Japan Promises Big Greenhouse Gas Cuts

Japan's Prime Minister-elect has announced that by 2020, his nation will slash greenhouse gas pollution by 25% of 1990 levels.

It's a significantly higher target than the one set by outgoing Prime Minister Taro Aso, whose administration had said it would try to cut emissions by around 8% by 2020. , The nation has not yet met its targeted cuts under the current international climate agreement, the Kyoto Protocol.

Prime Minister-elect Yukio Hatoyama could be positioning the world's fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter as an important force in December's international climate treaty talks. Japan has the world's second-largest economy.

He may also be underlining the enormity of the political transition underway in Japan after his Democratic Party's recent landslide victory.

Arctic Record Proves Global Warming is Caused by Man

The Arctic’s geological record provides all the evidence we need that global warming is man’s doing, experts say. A closer look at the sediment timeline has shown that increased ice melt falls right in line with the birth of the Industrial Age, when those billowing clouds of greenhouse gases first started to flow from factory smokestacks.

From the LA Times:

For more than 2,000 years, a natural wobble in Earth’s axis has caused the Arctic region to move farther away from the sun during the region’s summer, reducing the amount of solar radiation it receives. The Arctic is now 600,000 miles farther from the sun than it was in AD 1, and temperatures there should have fallen a little more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since then.

Instead, the region has warmed 2.2 degrees since 1900 alone, and the decade from 1998 to 2008 was the warmest in two millenniums, according to a team headed by climatologist Darrell S. Kaufman of Northern Arizona University.

Not only was the last half-century the warmest of the last 2,000 years, “but it reversed the long-term, millennial-scale trend toward cooler temperatures,” Kaufman said.

The results seem to negate the primary argument of those who say the current warming of Earth is simply a natural variation, he said.

It’s not too difficult to understand the argument that people have against anthropomorphic global warming – that we, as humans, are simply too small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things to cause such changes in the earth and its natural balance. After all, nature is quite an amazing force.

But, to believe that we aren’t capable of causing global warming is to ignore the massive destruction we have unleashed upon this planet as we rose to the top of the food chain and began industrializing. We have changed the atmosphere. We have destroyed ecosystems and decimated much of the rainforest that would otherwise be helping to balance the greenhouse gases we’re pumping into the air.

It’s real, it’s happening, and we did it. Now we have to find a way to make up for it.

Link [LA Times]

Photo credit: Flickr user A6U571N

Causes, Effects and Dangers of Global Warming

report by allie mendoza

What can we possibly do to help stop global warming? How do we solve a problem that seems too large to tackle and too complex to understand?

by azrainman

We’ve all heard about global warming blaring from our TV sets and radios… we’ve seen countless web pages and news prints. Can we really continue to turn our heads away and pretend we don’t have enough evidence to take action?

By the time we get evidence that’s convincing enough for the global warming skeptics, will it be too late for the world as we know it?

By not taking action now, are we putting at risk the only planet we call home… for the off chance that global warming is NOT really going to cause massive destruction?

Are we willing to risk the environment that our children and future generations are going to inherit?

What Is Global Warming?

Global warming refers to the increase in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. This results in the increase of our global average temperature.

It’s hard to understand why some people are still wondering if global warming is really occurring — the evidence provided is overwhelming.

It’s NOT reasonable to suggest that global warming is not occurring… just because we’ve had a couple of pretty cold winters lately. It’s NOT reasonable to compare “a couple of cold winters” to decades or centuries of OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE showing global warming.

For most people — especially most scientists — the only questions remaining are how much and how fast global warming will continue.

What Are the Main Causes of Global Warming?

The atmosphere has a natural supply of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases. These gases capture heat and create a warming effect on the surface of the Earth. This warming effect is similar to warming inside a greenhouse; so, it became known as the “greenhouse effect.”

Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would not be warm enough for us to live on. It would just be a frozen wasteland.

Before the Industrial Revolution, the amount of natural emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases matched what could be removed. When the greenhouse gas emissions and removal were balanced, the greenhouse effect was good — it kept the Earth just warm enough to be habitable.

After the Industrial Revolution, increasingly larger amounts of greenhouse gas emissions were caused by humans. More and more fossil fuels — such as, oil, coal and natural gas — were burned to run factories, power plants, planes, cars and trucks. These human-caused emissions added significantly to the natural sources of greenhouse gases.

As a result, the greenhouse gases are building up beyond the Earth’s natural capacity to remove them. Since these atmospheric gases capture heat, this increase in gas emissions is causing an increase in global warming.

Global warming has increased the temperature of the Earth by about one degree Fahrenheit over the past century… with the last two decades heating up more intensely.

Why should an increase of one degree Fahrenheit matter to us?

If you consider that the difference in average global temperatures between modern times and the last ice age was only about 9 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes clear that one degree is very significant.

This increase in global warming can cause a dramatic shift in our climate that can have devastating consequences… NOT just for the environment, but for our way of life.

What Are the Effects of Global Warming?

By burning more and more fossil fuels, human activities are adding CO2 much faster than the Earth’s natural capacity can remove.

CO2 is the main pollutant of global warming. Studies have shown that even small changes in CO2 levels lead to significant changes in average global temperature.

Due to human activities, CO2 emissions in the atmosphere have increased by 31% above pre-industrial levels — there is more CO2 in the atmosphere now than at any other time in the last 650,000 years.

Increasing the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases increases the greenhouse effect. This intensifies global warming.

If we don’t effectively reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas pollution, it is predicted that global warming will increase the Earth’s average temperature by another 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.

Even at the lower end of the predicted temperature, global warming and the resulting climate warming can lead to more intense storms, rising sea levels and more pronounced droughts.

At the high end of the predicted increase in temperature, global warming could lead to irreversible, catastrophic environmental consequences.

Read on to find out what can happen to your city, country or industry due to global warming…

What Are the Dangers of Global Warming?

The Earth has been showing signs and symptoms of global warming for quite some time. For many decades, scientists have been warning all of us about the dangers of global warming… but, few people paid much attention.The Earth is “talking” to us again… it’s message is loud and clear. If we continue to ignore it’s warning, we will suffer catastrophic environmental consequences on a scale previously unknown to our civilization.

Dangers Of Sea Level Rising

Currently, sea level is rising at 1/10 inch each year. Water expands when it is heated. So, with the global warming effect of CO2 already in our atmosphere, sea level can continue to rise for many centuries. To make matters worse, water melted from glaciers can also add to the sea level rising.

The impacts of rising sea level can include, flooding of cities, displacement of the people and loss of coastal ecosystems.

* If sea level rises 12 inches, 17%-43% of coastal wetlands in the United States could be eliminated… with more than half the loss in Louisiana. If sea level rises 24 inches, the United States could lose 10,000 square miles of dry land.

* Many of our cities face a severe risk of flooding. Thirteen out of fifteen of the largest cities in the world are on coastal plains. In California, parts of San Jose and Long Beach are three feet below sea level today. New Orleans is about eight feet below sea level.

* Bangladesh is projected to lose 17.5% of it’s land if sea level rises about 40 inches. With coastal flooding, tens of thousands of people are likely to be displaced. Plants and animals will also be lost.

* Many islands throughout the South Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as Maldives and French Polynesia will simply disappear under the rising seas. If the sea level rises 20 inches, 80% of the Majuro Atoll in the Pacific Marshall Islands will be under water.

Dangers of Infectious Diseases Spreading

Cold weather reduces the spread of infectious diseases by killing infectious organisms and their carriers, such as, mosquitoes. Global warming could increase the spread of malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever.

According to the World Health Organization, malaria has already spread to higher altitudes in places like the Columbian Andes, which is 7000 feet above sea level.

Dangers of Global Warming On Ecosystems

Millions of species worldwide could be driven to extinction due to global warming.

There are only about 3000-4500 Bengal tigers remaining in the wild. More tigers will be lost in Bangladesh as a result of global-warming related rise in sea levels.

With a 7-9 degree F change in mid-winter temperatures associated with the melting of sea ice pack on the western Antarctic Peninsula, shifting in penguin populations has been observed. Adelie penguins inhabit winter ice pack while Chinstrap penguins inhabit the open water. Chinstrap penguin populations increased by 400% in the last 25 years while Adelie penguins decreased by 22%.

Dangers of Disappearing Glaciers and Ice Packs

Almost all of the mountain glaciers on Earth have been shrinking and disappearing over the last century. With melting ocean ice cover, wildlife and humans will be seriously affected.

Walruses and polar bears have been observed to be thin and in poor condition due in part to the melting sea ice.

Deadly Heat Waves Are More Likely and More Frequent

In July 1995, 739 people in Chicago died when the temperature hit a record 106 degrees F. According to the Centers for Disease Control, access to air conditioning could have saved hundreds of lives… but, 49,000 homes lost power and air conditioning.

By the second day of the five-day heat wave, medical emergency rooms exceeded capacity. About 23 hospitals were closed to new patients. So, ambulances had to drive around town with nowhere to unload their patients. The morgue overflowed. Nine 48-foot meat trucks had to be brought in to store the dead bodies.

The world’s deadliest heat wave struck Europe in August 2003. A staggering 27,000 people in England, France, Germany and other parts of Europe died from the heat wave. More than 14,000 people died in France alone.

Survivors of the heat wave also suffered from dehydration, heat stroke, advanced stages of shock and fevers as well as irreversible brain damage.

Health spending was increased by $6.8 billion over five years by the French government. Due to the heat wave, medical costs soared.

Destructive Hurricanes Are More Likely and More Frequent

Hurricanes are fueled by warm ocean waters. Global warming, which is heating up ocean waters, is predicted to lead to more intense hurricanes.

According to a 2005 study done by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the destructive potential of tropical storms has doubled over the past 30 years. According to a study done by Georgia Institute of Technology, the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has doubled since the 1970s.

The destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 shocked the world. Global warming is predicted to lead to more destructive hurricanes more frequently.

Global Warming Could Lead to Devastating Consequences For Our Economy

* If there isn’t enough snow or snow can not be created due to global warming, America’s $4.5 billion ski industry is dead.

* Global warming could lead to financial disasters for lobstermen. Studies have shown that temperatures ranging from 75 to 86 degrees F are lethal to lobsters.

In 1999, lobsters were dying in record numbers. By 2003, lobster populations were down 70% compared to 1998 levels.

* The taste and quality of wine depend on the soil and climate conditions in which the grapes are grown. Higher temperatures and less precipitation as well as more frequent and severe droughts due to global warming could have devastating effects on California’s $15 billion wine industry.

* And so on… and so on…

This post covered the causes, effects and dangers of global warming. The next post will cover how we can prevent, stop or slow global warming — even small changes can make a big difference.

Global Warming and Tropical Cyclones: a Vicious Cycle?

Global warming can change storm patterns. In turn, storms might help fuel global warming.

A new study suggests that tropical cyclones shoot water high into the atmosphere. The result may be a small but significant contribution to the greenhouse effect.

"The bottom line is that tropical cyclones can't be counted out" as players in global climate change, said lead author David Romps, of Harvard University. "It's not something to lose sleep over. But there's a possibility for some type of feedback."

For decades, scientists have been puzzled by two atmospheric mysteries: There is less water vapor in the upper atmosphere than there theoretically should be, said Columbia University atmospheric scientist Timothy Hall. Yet, there is more than there used to be.

Both phenomena are related to the way temperature changes from one level of the atmosphere to the next. In the troposphere, which goes from the ground up to about nine miles, air gets colder as you go higher.

In the stratosphere, which begins where the troposphere ends, the opposite happens: Air gets warmer with rising altitude. The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere, called the tropopause, is where temperatures are coldest.

Clouds and the water they contain -- which are colder and heavier than the surrounding air -- tend to stay the troposphere because the relatively warm and light air in the stratosphere pushes them downwards.

What's more, the tropopause is so cold that any water vapor that gets there falls out as ice before it can reach the stratosphere. Both of these effects keep the stratosphere dry.

Still, the stratosphere is even drier than experts suspect it should be. At the same time, scientists have measured a 50 percent rise in water vapor in the stratosphere over the last 50 years.

To explain the trend, some researchers have speculated that powerful tropical cyclones might be increasingly punching through the tropopause and spewing water vapor high into the atmosphere. The stratosphere is warm enough to trap the moisture, according to some theories. Circulation patterns would then carry the vapor from the tropics to the poles.

"There's all this evidence that a changing climate could change the intensity or frequency of tropical cyclones," Romps said. "We were thinking about what impact tropical cyclones could have on climate."

To test the theory, Romps and colleague Zhiming Kuang looked at 23 years worth of satellite data to measure cloud temperature in cyclones and other storms. Temperature readings told them how high the clouds were.

The maps they produced, published in Geophysical Research Levels, showed that tropical cyclones account for 15 percent of the water vapor that shoots into the stratosphere and 30 percent of water vapor that shoots the highest -- about 1.5 kilometers (nearly a mile) above the troposphere.

"This is not just academic," Hall said. "Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. So, changing water vapor does have global warming potential, and it is significant."

Still, Hall said, increases in stratospheric water vapor make a much smaller contribution to warming than do carbon dioxide emissions. In that sense, the new work adds a small piece of the puzzle to our understanding of the forces behind climate change.

Greenhouse Gases Destroyed Venus

Venus is an inferno planet due to the effects of greenhouse gases. European Space Agency’s Venus Express is orbiting the planet to explain how Earth’s twin differs so much from our own third rock from the Sun.

Venus and Earth are two peas in the cosmic pod. They were both formed 4.5 billion years ago with much the same composition yet only Earth is conducive to life. Why?

Venus named for the Roman goddess of love is a swirling inferno. The surface of it’s orb is high enough at 457 degrees to melt steel. It’s now known that it’s more Earth like than it was once believed. That revelation though is hardly one that is reassuring.

While the Earth’s temperature has remained fairly stable and the atmosphere is a balance of gases Venus has clouds laced with sulphuric acid. There is no oxygen to be found and water is a distance memory.

The news from ESA that is frightening though is at one time Venus is believed to have had water before global warming took it away.

“Probably because Venus was closer to the sun, the atmosphere was a little bit warmer and you got more water very high up,” Hakan Svedhem, an ESA scientist and lead author of one of eight studies published in the British journal Nature on Wednesday said.

The Earth and Venus both have about the same amount of CO2. The Earth’s though is locked up in the soil, rocks and oceans that cover it’s orb. The CO2 on Venus has been pushed into the atmosphere.

“You wound up with what we call a runaway greenhouse effect,” Svedhem said.

“It reminds us of pressing problems caused by similar physics on Earth.”