| Is It Happening? | | | | because it's going to get toasty. |
| Global warming, yeah, it's happening. Right now as a | | | | Some consequences of not acting: |
| matter of fact. The evidence is everywhere, even in | | | | - NASA projects the first ice-free summer by 2040, |
| your backyard. Climatologists note that significant | | | | and a completely ice-free North Pole by 2100 |
| changes have been occurring in the earth's | | | | - Massive hurricanes many times stronger than 2005's |
| atmosphere and their records show that: | | | | Katrina may occur. |
| - The Earth's average temperature is steadily | | | | - Heat waves have already killed 700 Chicagoans in |
| increasing, up 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, the | | | | 1995 and up to 50,000 Europeans during the summer |
| beginning of the Industrial Revolution. | | | | of 2003, and they are sure to continue. |
| - There is a 20 percent decrease in summer Arctic | | | | - Droughts will become commonplace, such as the |
| ice since the 1970's. | | | | current one in The Sahel in southern Africa right now. |
| - Over the last 40 years, it's reported that over 22 | | | | - Rainfall will continue to increase in other areas, as |
| percent of Antarctic ice has melted. | | | | has been already witnessed in Scotland in 2000 and |
| - Extreme weather, including hurricanes and drought, | | | | India in 2004. |
| has increased throughout the last century. | | | | - 2.8 billion people now live under the poverty level - |
| - Snow has fallen later and melted sooner...yes, in | | | | that is, under $2 USD per day. These people account |
| your own backyard. | | | | for half of the world's population and most of them |
| Is It Serious? | | | | live in low-lying areas extremely vulnerable to flooding |
| If you think that a sea level rise of up to 20 feet | | | | and with rising sea levels, they will be the first to feel |
| isn't serious because it won't happen in your lifetime, | | | | the tragic effects of global warming on a large scale. |
| then you're seriously mistaken. At the current rates | | | | Can We Stop It? |
| of global warming and carbon output, Antarctica's | | | | Oh if global warming were like a light where we can |
| Western Ice Shelf will slip into the oceans raising sea | | | | just flip the switch at will, but unfortunately it's not. |
| levels and causing a landslide of events affecting the | | | | But there are many things we can do, including |
| world that include flooding, drought and famine. | | | | reducing our contribution to the warming of the |
| Consequences of Not Acting? | | | | earth's atmosphere and oceans by seeking cleaner |
| Any one reason to act far outweighs any fifty | | | | and more efficient fuel sources, reducing energy |
| reasons not to. But even after the evidence above, | | | | consumption per person and better educating the |
| if there are those who still deny, deny, deny...well, | | | | public about the importance of environmental |
| then let's all just put our bathing suits on and hope | | | | responsibility. |
| there's enough food around to feed your fan waver | | | | |