Archive for the ‘Global Warming’ Category
Celebrities Weigh In On Global Warming
Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Global Warming. When you start sharing the fascinating Global Warming facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.
Celebrities are putting their fame to use by calling attention to the subject of global warming. Famous people in the entertainment industry are using their knowledge of film-making to create documentaries about global warming. Others are simply using their influence to make a statement.
One project is designed to help people become more informed about and involved with global warming. The venture is called Global Cool, and its lofty goal is to get one billion people to lower the levels of carbon emissions they put into the environment. Celebrities involved with this global warming initiative include Orlando Bloom, Josh Hartnett, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Pink. Some bands have also joined the fight.
Leonardo DiCaprio is actually very involved with the movement to stop global warming. He has a website devoted to the topic. On it, you can take a look at two films DiCaprio has worked on, with others. One is called Water Planet and the other is simply Global Warming.
This actor also started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998. Its purpose was to steer people towards involvement in environmentally friendly organizations.
The foundation also addressed the central themes of global warming such as greenhouse gases and fossil fuels. Now, DiCaprio has worked on a documentary about global warming about earth’s 11th hour, which details the problems and innovative solutions.
The best time to learn about Global Warming is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable Global Warming experience while it’s still free.
Other actors are getting involved in the stop global warming movement, too. Brad Pitt is the narrator of a series on green architecture. The shows discuss ways to build that will help the environment.
Another documentary features Keanu Reeves and Alannis Morrisett as narrators. The global warming film, entitled The Great Warming, is all about the changes in the climate caused by excessive global warming.
Earth Day has always been a magnet for celebrity attention. As time goes by and more is known about global warming, the list of celebrities speaking out on Earth Day becomes even more impressive. It seems that the earth has become more precious to those in-the-know and they use this day as a platform for change.
Al Gore, aside from his Vice Presidency and his Presidential aspirations, has earned a certain amount of celebrity himself. With the release of his movie, An Inconvenient Truth, Gore has entered the limelight in a new way. He appears to be trying to use his status and fame to influence people to aid in the fight against global warming.
Perhaps the most powerful environmental activist on the scene today is producer Laurie David. She is the wife of actor Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm. She has lobbied for governmental change to promote the cause. Then, she started organizing the Stop Global Warming Virtual March to rally support among the everyday people. She has so far encouraged hundreds of thousands of people to join her.
No one can ever know whether actors are trying to get attention or whether they are truly citizens concerned about global warming. There are probably some whose motives are not exactly pure. In the end, though, all celebrities who live by their environmental principles are a good influence.
This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
Research on Global Warming
In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.
Research is constantly being done on global warming. The research is being done by studying statistics and by going directly to the source. Various scientists are coming up with different answers to the most basic questions about global warming.
Some scientists studying global warming in the Arctic have discovered thinning sea ice near the northern reaches of Alaska. The summer of 2007 showed the least sea ice since sea ice was first tracked in 1979. Scientists participating in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Gyre Exploration Project cruised aboard the Canadian Coast Guard’s ship, the Icebreaker, to see the effects of global warming for themselves.
When they reached the area where ice would usually be the thickest and heaviest, the ship sailed right through. When they did see ice, it was in a state of disintegration because of global warming. Most of the ice remaining was young ice, which is more vulnerable to thaw. The scientists took their data home to analyze during the colder months.
Another group, with the Arctic Modeling Group and the IJIS Research Group, set sail along the Alaskan coast in the Chukchi Sea. Their mission was to study different variables of the ocean water that might affect phytoplankton. They found that the water was warmer than the satellite statistics. The satellite showed 10 degrees Celsius, while their measurements showed 14 degrees Celsius. This is an example of global warming.
One study was done linking the Russian peat bogs with global warming. The bogs produce a large amount of methane gas. According to carbon dating that was done, this has been the case since the last ice age. Since methane is one of the greenhouse gases, this impacts global warming.
The best time to learn about Global Warming is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable Global Warming experience while it’s still free.
However, the studies also show that the peat bogs absorb carbon dioxide at an impressive rate. They contain the largest carbon stores on the planet. If the peat bogs dry up due to global warming, they would release this carbon dioxide into the air. The trade-off of carbon dioxide for methane would not be a good one, since methane stays in the atmosphere a shorter time.
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been busy proving that humans bear some culpability for the climate change in the oceans. They have done this both by observing and noting evidence, and by constructing computer models.
The computer models are based on the evidence that they do have, so they are thought to be quite accurate. With all the data in place, the evidence seems to point to definite global warming events. It also makes it clear that humans have played a part in causing this phenomenon.
An MIT professor has studied the effects of warming waters on hurricanes over the last fifty years. He studied statistics from past storms and generated computer models to test his theory. His specialty is meteorology, so his take on global warming is of interest. He found that the hurricanes have indeed been getting stronger since 1970.
Research is important to the field of global warming studies. It is only by knowing the problem in precise detail that people can adequately confront it.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
The History of the Movement to Stop Global Warming
Current info about Global Warming is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Global Warming info available.
People have not always known about global warming. The idea had to start somewhere. The history of the global warming concept is probably older than you might think. It all began in the late 1800′s.
There was a scientist named Svante Arrhenius who was studying fossil fuel combustion in Sweden towards the end of the 19th century. An 1859 prediction claimed that the burning of such fuels would eventually lead to the process of global warming. Svante Arrhenius recognized that temperatures on the earth’s surface were related to carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
Arrhenius studied global warming to find out the average surface temperature of earth. He figured that doubling the carbon dioxide in a greenhouse effect would raise the surface temperature by five degrees Celsius. He also concluded that human activities could be to blame for future global warming. His focus, though, was on how much carbon dioxide would have to be taken away to cause global cooling.
Infrared spectroscopy was developed in the 1940′s that could be used to measure the sun’s radiation. It was used to measure the absorption of radiation with and without added carbon dioxide. Gilbert Plass determined that the increased carbon dioxide would cause the earth to absorb more radiation, and so cause global warming.
From late in the 1950′s to early in the 1960′s, Charles Keeling produced curves of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. He showed the scientific community that the earth had gone through 32 distinct weather variations. It had previously been thought that there had only been four. This raised alarms of ice ages rather than global warming.
You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Global Warming. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.
Much changed in the 1980′s. The curve was followed and it was discovered that temperatures were getting higher at a rapid rate. Suddenly people stopped preparing for a cooling planet and began pondering global warming. Since Stephen Schneider first gave global warming a name and predicted its coming, which he did in 1976, the emphasis on the subject by the media grew more and more intense.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created in 1988, just as the greenhouse effect was being named. In the IPCC, there are 2500 experts in all fields of study that are affecting and are affected by global warming. These include such diverse specialties as meteorology, economics, medicine, and oceanography, for example. The IPCC is still actively seeking information on global warming.
The term “the greenhouse effect” has fallen somewhat out of favor since 1990. Statistics did not follow the predicted course for the theory. However, the Kyoto Protocol, negotiated in Kyoto Japan, was aimed at preventing and correcting global warming.
Global warming is still a term that is in use and making the news daily. Since Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, people have been more aware of the problem than ever. Presently, there are scientists, celebrities, and all manner of people who are working on solutions for global warming.
The history of inquiry into the nature of global warming is over 110 years old. There have been advances and retreats in the science. However, the future of global warming research and activism seems positive.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
How You Can Fight Global Warming at Home
The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.
There are steps you can take to fight global warming in your home and car. You do not have to wait for the government or big businesses to do something about it. It is better to take the initiative and do your part.
In your home, you can begin by changing your light bulbs. You do not have to do it all at once. Every time you change a bulb, though, you can replace the old incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent. Not only does this reduce greenhouse gases, it also saves you money in the long run.
It has always been wise to seal and insulate your home, just for comfort’s sake. Now, it is even more important. You can stop your home from emitting greenhouse gases and contributing to global warming by doing this. If you have any doubts about where your home needs insulation, you can hire an energy auditor to help you decide.
You can reduce global warming by simply taking care of the cooling and heating equipment in your home. You can change filters and have the equipment cleaned. Most importantly of all, when the heater or air-conditioner needs to be replaced, get an efficient model that is big enough for your dwelling.
In fact, it makes sense to buy all your appliances with energy efficiency in mind. Energy Star is a rating system that is reserved for efficient products. Buying such products will help decrease global warming.
Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Global Warming? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?
Recycling is one of the easiest ways to help reduce global warming. Everyone can do it with little effort. You can also further the process by using products that are made from recycled materials.
You can help reduce global warming in your lawn, too. For one thing, you can use a push mower instead of a power mower. Since a push mower uses no energy but your own, this is a great savings. Even if you do use a power mower, you can still help. Use a mower that catches the grass clippings so you can mulch them.
As far as transportation, you can do so much more than buying a green car. You can drive it sensibly, with no rapid starts for instance, to help prevent global warming. If you keep your car well-maintained, it will be beneficial, too. Things like changing your oil and keeping your car tuned up can make a big difference in global warming.
Surprisingly, poorly inflated tires can lead to global warming. This happens because tires must have the proper amount of air in them for the car to reach maximum fuel efficiency. The less efficient your car is, the more it adds to global warming.
The best way to slow global warming by the way you use your car, is to make as few trips as possible. Walk when you can. When you have to drive, combine as many errands into one trip as possible.
If you fight global warming in your home and your car, you can make a difference. Some basic changes can be easily made. If everyone makes these simple changes, it can have a powerful impact on global warming.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
The Kyoto Protocol and Global Warming
The following paragraphs summarize the work of Global Warming experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of Global Warming. Heed their advice to avoid any Global Warming surprises.
The Kyoto Protocol was set up in a session of the United Nations in Japan in the year 1997. This initiative was set forth to reduce harmful emissions and to lessen global warming. It was adopted and contains goals for emissions that are legally binding for the countries involved.
The aim of the Kyoto Protocol is to prevent countries from causing global warming through human activity. There are some natural forces that contribute to global warming. However, it is the disruption of the climate by humans that is most damaging. This is what is addressed in the Kyoto Protocol.
The developed countries of the world have made commitments to reducing emissions in a timely manner. They have target dates and set levels they are supposed to reach by those times. There are six greenhouse gases that are meant to be reduced by 5% in the next few years. Three of these are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. If these countries are successful, it will reduce global warming.
It is interesting that, while many countries have agreed to reduce emissions, some countries will be allowed to raise emissions. These countries are Norway, Australia, and Iceland. These countries control global warming by keeping their increases to a certain level.
Other countries are asked to simply maintain the levels of emissions they already have. Countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and New Zealand do their part against global warming by maintaining the status quo.
It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Global Warming is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Global Warming.
The goals of the Kyoto Protocol to decrease global warming are supposed to be realized between the years 2008-2012. It seems that this will be a near impossibility at this point for many countries. The US especially is turning its back on the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. The initiative is given lip service by the powers that be, but real progress has been slow coming.
One way developed countries can receive credit under the Kyoto protocol is to help others. If developed countries sponsor emissions reducing programs in developing countries, they receive credit for this. It shows their commitment to the reduction of global warming.
Yet, not all developed countries have adopted the Kyoto Protocol. One glaring example is the US. As of December 2006, the US was one of the 169 governments that had signed the agreement to cut down on global warming. However, it did not ratify the agreement, so the treaty has no power in the US. Another hold-out was Australia.
There were two conditions that needed to be met to put this treaty into full legal force. One was that 55 countries needed to sign up. That condition was met in 2002. In 2005, the other condition was met when 55% of the developed countries had joined the effort to stop global warming.
The Kyoto Protocol was designed to hold developed countries up to a high standard. Developed countries are not only expected to create ways to reduce global warming. They are also rewarded if they help other countries to do the same. When every developed country joins in the struggle to reduce global warming, the earth will reap the benefits.
Those who only know one or two facts about Global Warming can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
The Basics of Global Warming
So what is Global Warming really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Global Warming–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.
Scientists, celebrities, and everyday people have been trying to understand the nature of global warming. Controversy is rampant and there is intense debate around the world on the subject. Since conclusions drawn could affect you profoundly, you may want to know some basic facts about the topic of global warming.
The most obvious thing that can be said about global warming is that the earth is getting warmer. Specifically, the temperatures near the surface of the earth and the temperatures in the ocean are rising. Since 1990, there have been 10 years that have been hotter than any others in recorded history.
The greenhouse effect is said to be responsible for global warming. The greenhouse effect causes certain vapors and gases to form a sort of blanket that covers and warms the earth. Water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and several other trace gases make up this blanket.
The greenhouse effect itself is not disputed. No controversy exists on this point because the greenhouse effect is recognized as an inherently beneficial process. If all the energy that struck the earth was reflected right back into space, no one could live on earth. This is what would happen without this blanket that is caused by acceptable levels of global warming.
Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Global Warming, keep reading.
However, global warming is not all good. It can cause the earth’s covering to increase in density. With a denser blanket over the earth, less of the heat is reflected back into space. This upsets the delicate balance between heat and cold that is usually maintained on earth. It traps more heat inside the earth’s atmosphere.
Although there are people who argue against it, there seems to be a change in the climate in recent years. Climate change to a warmer climate is the result of excessive global warming.
There has been an overall rise in temperature of a little over one degree Fahrenheit during the last century. The figure for this century is expected to be more like seven degrees. It is this type of global warming that can lead to dire consequences if left unchecked.
People, their activities, and their industries have caused global warming to reach the levels it has today. Burning fossil fuels, powering electrical plants with coal, and irresponsible land use can all contribute to global warming. Carbon dioxide is produced by these activities, and global warming is perpetuated.
Global warming could result in rising sea levels and flooding. There could be more powerful storms. Heat waves could become intense. Droughts could severely damage the world’s crops and cause shortages of drinkable water. Extinction of species could become a problem because of changing habitats and the suitability of the climate for the animal.
The good news about global warming is that there are ways to slow the process down. Each person can take responsibility for doing their part in protecting the earth’s environment. With everyone helping, emissions of greenhouse gases can be cut drastically. This will give the earth a chance to begin to regain its balance of temperature. Knowing about global warming can make you a better citizen of the world.
Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Global Warming. Share your new understanding about Global Warming with others. They’ll thank you for it.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
Movies on Global Warming
This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding Global Warming. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about Global Warming.
It seems that people are coming from all directions to make movies about global warming. Many people are moved to educate people about the subject and want to reach the widest possible audience. Books do not hold the appeal they once did. Now, people want to sit down and watch a movie to understand subjects like global warming.
Although Al Gore has a book by the same name, most people know An Inconvenient Truth as a feature length documentary movie. The movie boils down to a power-point presentation that Gore has given many times on the subject of global warming. Al Gore simply presents facts in a low-key, personable way. The film includes some biographical information about Al Gore, too.
The 60 Minutes documentary, The Age of Warming, which aired April 1, 2007, is a must-see for those interested in global warming. In it, correspondent Scott Pelley explores Antarctica to find evidence of global warming. There, Pelley finds that the Adelie and Chinstrap penguins are being endangered by loss of habitat. He also finds glaciers that are in the process of rapid melting into lakes. It is an eye opener.
Some fictional movies have been made with the theme of global warming. One is The Day After Tomorrow, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. While the science may not be precisely or even nearly right, the special effects are fantastic. It is a good old-fashioned disaster flick with all kinds of natural disasters. Bring out the popcorn, but do not expect to be educated.
If you don’t have accurate details regarding Global Warming, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.
An Earth Story, starring Ross Gelbspan and John Hutchison is another of those documentary-type movies. It tells the story about all those scary predictions of climate change due to global warming. The sub-title is An Alternative to Extinction. That alone should explain how dramatic this movie is. The solutions to global warming are equally dramatic.
Not exactly a traditional movie, Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris’ Crisis as Opportunity: Living Better on a Hotter Planet is unique. Instead of being distraught and woeful, Sahtouris views global warming as a natural evolutionary process. She sees it as a beneficial challenge that will help people learn to live together as they never have before.
Energy Crossroads: A burning need to change course, is a documentary movie about the energy crisis. It deals with the amount of oil that will be left in the future and the different ways to overcome that crisis. However, a good part of this movie is devoted to a study of how energy issues are tied to global warming. It points to global warming as one of the reasons humans need to make changes.
There is a set of movies called the Secrets of the Millennium. Probably the best of this series is the one with information on global warming. It is titled Secrets of the Millennium: Man vs. Nature: Who Will Win? It dramatically exposes humans’ desires to control earth, while letting things get out of hand environmentally at the same time.
Many celebrities have made their own movies on global warming. Some of them are not available for viewing yet, and some of them can be seen on the internet. One example is global warming films by Leonardo DiCaprio that can be viewed on his website. As the reality of global warming sets in, more movies will certainly deal with the subject.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO
Possible Short-Term Benefits of Global Warming
The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.
It is certain that enough global warming would be harmful to human beings. If the temperatures were hot enough and the sea levels were high enough, it would spell an end to life as it is known at this time. Yet, there may be some short-term benefits of global warming.
Few people would argue and say that a warm climate is not preferable to a cold one. Not only are warm climates generally more pleasant, there are health benefits as well. People who suffer from conditions that are affected by the cold, such as rheumatoid arthritis, often move to warmer climates. A small amount of global warming would allow people to stay in their homes.
One scientist did an extensive study of statistics to find out the health benefits of warmer weather. He studied the numbers of deaths in different months of the year in places that get cold in the winter and warm in the summer. He determined that many more people die in the winter than in the summer. This would seem to support the benefits of global warming.
However, he also noted that the statistics in this part of the study were not entirely accurate. They were muddied by the fact that there are other considerations during season changes that would not occur in global warming. For example, days were shorter in winter, but they would not be shorter if more global warming occurred.
In 2004, it was observed by lobster fishermen that the warmer temperatures caused by global warming had affected their work. There seemed to be an abundance of Maine lobsters living and thriving in the warmer waters. They were happy for the increase, but expected it to be short-lived as the optimal temperature for lobsters probably has a very small range.
You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Global Warming. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?
It has been thought for quite some time that global warming would increase the amount of corn, wheat, barley, and other grains that could be grown. Not only the warmer weather and the longer growing seasons were anticipated to yield this result. Carbon dioxide exposure was expected to increase productivity along with global warming.
Studies have shown, though, that the carbon dioxide benefits are very minimal. Current projections are that farmers will only be able to keep up with demand for crops for a few more decades. Then, it is predicted that world-wide shortages will take hold.
Furthermore, agriculture in tropical zones is expected to decline rapidly as the temperature becomes too hot to support plant life. The temperate zones will be able to have better farming, and more of the world’s crops will be grown there.
Some economists point to global warming as a boon to international trade. They feel that the loss of ice sheets in the Arctic will open up routes that have not been accessible in the past. This will provide faster travel between Europe, America, and Asia, they say.
People give plenty of reasons to embrace global warming. They see only promise in the climate change of their planet. Perhaps they just do not want to feel required to do anything about global warming. Or, perhaps there is some room for hope.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new site for adsense publishers: Free Adsense Websites
What Can Nations Do To Combat Global Warming?
There are things individuals can do to help stop global warming. Yet, when nations get involved, it is to everyone’s benefit to see to it that the right steps are taken. Nations can combat global warming by many different means.
For one thing, a good forestry department can have a huge impact. The carbon dioxide that is one cause of global warming is eaten up by trees. If a country fosters the growth of its forests and does not allow them to be cut down indiscriminately, global warming will be slowed down.
Another thing nations can do is to focus on energy efficiency. The less energy is used, the less global warming has a chance to take hold. A country can place efficiency standards on appliances and cars. Even better, they can redesign cities so that walking and cycling can become an option instead of people having to drive everywhere.
Alternative sources of energy emit little or no greenhouse gases. Using them will help curb global warming. Hydro-power, solar energy, and windmills can be used to take the place of burning gas, or coal for electricity. Windmills, in fact, are already being set up by the scores in many fields in out-of-the-way places. This is a good step to prevent global warming.
Nations can also be quick to adjust their policies to the climatic changes of the times. When one type of crop will no longer grow well because it needs a cooler climate, that crop can be replaced in that area with a different kind that will. Nations can build aqueducts to transport water to drought-ridden areas.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on Global Warming now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.
There are different ways that nations can get their message about global warming across. First, they can make laws about it. They can require people to use environmentally-friendly appliances, fuel sources, and vehicles. They can make it a legal requirement for auto makers to reduce harmful emissions given off by their cars.
Another way to change people’s behavior is to make it financially advantageous to be concerned about global warming. If gas prices are higher, people are spurred on to finding a more fuel-efficient vehicle, or even a different fuel source altogether.
Tax incentives and government subsidies can also encourage people to think about global warming. The only problem is that this approach usually favors those who have more money in the first place.
Governments can make it their business to inform and educate the people of the country. With news and data about global warming, people will be prompted to take it seriously. When methods for reducing greenhouse gases are made known by the government, people have a chance to put those methods into practice.
Finally, it is essential that governments get involved with making sure that research and development are done. Global warming cannot be overcome without good information. It is to the advantage of every citizen when the nation puts some of its focus on global warming. When a country approaches global warming with a common sense, proactive sensibility, beneficial changes can be made.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit this new site for my swedish customers: Billigt Webbhotell – from SEK 10:- per month!
Could Global Warming Cause A New Ice Age?
Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Global Warming to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Global Warming experts.
In the movie The Day After Tomorrow, there are many special effects including an ice event caused by global warming. Much of the science of the movie has been called into question. However, there may be some truth to the idea that global warming could cause an ice age.
The theory starts with an understanding of why Europe and Scandinavia are not colder already. After all, other places at the same latitude are covered with ice and permafrost. Alaska and Greenland are both as close to the North Pole as Europe. Yet, it is not global warming that keeps Europe warm.
The ocean currents called the Gulf Stream bring warm waters up to the UK and Europe from the Caribbean. These waters warm the countries around their path. This is what causes the UK, Europe, and Scandinavia to have such a nicer climate than, say, Alaska. Global warming has nothing to do with that.
An important factor about the Gulf Stream is that to keep the Great Conveyor Belt going, cool water must feed back into the loop and be brought back to the point in the Caribbean where the process began. This keeps the water moving.
Global warming is significant in that it could slow the Gulf Stream, or even stop it. If this were to happen, the cold waters would stay in the area of Europe, the UK, Scandinavia, and the Northeastern US. It could mean an ice age for those regions.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on Global Warming now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.
In every major cooling event, such as the last great Ice Age, the Gulf Stream has been significantly weakened. This can happen for different reasons. In current times, it can happen due to global warming brought on by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
If the new Ice Age happens, it will likely be due to the melting of the polar ice. This will dump large quantities of cold, fresh water into the ocean. It would disrupt the Gulf Stream and cause the cooling of many areas that now have milder climates. Global warming will be the cause.
An ice age will probably not happen gradually, either. This is a phenomenon that takes place rather quickly. Perhaps it does not happen as fast as the ice event in The Day After Tomorrow. However, it could happen within a few short years with global warming being to blame.
The return flow of cold water from Greenland, which goes back to the Caribbean, has already showed a weakening in the last 50 years. There has been a 20% decline in the amount of current flowing in this direction. It only makes sense that the warm waters coming from the Caribbean have lessened too.
These currents are a part of the world-wide network of currents called the Global Thermohaline Circulation. This global warming could then cause a slowing or stoppage of the Gulf Stream affecting the entire earth.
The statistics are used to answer the question of whether an ice age could be caused by global warming. Observations have been made of current data and historical information gleaned by studying the ocean and the lands around it. With all the information at hand, it appears that it is indeed possible that global warming could lead to an Ice Age.
Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Global Warming.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit this new site for my swedish customers: Billigt Webbhotell – from SEK 10:- per month!