Earth has cycled
between ice ages and thaws for eons
Humans had become
more resourceful and effected the climate
Our impact has
included raising the planet's temperature by 1.2 F to 1.4 F in the last hundred
years.
Compare this to your
basic pattern of glacial periods which usually last between 40,000 to 100,000
years.
It's human activity
which drives the temperatures up so quickly.
Burning fossil fuels
(Oil, gas, other petroleum products; coal) produces carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
intensifies the greenhouse effect, which causes heat to be reflected back to
Earth
Carbon dioxide and
methane have reached their highest levels in 420,000 years.
Sources: Cars,
factories, power plants, trucks, jets, cement production, etc.
Rising sea levels
could flood coastal areas around the world.
Severe drought that
could become more prominent in warm areas.
Species unable to
adapt to the changing conditions would face extinction.
The temperature of
the Earth's oceans has risen more than 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969,
causing:
A 30% rise of
acidity in the ocean's chemistry.
Certain species,
such as oysters and clams, to become calcified.
Shallow water corals
to become increasingly at risk.
Placing the entire
ocean food chain ("food web") in danger.
Since 1994, each
year (On average) the Earth has lost from its glaciers:
4000,000,000,000
Tons
Climate Change: A
long term change in the Earth's overall temperature with massive and permanent
ramifications.
Recycle and reuse
are ways to help the environment.
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