Dissolving sheets of polar ice. Weird changes in the temperature of the ocean and the air. Could these developments result from pollution causing the earth to warm up too quickly? Scientific evidence of global warming is piling up, and the issue is reaching a boiling point.
Starting February 16, at least 140 nations--but not the U.S.--will follow the Kyoto (kyoh-toe) Protocol. This treaty sets targets for industrial nations to cut pollution by 2012.
But the Kyoto targets may be too little, too late anyway. Recent studies suggest that the world's temperature is heating up faster than previously thought. During the 1900s, as pollution increased the amount of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, the earth's temperature rose by about 1°F. That might not sound like much, but to scientists who study the climate, it is a fast increase.
The International Climate Change Taskforce (ICCT) is a group that studies global warming. According to an ICCT report released last month, the world's temperature is becoming more sensitive to pollution.
As more countries use cars and build factories, more carbon dioxide (die-ahk-side) and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. A greenhouse is a glass building where plants are grown. The glass lets in sunlight and keeps in much more heat than it releases. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere also trap heat.
Trees can absorb carbon dioxide, but billions are cut down or burned each year. Scientists worry that the average global temperature could rise by as much as 4.5°F by the year 2055 and by 10°F by 2100.
A Changed Planet
The impact of a warmer world would be felt everywhere. As ice sheets,
called glaciers, and polar ice melt, sea levels would rise and coastal
areas would be flooded. Higher temperatures would cause severe drought
and violent weather. Some arctic animals, including polar bears, could
be extinct in just decades if their icy habitat keeps melting. "An
ecological time bomb is ticking," says Stephen Byers, cochair of the
ICCT report.
The Antarctic Peninsula is a scientific hot spot. Temperatures there have risen about 2.5°F in just 50 years. In 2002, a Rhode Island-size section of an ice shelf crumbled into the sea. A recent NASA study found that the collapse has caused nearby glaciers to melt into the sea eight times faster than before!
A Plan of Action
Scientists and world leaders realize that stronger measures are needed
to put global warming in check. Ideas include more research into
alternative energies and getting gas-guzzling countries to develop clean
fuel, such as solar power.
The U.S. is not honoring the Kyoto rules because it feels they will unfairly hurt its business. In a speech to world leaders on January 26, Great Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair asked the U.S. to work more closely with other countries. "If America wants the rest of the world to be part of the agenda it has set, it must be part of their agenda too," he said. Curbing pollution won't be easy or cheap. But the cost of doing nothing is clearly too high.
The Natural Greenhouse Effect
1. Sunlight hits the earth, giving it warmth and energy.
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere traps some of the heat,
keeping the earth warm.
Pollution's Effect
3. As pollution increases, CO2 and other heat-trapping gases build up.
When too much heat is held in by the atmosphere, the earth grows warmer.