GLOBAL WARMING
Since the late nineteenth century, scientists have observed a gradual increase in the average temperature of the planet's surface. This increase is estimated to have been between 0.5 º and 1.0 º F. The ten warmest years of the twentieth century occurred between 1985 and 2000, with 1998 the warmest year for which figures are available. This warming has reduced the snow-covered areas in the northern hemisphere, and caused many of the icebergs floating in the Arctic Ocean has melted. It has also recently watched because of this increase in temperature, large chunks of Antarctic ice have broken off the rest of the polar body, thus reducing the size of Antarctica.
Global Warming Causes
Thanks to the presence in the atmosphere of CO2 and other gases responsible the greenhouse effect of solar radiation that reaches the Earth is retained in the atmosphere. As a result of this retention of heat, average temperature on Earth's surface reaches about 60 º F, which is conducive to the development of life on the planet. However, as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and other activities human associated with the process of industrialization, concentration of these gases in the atmosphere has increased considerably in recent years. This has led the atmosphere to retain more heat than they should, and is the cause of today known as global warming or global climate change.
Consequences of Global Warming.
Weather - Global warming has caused an increase in the average surface temperature of the Earth. Because of the merger of portions of polar ice, sea level underwent a rise of 4-8 inches during the past century, and it is estimated that there will continue to rise. The magnitude and frequency of rainfall has also increased due to increased evaporation of surface water caused by the increase in temperature. Scientists estimate that the average temperature of the earth's surface can reach up to 4.5 º F increase over the next 50 years (2001-2050), and up to 10 º F this century. This increased water evaporation will result in an increase in the intensity and frequency of hurricanes and storms. It will also be the cause of soil moisture is reduced due to the high rate of evaporation, and sea level rise an average of nearly 2 feet off the coast of the Americas and the Caribbean.
Health - A rise in temperature of the Earth's surface and bring resulted in an increase in respiratory diseases cardiovascular disease caused by mosquitoes and tropical pests, and prostration and dehydration due to heat. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems affected because, under conditions of heat, the person must exert greater effort to perform any activity putting more pressure on these systems. Moreover, as in tropical areas extend to higher latitudes, mosquitoes and other pests responsible for dengue, malaria, cholera and yellow fever in the tropics affect a larger share of the world's population, increasing number of deaths from these diseases.
Surface Water Quality - Although the magnitude and increase frequency of rain events, the water level in lakes and rivers will decrease due to additional evaporation caused by the increase in temperature. Some permanently flowing rivers may dry during certain times of the year, and rivers whose waters are used for power generation would suffer a reduction in productivity. The increase in temperature will increase demand for drinking water, but reduced levels production of the reservoirs because water levels fall. By lowering the water level in lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams, the potential effect of the pollutants will be higher, as it will increase its focus on the water in them. By increasing the magnitude and frequency of rainfall will also increase the incidence and intensity of floods, as well as sedimentation of water bodies result of high runoff and low soil moisture. Inland wetlands, shallow aquatic ecosystems, will also be reduced in size due to evaporation.
Groundwater Quality - An aquifer is a source of underground water supplies. The upper level of water in an aquifer known as the water table. With the increase in temperature, the water table will drop due to evaporation, thus reducing the amount of available water in the aquifer. Moreover, by increasing sea level salt water could penetrate into thecoastal aquifers, making its waters salinicen and unfit for human consumption.Terrestrial ecosystems - as a result of global warming, the tropical region will extend to higher latitudes, and the region of pine forests extend to regions that today are part of the tundra and taiga.Soils lose their moisture by evaporation effect, many areas now covered by vegetation could be dry, widening the desert region of the planet. In the inland plains, water shortages caused byincrease in temperature could make these regions (such as the pampas of Argentina and the Great Plains of North America) on land unsuitable for farming, the main line of the economy for the inhabitants of these regions.
Coastal ecosystems - coastal ecosystems, mangroves, coralcoral beach systems, estuaries, and others would be affected significantly,and a rise in sea level would inundate coastal wetland areas,cause increased coastal erosion and water salinizaría at thelower rivers and coastal aquifers. The buildings are very close tocoast could be affected by wave action, which could undermineits foundations. Coral reefs, whose function is to protect the mangroves and the surf beaches and coastal erosion, would be deeper under the sea.Also affect the entry of sunlight to the bottom of the reef, thus affecting photosynthesis processes essential for life species of coral and itsability to stop the waves and avoid impacting the coast.
Agriculture - Due to the evaporation of water from the ground surface and the increase in the magnitude and frequency of rainfall and flooding, soils became drier and lose nutrients more readily to them be removed by runoff. This will change the characteristics of the soil, making farmers need to comply with the new conditions. The need for irrigation is essential during times of drought, due to evaporation will be more common than at present. Higher temperatures also resulted in the reproduction of some insects such as whiteflies and locusts (a type of hope) that cause plant diseases, affecting crop production. The flora and fauna - Due to climatic changes and changes in terrestrial ecosystems, the vegetation of each region will be affected. Pine forests will move toward higher latitudes, the tropical vegetation spread over a wider swath of the surface land, and the flora typical of the tundra and taiga occupy a smaller area. As a consequence, altered vegetation feature of many nature reserves and designed to protect the habitat of threatened, these reserves would cease to be the habitat ideal for them, causing their extinction. Similarly Thus, when the process of desertification occur in some areas also destroy habitat for many species causing their extinction. With regard to aquatic habitats, by increasing temperature of the surface water bodies concentration of dissolved oxygen present in the same be reduced. This will cause some species water can not survive under these conditions, causing their elimination in these water bodies. In estuaries affected and mangroves by excessive salinity and waves, many species of animals that begin life survive there either.
What can we do something to reduce gas emissionsgases and the consequences of global warming?
v Reduce consumption power
v Use bulbs fluorescent
v Limit consumption water
v Make greater use of solar energy
v Plant trees around the house to reduce the use of conditioners air
v Recycle containers aluminum, plastic and glass as well as cardboard and paper
“THE EARTH HAS CANCER AND THE CANCER IS MAN“
“CHANGE OUR ACTIONS AND CHANGE OUR WORLD”
