Global warming and affect on government...?

Question

Hey, I'm writing an essay on how global warming affects us with our

1. government

2. citizenship

3. how to make a change

I'm a bit stuck on the government and citizenship part and wondered if you guys could help me out a bit? Perhapes give me a few idea to brainstorm? Thanks for all the help, peace.

Answer 1

global warming isnt really that big of a problem to begin with as its hyped up to be but it helps citizenship by getting outiside people working together and helps stop pollution

r u kidding rockin, wow....wow ur joking right. Someone got caught in some government propaganda

Answer 2

our government is ignoring the fact that WE are causing most of it

Answer 3

The education is manipulated/run by the governments.  The global warming is a scam created by the governments to create panic and brainwash societies around the globe.

Wake up.

My 2 cents.

Answer 4

I just want to say that global warming is a NATURAL process.  The layers earth's stratosphere show that the earth has gone through about eight ice ages.  So the earth goes through cycles of cooling and heating.  But I do agree that we should try to keep our planet as clean as possible.

Answer 5

global warming is just a prediction from people. in 1985 it was supposed to happen were still alive

Answer 6

i wrote a report on global warming... here it is.

Global Warming

It is scary to think that you and your friends might be contributing to global warming simply by engaging in your daily activities, but it is true.  Global warming, a condition that is caused by humans, has many serious effects on the environment, and will continue to have a negative environmental impact in the future unless steps are taken to stop it.  

The words global warming are used to describe the increase in the average global temperature.  There are many things that humans do in their daily lives that cause global warming.  One of the biggest causes is that humans contribute to the greenhouse gases that are already in the atmosphere naturally.  

There are five greenhouse gases. “Carbon dioxide fifty percent, Methane eighteen percent, Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs fourteen percent, Ozone twelve percent and Nitrous oxide six percent.” (Walker, 11)  

The natural greenhouse effect is when sunlight heats the Earth’s surface by shining through the gases around Earth.  Then, some of the heat is trapped by gases causing the natural greenhouse effect.  The natural greenhouse effect keeps the Earth warm enough for plants and animals to live on.   If there is too much gas that is not natural, the Earth becomes hotter and hotter.  Lately, there has been a huge increase in the greenhouse effect that is caused by humans.  For example, farming puts methane into the atmosphere by spraying the crops with chemicals. Decaying rice patties as well as farm animals, such as cows, give off methane.  As the human population grows, more rice and cattle are needed to feed everyone.  In 1999 there were more than six billion cattle.  There is now one cow/steer for every four people.  

Other activities such as driving a car, burning coal in a factory and mining release carbon dioxide too.  In nature, carbon dioxide runs in a cycle that keeps it under control most of the time.  

“Carbon dioxide is dissolved in oceans, but it also is taken out of the air by plants, and then returned into the air, forming a cycle.  This cycle keeps a balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.” (Stille, 16)  

Deforestation is another major problem that is causing global warming, and the pace of cutting down trees has quickened.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœTrees absorb about one-fifth of humans’ annual emissions of carbon dioxide.” (Pringle, 37)  They also have a cooling effect in the summer.  With trees to cool the earth, the need for air conditioning goes down, and less fossil fuels are burned.  Tree plantations of one species, which is called a monoculture, absorb less carbon dioxide than a normal forest with a mixture of species.  There are about three hundred cities that have joined Cities for Climate Protection. This program has a goal to decrease greenhouse gases, but this alone is not enough.  

If humans do not take action and try to stop global warming, many drastic changes will occur.  These changes will affect the environment in many harmful ways.  For instance, wheat fields will not have enough water, and will dry up due to excessive heat and lack of rain.  Cornfields will produce stunted ears of corn with few kernels.  The places that would grow our grain would be Canada and Russia, places that are too cold to grow grain now.  There would be no grass or water for cattle.  The cattle from the West would need to be moved, because where they live now would not supply enough food or water.  The West would dry up and become like a desert.  Other wildlife would also die from droughts.  

While some places are getting dryer, some are getting wetter.  Sea levels rise when the oceans heat up, and glaciers and polar ice caps melt when it gets too warm.  The rising seawater combined with the melting ice would cause flooding along coastal areas, leaving millions of people without a home, and nowhere to go.  Islands like Hawaii would be affected.  When the sea levels rise, it would cover the islands with water, so the islands would be below sea level.  Another chain of South Pacific islands where people would be in danger of being forced to evacuate is called Kiribati.  People live on twenty-one of these thirty-three islands.  

“If the ocean level rises just ten more feet than it already has, the islands will be covered in water, leaving ninety-two thousand people homeless.  Not only does global warming cause flooding, but also the warmer temperatures cause fires, that without rain or water could be almost unstoppable.”  (Pringle 21)  

Glaciers and polar ice caps melting are a bigger problem than most people think.  They provide a great deal of fresh water for us.  When they melt, they flood the surrounding areas.  The floodwater mixes with harmful substances causing the fresh water to become contaminated.  This leaves many animals without fresh, clean drinking water.

Seeking clean water would change the patterns the animals normally follow.  Penguins, who get their food from water, would have to find a different route to reach water that contained food for them.  This would take a lot longer, and their babies would die while waiting for the food.  

“Fish such as salmon are having trouble breeding because the ocean temperature is rising.  If global warming continues, many species of marine life may vanish from the seas and oceans forever.” (Friedman, 18)  

Polar bears would have fewer cubs due to the weather disrupting their mating seasons.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€Âœ

The Arctic ice sheets are breaking up earlier than normal in the spring.  This affects the shelters used by polar bears and interferes with their hunting activities.” (Pringle, 8)

Butterflies have to fly higher and farther north each year to avoid the heat.  This changes their migration pattern.  

Besides changes on Earth, global warming also has negative effects up in the atmosphere.  There is a type of gas six to thirty miles above the Earth called ozone.  It is a natural greenhouse gas located in the stratosphere, and it is vital to life on Earth.  Ozone is like a shield protecting the Earth from the sun’s harmful rays.    When human activities caused the ozone layer to become fifty percent thinner than what it should be, scientists said that a “hole” had developed.  By 1987 this thin area was almost as large as the United States and as high as Mount Everest.  This is worrisome because dangerous rays called UV (ultraviolet radiation) are prevented from reaching Earth by the ozone layer.  Even more dangerous are UV-B rays.  Normally, they are absorbed by the ozone layer.  However, a hole in the ozone layer would allow the UV-B rays to strike the Earth.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœThose rays cause cancer in humans and destroy the nutritional value of plants.”  (Walker 19)  The most important thing we can do to protect the ozone layer is to cut down on the amount of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) we put into the air.   This is because when CFCs reach the stratosphere, they give off a chemical called chlorine.  Chlorine attacks and breaks down the ozone layer.

CFCs are human-made gases that are used as coolant gases in refrigerators and air conditioners.  They are also used to clean microchips and computer parts because they don’t hurt the plastic parts in the computer.  A CFC molecule is one thousand times better at absorbing heat than a carbon dioxide molecule.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœCFCs stay in the atmosphere for over one hundred and thirty years.” (Walker, 14)  So even after people stop using them, they will continue to destroy the ozone layer for decades.  Luckily, there are cities like Kyoto, Japan that have come up with a plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, is the birthplace of the Global Warming Pact sometimes called the Kyoto Protocol.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœIt was an international meeting in 1997 where governments agreed to a five percent cut in their 1990 levels of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2012.”  (Morgan 9)

In order to meet the goals of the Kyoto Protocol, the Japanese government set up the Cool Biz policy in 2005.  The business offices must keep their air conditioning temperatures at 84.4 degrees F (28 degrees C) all summer.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœCool Biz saved about 79,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2005.” (Walsh, 33)  Another policy named Top Runner raised the efficiency standards in household appliances.  The household appliances have gotten larger in size while using less energy.  If these policies are not enough, Japan is considering enforcing a no car day once a week and no air conditioning day once a week.

Other steps to correct global warming begin with slowing down the consumption of fossil fuels.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœCoal, natural gas and petroleum are fossil fuels.” (Pringle, 46)  They are made of carbon compounds from plants that grew millions of years ago.  When fossil fuels are burned, carbon is released.  This carbon mixes with the oxygen in the air and makes carbon dioxide.  Carpooling is a way to cut down on the amount of gasoline used.  Walking, riding a bike or using public transportation all cut down on gasoline.  Producing cars that get seventy to one hundred twenty miles per gallon would help too.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœReplacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources such as windmills, or using the energy of water (hydroelectric power) running downhill to produce electricity”  (Hare, 30) would be steps in the right direction.

“Deforestation is second only to fossil fuels as a contributor to global warming.” (Morgan, 46)  Tropical rainforests are usually thought of as being drastically cut down.  However, many forests in North America and Russia are also being cleared.  This releases huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.  The best solution is to slow the cutting down of trees, and plant new trees globally to absorb more carbon dioxide.  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœFast growing trees such as willow and poplar can be grown as crops.” (Morgan, 47)

Recycling and conserving energy are activities people can do on a local level to reduce global warmi