Global warming 101
> It’s getting hot in here!
Nineteen of the 20 hottest years on record have occurred since 1980; the top 10 since 1990. Worldwide average temperatures warmed a full degree over the 20th Century. If things don’t change, scientists warn we could see average temperature increases of 3 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. That is faster than anything the world has ever seen in terms of temperature change.Scientists have been studying the problem now for several decades. While they still don’t know every detail, nearly all agree that that heat-trapping pollution from fossil fuels is a major factor.
That consensus keeps getting stronger: from the National Academy of Sciences report to President Bush in 2001 to a declaration last December by the American Geophysical Union that nature simply cannot explain the unprecedented warming trends of the past half-century.
The extra layerGlobal warming happens when heat-trapping emissions collect in the atmosphere, like a down parka that keeps natural heat from escaping into space. In fact, this is one of the atmosphere’s most basic functions; without it Earth would be a frozen wasteland (scientists sometimes call it the greenhouse effect).
The problem comes when things get out of balance.
The chief culprit is carbon dioxide. It's the same stuff that makes bubbles in beer. You also exhale it. If that was all that was happening, things would be fine. The problem is the millions of tons of carbon dioxide pollution coming from exhaust pipes and smokestacks every single year.
These emissions are growing, tipping the scales in a big way. There is almost 30 percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than natural levels at start of the industrial revolution. And we’re on track to double it by the end of the century. That’s going to make for a much warmer planet. Global warming means more air pollution, and problems with water supplies as precipitation patterns change. There will be hotter heat waves, and trouble for wildlife as ecosystems struggle with the changes. The costs to business, agriculture and local governments could be enormous.
The effects are much greater at higher elevations and northern latitudes, where skiers and snowboarders like to do their thing. Scientists say that unless carbon dioxide emissions drop, we’ll be looking at warmer, shorter winters.
The good news is that by using new, less-polluting technologies and conserving energy -- as many ski areas are doing -- we can keep winter cool. But urgent action is required: it will take a concerted effort from all of those with a stake in winter to turn things around.
> How electricity generation affects your health
According to the American Lung Association, scientists have estimated that the number of deaths in the United States associated with air pollution range from 50,000 to 100,000 per year. For every 75 of these deaths per year, there are 265 hospital admissions for asthma and 240 non-asthma respiratory admissions; 3,500 respiratory emergency doctor visits; 180,000 asthma attacks; 930,000 restricted activity days; and, 2,000,000 acute respiratory symptom days.An EPA study found that for every dollar that we have spent on pollution controls since 1970, we have gained $45 in health and environmental benefits: fewer doctor visits, fewer work days lost, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer premature deaths. According to the World Watch Institute, implementing climate policies that will reduce our air pollution could prevent at least 8 million deaths in the next 2 decades.
67% of the nation's sulfur dioxide (SO2), which causes acid rain, comes from electricity generation. According to the American Lung Association, sulfur dioxide affects breathing, increases respiratory illness, weakens pulmonary defenses and aggravates cardiovascular diseases.
28% of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react with sunlight to create ground level ozone and smog, come from electricity generation. Ozone and smog irritate the lungs and lower resistance to infections like influenza, according to the American Lung Association.
Ozone (O3) occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere where it is beneficial. However, ozone in the lower atmosphere creates the urban haze which we call smog. Automobiles and electricity generation are the top contributors to ground level ozone. It causes over 1.5 million significant respiratory problems per year in children and adults. Short term effects include coughing, lung irritation and exacerbation of respiratory disease. Long term effects include chronic lung disease and even cancer.
Particulate matter is a type of air pollution more commonly referred to as soot. Exposure to particulate matter is especially harmful to people with lung disease (e.g. asthma, bronchitis, emphysema) and heart disease.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a climate change gas that causes global warming. Global warming can lead to the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. It also contributes to air quality problems, which increase the health effects of other air pollutants. Long-term effects associated with fossil fuel burning could be even more alarming than air pollution-related deaths today. In the future, tropical diseases could thrive as the earth's climate warms, and deaths due to extreme weather conditions (e.g. hypothermia) could increase.
Nuclear energy poses the unique threats of radioactive waste and radiation. Waste from nuclear energy facilities is dangerous to transport and to dispose of. In addition, there is potential for a disastrous nuclear accident, like Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Health effects of radioactive waste include cancer, sterility and even death. Radiation may cause immune system damage, leukemia, miscarriages, stillbirths, deformities and genetic mutations.
Mercury is a highly toxic metal that is released from coal-fired power plants. Mercury accumulates in the fat cells of fish and other animals. When humans eat the fish, they are exposed to mercury. Mercury causes permanent damage to the liver and central nervous system, causing loss of motor function, slurred speech, tunnel vision, and loss of hearing. Mercury is particularly harmful when ingested by pregnant or nursing women as it can cause birth defects and developmental defects. Because mercury accumulates in biological organisms it is constantly being recycled in the environment as it moves up the food chain.
> How electricity production affects your environment
Coal and gas power plants emit:
36% of carbon dioxide (CO2), a climate change or greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Currently, carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants are about 1 ton per person each year. Carbon dioxide is a major global warming gas. Global warming is a serious environmental threat that may contribute to coastal flooding, more frequent and extreme heat waves, more intense droughts, an increase in the number of severe storms, and the increased spread of infectious diseases.
67% of the nation's sulfur dioxide (SO2) when combined with rain water, creates acid rain. Acid rain damages the foliage of forests, crops, and other plants, and eventually can kill the plants. It also acidifies rivers and lakes causing them to be biologically "dead." Acidification also alters the chemistry of soil, releasing harmful metals into rainwater runoff and groundwater. Sulfur dioxide also accelerates the decay of stone and paint, damaging many buildings and monuments.
33% of mercury which contributes to contamination of soil and waterways. Mercury can circulate in the air for up to one year and can be transported thousands of miles from its source. Mercury accumulates in the fatty tissue of fish and is constantly being recycled in the environment as it moves up the food chain. Mercury causes permanent damage to the liver and central nervous system and can cause birth defects.
28% of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react with sunlight to create ground level ozone and smog. Nitrogen oxide deposition causes algae blooms in lakes and streams. This depletes the water of oxygen, killing fish and other living organisms. Nitrogen dioxide has also been shown to cause pulmonary disease in animals.
Particulate matter is the major cause of reduced visibility (haze) in the U.S. Coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of emissions of particulate pollution - soot particles made of ash (heavy metals, radioactive isotopes, hydrocarbons, sulfates, and nitrates) that can transport and deposit trace metals such as mercury hundreds of miles from their source. Soot stains and damages stone and other materials, damaging many of our buildings and monuments. After traveling long distances, particles settle on ground or water, causing these effects:
- making lakes and streams acidic
- changing the nutrient balance in coastal waters and large river basins
- depleting the nutrients in soil
- damaging sensitive forests and farm crops
- affecting the diversity of ecosystems
Want to know more?
http://www.ipcc.ch - Recent IPCC Report
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming - WikiPedia Article
http://www.lickglobalwarming.org/learn.cfm - Ben & Jerry's, SaveOurEnvironment, and Dave Matthews Band
http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience - Background info on the movie: An Inconvenient Truth
http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/default.asp - Global warming information from NRDC
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org - StopGlobalWarming.org
http://www.renewus.org/do_something.html - RenewUS.org
