Q: What is global warming?
A: Since the Industrial Revolution, global temperatures have risen sharply to just above 1 degree Celsius, or about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Between 1880 — the year when accurate record keeping began — and 1980, there was an average increase of 0.07 degrees Celsius (0.13 degrees Fahrenheit) every ten years. However, since 1981 the growth rate has more than doubled: Over the past 40 years, we have seen the annual global temperature rise by 0.18 degrees Celsius, or 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit, a decade.
The result? A planet that has never been too hot. Nine of the 10 hottest years since 1880 have occurred since 2005 — and the 5 hottest years in history have occurred since 2015. Climate change advocates have argued for a “break” or “decline” in global warming, but many studies, including a 2018 paper published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, have dismissed the claim. The impact of global warming is already devastating to people all over the world.
Now climate scientists have concluded that we must moderate global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 to avoid a future where daily life is marked by its most devastating, devastating effects: extreme droughts, wildfires, floods, tropical areas. storms, and other catastrophes we collectively refer to as climate change. These effects are felt by everyone in some way but are most commonly found in the poor, economically disadvantaged, and people of color, who are often the cause of climate change due to poverty, migration, hunger and social unrest.
Question: What causes global warming?
A: Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and the sun’s rays emanating from the earth’s surface. Normally, these rays would be released into the atmosphere, but these pollutants, which can last for years in space, trap heat and make the planet extremely hot. These greenhouse gases — particularly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and fluorinated gases — are known as greenhouse gases, and their effect is called the greenhouse effect.
Although natural cycles and changes have caused global climate change over the past 800,000 years, our present global warming is directly related to human activities — especially in our heating of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas, and the environment. gas, which leads to a greenhouse effect. In the United States, the world’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (29 percent), is closely followed by electricity production (28 percent) and industrial activity (22 percent).
Preventing harmful climate change requires the deepest cuts to carbon emissions, as well as the use of alternative fuels worldwide. The good news is that countries around the world are legally committed — as part of the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 — to reduce their emissions by setting new standards and creating new policies to meet or even exceed those standards. The bad news is that we are not working fast enough. To avoid the worst effects of climate change, scientists tell us we need to reduce global carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030. For that to happen, the international community must take immediate, concrete steps: to eliminate power generation equally. the transition from fossil fuel-based production to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar; electrification of our vehicles and trucks; and to increase energy efficiency in our buildings, electronics and industries.
Question: How is global warming related to bad weather?
A: Scientists agree that rising global temperatures cause longer and hotter waves, more frequent droughts, more rainfall, and stronger storms.
For example, in 2015, scientists concluded that the long drought in California — the worst water shortage in the province in 1,200 years — had intensified between 15 and 20 percent of the effects of global warming. They also say that the chances of a similar drought in the future have doubled in the last 100 years. And in 2016, the National Center for Science, Engineering, and Medicine announced that we can now confidently report other extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, and heavy rainfall, as well as direct climate change.
Sea temperatures are rising warmer, too — meaning tropical storms may receive more energy. In other words, global warming has the potential to transform phase 3 into a more severe form 4. In fact, scientists have found that the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes has increased since the early 1980s, as the number of hurricanes reached stages 4 and 5. 2020 of the Atlantic hurricane season includes 30 record-breaking tropical storms, 6 major hurricanes, and 13 total hurricanes. With increasing pressure comes increased damage and death. The United States saw 22 unprecedented climate catastrophes causing at least $ 1 billion in damage by 2020, but 2017 was the most costly in history and among the deadliest and most: In all, hurricanes of that year (including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma (and Maria) caused about $ 300 billion (US) and caused more than 3,300 deaths.
The effects of global warming are everywhere. Extreme heat has caused tens of thousands of deaths worldwide in recent years. And with a shocking sign of upcoming events, Antarctica has lost nearly four billion tons of ice since the 1990s. The rate of loss could be accelerated if we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current speed, some experts say, causing sea levels to rise by several meters over the next 50 to 150 years and to depressing coastal communities around the world.
Q: What are some of the effects of global warming?
A: Each year scientists learn more about the effects of global warming, and each year we discover new evidence of its adverse effects on humans and the planet. As heat waves, droughts, and floods accompanied by climate change become more frequent and stronger, communities suffer and the death toll rises. If we can reduce our emissions, scientists believe that climate change could lead to the deaths of more than 250,000 people worldwide each year and force 100 million people to poverty by 2030.
Global warming is already a threat to the United States. And if we can get a handle on our production, here are just some of the things we can look forward to:
Excessive glaciers, melting glaciers, and severe droughts will result in dramatic water shortages and further increase the risk of wildfires in West America.
Rising sea levels will lead to even more coastal floods on the Eastern Seaboard, especially in Florida, and other areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.
Forests, farms, and cities will be plagued by new pests, heat waves, torrential rains, and floods. All of this could damage or destroy agriculture and fishing grounds.
Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and mountainous terrain may result in the extinction of many species of plants and animals.
Allergies, asthma, outbreaks of infectious diseases will be more common due to increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the prevalence of bacterial and mosquito-borne conditions.
Although everyone is affected by climate change, not everyone is equally affected. Indigenous people, people of color, and the underprivileged are the most affected. The inequalities created in our homes, health care, and labor systems put these communities at greater risk for the worst effects of climate change — even though these communities have done very little to contribute.
Q: Where does the United States stand on global warming donors?
A: In recent years, China has been at the forefront of global warming, producing about 26 percent of all CO2 emissions. The United States ranks second. Despite making up only 4 percent of the world’s population, our nation produces 13 percent of all CO2 emissions worldwide — roughly the same as the European Union and India (third and fourth place) combined. And America is still the number one, so far, in gross production 150 years ago. As a major contributor to global warming, the United States has a responsibility to help move the world toward a cleaner, safer, and more equitable future. Our commitment is important to other countries, and it should be important to us.
Q: Is the United States doing something to prevent global warming?
A: We have started. But to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change, we need to do more — as well as other countries — to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and to shift to clean energy sources.
Under the administration of President Donald Trump (a man who lied about global warming as a “fake”), the United States withdrew the Paris Agreement, revoked or abolished a plethora of air protection, and reopened state-controlled states. , which incorporates traditionally sacred national monuments in the development of fuel. Although President Biden has promised to get the country back on track, the years of inactivity before and during Trump’s administration — and our growing understanding of the negative effects of global warming — mean that we must accelerate our efforts to reduce emissions.
Despite the lack of co-operation from Trump’s administration, local and provincial governments have made significant progress during this time through initiatives such as the American Cities Climate Challenge and ongoing partnerships such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. At the time, industry and business leaders were collaborating with the public sector, developing and adopting new clean energy technologies and increasing energy efficiency in buildings, electrical appliances and industrial processes. Today the American automotive industry is finding new ways to produce more fuel-efficient cars and trucks and is committed to putting more efficient electric cars on the road. Engineers, city dwellers, and community activists come together to make sure that new electric cars are affordable on the road. Engineers, cities, and community mobilizers are working together to ensure that affordable housing is built with reasonable efficiency, reducing energy consumption and reducing electricity and heat bills for residents. And renewable energy continues to rise as costs associated with production and distribution continue to decline. By 2020 renewable energy sources such as wind and solar have provided more electricity than coal for the first time in U.S. history.
President Biden has made global warming a priority. During his first day in office, he also pledged the United States to the Paris Climate Agreement, sending the international community a strong signal that we are committed to joining other nations in curbing our carbon footprint to support a common goal of global warming. rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. (Scientists say we should stay below 2 degrees to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change.) Also noteworthy, the president has assembled a team of experts and activists tasked with pursuing action both abroad and at home while advancing the cause of environmental justice and investing in ecological solutions.