What Causes Global Warming - Global Warming- the Global Meltdown

Posted by Rolf Joho on November 8th, 2010 filed in What Causes Global Warming

Global Warming- The Global Meltdown

Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing us today. To protect the health and economic well-being of current and future generations, we must reduce our emissions of heat-trapping gases by using the technology, know-how, and practical solutions already at our disposal.
Earth has warmed by about 1ºF over the past 100 years & many of the world’s leading climate scientists think that things people do are helping to make the Earth warmer.

Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.

It also means increasingly hot days in the summer, and a host of negative impacts that are already under way and are expected to intensify in the coming decades.
•More heat waves will likely increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths.
•Cities and towns along the nation’s major rivers will experience more severe and frequent flooding.
•Some areas will likely experience more extensive and prolonged droughts.
•Some of our favorite coastal and low-lying vacation areas, such as parts of the Florida Keys and Cape Cod, will be much less appealing as sea levels rise, dunes erode, and the areas become more vulnerable to coastal storms.
•Many families and businesses, who have made their living from fishing, farming, and tourism could lose their livelihoods, and others who love hunting, boating, skiing, birdwatching, and just relaxing near lakes, streams, and wetlands will see some of their favorite places irretrie
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vably changed.
Scientists agree that if we wait 10, 20, or 50 years, the problem will be much more difficult to address and the consequences for us will be that much more serious.

We’re treating our atmosphere like we once did our rivers. We used to dump waste thoughtlessly into our waterways, believing that they were infinite in their capacity to hold rubbish. But when entire fisheries were poisoned and rivers began to catch fire, we realized what a horrible mistake that was.
Our planet is warming, and we are helping make it happen by adding more heat-trapping gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), to the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuel (oil, coal, and natural gas) alone accounts for about 75 percent of annual CO2 emissions from human activities. Deforestation—the cutting and burning of forests that trap and store carbon—accounts for about another 20 percent.

Our atmosphere has limits too. CO2 remains in the atmosphere for about 100 years. The longer we keep polluting, the longer it will take to recover and the more irreversible damage will be done.

By: Anil Tandon

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Anil Tandon is a reputed automotive journalist based in India. Anil has written columns for numerous Indian dailies and auto magazines. He is currently working as a consultant to the Indian automotive industry. Anil is also involved with India’s Leading Auto Classifieds Site Indimoto.com www.indimoto.com which is also India’s First Carpool Site.

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Scientists explore the causes of ageing – Yahoo! News UK

In the animal world lions, tigers and bears hardly ever get caught with a walking stick or collecting their pensions because such predators don’t live that long. In the animal world the good really do die young. We humans though get the enjoyment of hair dyes, Zimmer frames, hip replacements and hearing aids.

The human body has trillions of cells, which are capable of regularly renewing themselves, but unfortunately there is a limit as to how many times this can happen and that is when ageing kicks in.

According to the ‘Who Am I?’ gallery at the Science Museum in London, experts seem divided on theories about what can cause ageing, but stress, lifestyle and DNA are three of the top answers. Rubbish also seems to be a possibility because we start to age when our cells stop removing toxins, which explains why a hangover lasts five minutes as a student and five days by the time we reach 30.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. During the last century life expectancy has increased significantly. At the moment women live on average until 81, and men 77, and some babies born today are expected to live to over 100 years old.

Personal success seems to play its part in our health and life expectancy too. How much we earn, and how we earn it, can apparently keep us going for longer. On average people in wealthy areas tend to live 20 years longer than people in the poorer suburbs. A study of 10,000 civil servants in London found that mortality rates among the lowest grades were three times higher than those among the highest administrator grades.

Not everyone can guarantee fame or fortune to ensure eternal youth, but luckily there are scientists out there desperately trying to find the answer to a long life. In France they have analysed the health and genetics of 800 centenarians to find the answer.

Some scientists are now even studying nematode worms. These worms only live for 20 days but scientists have genetically engineered some to live four times longer by identifying genes in their DNA that appear to control the ageing process.

Holly Cave, content developer at the Science Museum, said: “The idea of understanding the genetics of ageing to the point where scientists could feasibly predict how long we will live for isn’t a crazy one. But would this sort of knowledge be a blessing or a curse? I’m sure lots of the visitors to the Who Am I? gallery are going to leave with lots of different opinions on that.”

Another possibility being considered by the experts is dieting. Mice put on a strict diet lived 30 percent longer than their couch potato counterparts, but who could live without their Friday night takeaway?

Unfortunately though, despite all the research, all the anti-wrinkle creams, all the omega 3 we are told to consume, none of it will prevent the freak accidents of life, such as being hit by a bus or a lightning strike.

For further information on how the body works, visit The Science Museum’s ‘Who Am I?’ gallery in London.

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