to CFLs, visit??Simple Steps. Also??learn about LEDs??as another energy-efficient lighting alternative. Better communities and transportation Drive less. Choose alternatives to driving such as public transit, biking, walking and carpooling, and bundle your errands to make fewer trips. Choosing to live in a walkable “smart growth” community near a transportation hub will mean less time driving, less money spent on gas and less pollution in the air. Learn more about??smart growth communities.
ACID RAIN “Acid rain” is a popular term referring to the deposition of wet (rain, snow, sleet, fog, cloudwater, and dew) and dry (acidifying particles and gases) acidic components. A more accurate term is “acid deposition”. Distilled water, once??carbon dioxide??is removed, has a??neutral??pH??of 7. Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and those with a pH greater than 7 are Alkaline. “Clean” or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic pH of over 5. 7, because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form??carbonic acid, but unpolluted rain also contains other chemicals.
H2O??(l) +??CO2??(g) >??H2CO3??(aq) Carbonic acid then can ionize in water forming low concentrations of??hydronium??and??carbonate??ions: H2O??(l) +??H2CO3??(aq)??[pic]??HCO3? (aq) +??H3O+??(aq) Acid deposition as an??environmental issue??would include additional acids to??H2CO3. CAUSES OF ACID RAIN Acid rain is mainly caused by these substances that are being released into the air: | |Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide is released by burning coal, oil, and natural gas. If you inhale carbon dioxide, then since it is toxic, it| | |can cause you to have to breathe more than usual, unconsciousness, and other serious health problems. | |Carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide is released by burning gasoline, oil, and wood. When carbon monoxide enters your body, it goes into the | | |bloodstream. When this happens, it will slow down the delivery of oxygen to the rest of the body, causing dizziness, headaches, and | | |fatigue. | | |Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): CFCs are the chemicals that are used in industry, refrigeration, air conditioning systems, and consumer | | |products. Whenever CFCs are released into the air, they reduce the stratospheric ozone layer. The stratospheric ozone layer protects | | |Earth’s surface from the harmful rays of the sun. | |Hazardous air pollutants (HAPS): HAPS are released into the air by sources such as chemical plants, dry cleaners, printing plants, and | | |motor vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, and planes). HAPS can cause serious health problems like cancer, birth defects, nervous system | | |problems, and deaths that are all due to people accidentally letting them go into the air. | | |Lead: Lead is released by house and car paint as well as the manufacturing of lead batteries, fishing lures, certain parts of bullets, | | |some ceramic ware, water pipes, and fixtures.
In young children, lead can cause nervous system damage and learning problems. | | |Nitrogen oxides: Nitrogen Oxides are released into the air by burning fuels such as gasoline and coal. When nitrogen oxides combine with | | |VOCs, they can cause breathing difficulty in people who have asthma, coughs in children, and general illness in your respiratory system. | | |Ozone: Ozone is released by motor vehicles, industries, burning coal, gasoline, and other fossil fuels, and in the chemicals that are in | | |hairspray and paints.
When ozone is close to the ground (ground level ozone) it can cause chest pain, irritated respiratory tract, or | | |persistent cough, can make you unable to take deep breaths, and can make you more likely to get lung infections. | | |Particulate matter (PM): PM, little particles of pollution, is released by cars, trucks, and buses that are burning diesel fuel, | | |fertilizers, pesticides, road construction, steel making, mining, and turning on fire places and wood stoves. When PMs mix with air | | |particles and get breathed in by something, they get stuck in the lung tissue.
There they can cause increased respiratory disease and lung| | |damage. | | |Sulfur dioxides: Sulfur dioxides are released by burning coal, paper production, and melting metal. Sulfur dioxide can harm vegetation, | | |harm metals, and cause lung problems, which include breathing problems and permanent lung damage. | | |Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): VOCs are released into the air by burning gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas, solvents, paints, | | |glues, and other products that are used at work or at home. | | |[pic] |
EFFECTS OF ACID RAIN Acid rain is having harmful effects both on people and on the natural ecosystems of the world. Scientists today are convinced that acid rain is severe in many areas, and that it is having an adverse effect on the environments of those locations. The problem of acid rain is rapidly spreading. Because it is mainly caused by industrial processes, automobiles, and power plants, those countries that are developed have the most severe acid rain problems. However, as the undeveloped nations begin to industrialize, acid rain will increase greatly.
Determining just how much the planet is being hurt by acid rain is very difficult because the??ecosystems??that it affects are so diverse and complex. Many ecosystems are affected by acid rain. Bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers, see many of their inhabitants die off due to rising acidity levels. Acidic water also ruins plant nutrients, hurting plants’ ability to survive and to give life to other organisms. Human-made products are also experiencing degradation from acid rain. Cars can lose their finishes, and outdoor statues are beginning to rust. Acid rain’s effects are destructive and long lasting.
Though scientists have studied lakes, streams, and many other natural ecosystems to prove its negative effects, acid rain continues to be produced and is increasing in many parts of the world. WHAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT IT There are many ways that people can stop pollution. One major way is to reduce the amount of trips that you take in your car. Another way that a lot of our pollution is caused is by creating electrical energy. When electricity is created, fuels are usually burned, and this causes the pollution, which causes acid rain. The generation of electric power produces more pollution than any other industry in the United States.
Burning coal and other fossil fuels causes most of our pollution. This is why in some places around the world, acid rain is monitored very closely. In 1998, data shows that by using electricity, the pollution that comes with it was responsible for 67% of the sulfur dioxide emissions that caused acid rain that year. Every time that you turn on the lights, that causes the pollution that causes acid rain. Even doing little things that you may think don’t cause pollution sometimes really do. Some things that you can do to make acid rain less of a problem are: ? In Your Home |Only run the dishwasher with a full load | | |Only run the washing machine with a full load | | |Turn off the lights in empty rooms or when you will be away from home | | |Turn off the hot water tank when you will be gone for a long period of time | | |Turn down the heat at night and when ou will not be home for the night | | |Don’t use your air conditioner as much | | |Install fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent light bulbs | | |Try to reduce, reuse, and recycle as often as you can | | |Try not to burn a fire as often as you usually do | In the yard | |Keep the pool cover on the pool whenever you are not using it | ? Transportation |When you are going to work, you could walk, ride your bike, or take a bus | | |Car-pool to a place with someone else | | |For alternate fuels, try ethanol, propane, or natural gas | | |Take the train or a bus for long trips | | |Limit the amount of long trips you take in your car | | |Make sure that your vehicle’s air conditioning system isn’t leaking | | |Try not to overflow the gas tank | | |Make sure that you are traveling at high speeds only when you need to | CONCLUSION
So it is known that global warming and acid rain are the two of the most serious and disastrous consequences of our day-to-day changing lifestyle. Only thinking and doing nothing would bring no fruits, we have to start taking actions now. We can’t wait for the government to frame some laws and pass certain guidelines. Government has already made some attempts to fight against global warming like Kyoto protocol and Copenhagen summit, but the lack of knowledge is the principle cause that has led to emissions at heart-breaking rates. So, we ourselves need to take the initiative, so that we can prevent or at least delay the growth disaster, catastrophe which has already taken birth. REFERANCES Sites: 1) http://www. blurtit. com/q108469. html ) http://www. acoolerclimate. com/global-warming-natural-causes. html 3) http://library. thinkquest. org/J003411/causes. htm 4) http://www. worldviewofglobalwarming. org/pages/aboutwarm. html 5) http://knowledge. allianz. com/ 6) http://www. umich. edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse. htm 7) marinebio. org 8) http://www. planete-energies. com/content/7_11_6_the_consequences. html 9) http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/235402/global-warming/274853/Environmental-consequences-of-global-warming 10) http://www. nrdc. org/globalwarming/gsteps. asp 11) http://library. thinkquest. org/CR0215471/acid_rain. htm 12) myecoproject. org 13) www. envirolink. rg/orgs/edf/sitemap. html 14) http://infoweb. magi. com/~dwalsh/wfsesr. html Articles ??? Martin Daufresne,??Kathrin Lengfellner,??and Ulrich Sommer, Global warming benefits the small in aquatic ecosystems, Ecology, 2009 August 4, 106(31): 12788???12793. ??? Larisa R. G. DeSantis1,2*, Robert S. Feranec3, Bruce J. MacFadden2, Effects of Global Warming on Ancient Mammalian Communities and Their Environments, PLoS ONE, June 2009,Volume 4, Issue 6, ??? Gowri Koneswaran and Danielle Nierenberg, Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change, Environmental Health Perspectives, May 2008, Volume 116, 578???582