Global Warming

WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, and cutting down forests, we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising. The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our (people’s) activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing. The signs are most obvious in delicate ecosystems and at risk areas such as the arctic, the Antarctic and small islands. Some examples of the effects of climate change already affecting our brothers and sisters around the world:

The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years

Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.

The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.

At least 279 species of plants and animals are already moving closer to the poles as a response to global warming

The 10 hottest years ever recorded have ALL occurred within the last 14 years. 2005 was the hottest.

The Arctic is melting so fast it may now be past the point of no return. If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.

Deaths from global warming are expected to double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.

Sea levels worldwide could rise by more than 6 meters (20 feet) with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas globally.

Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.

Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.

The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050

More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

•

•

Its time to ACT.