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