| |
The famous American writer Ernest Hemingway was awed by the beauty of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro. The snowcapped peak rises 19,340 feet above hot, tropical Tanzania. Hemingway wrote that it was "as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievable white in the sun." But this natural wonder is in trouble. Each year there is less snow. In 15 years, scientists say, the snows of Kilimanjaro will simply melt away.
 These Adelie penguins in Antartica are really on thin ice. Global warming is causing more ice floes like these to melt. It is also causing the Adelie penguin population to fall. |
Kilimanjaro is not the only place that is threatened. Glaciers and polar ice are melting. Coral reefs are dying as the seas get too warm. Lakes and rivers in colder climates are freezing later and thawing earlier each year, disrupting the life cycles of native plants and animals. What is causing this breakdown in nature?
A report issued by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes (IPCC) last month says the world has warmed up. Average temperatures climbed more than 1°F over the past century, and the 1990s were the hottest decade on record. By 2100, the ipcc predicts, the average temperature on the earth will be between 2.5°F and 10.4°F hotter than it is today.
A degree or two may sound like a tiny change, but the consequences can be terrible. As glaciers and polar ice melt, low-lying coastal areas such as southern Louisiana and Florida; Venice, Italy; and parts of India and Egypt could be flooded or submerged. Higher temperatures could cause widespread drought and violent storms around the world.
|  A monkey in New Delhi, India cools down during a heat wave. India's worst heat wave in 50 years killed more than 2,500 people in May 1998. |
The Global Greenhouse
Scientists know that some changes in the earth's climate occur naturally. Our planet has gone through several Ice Ages, as well as many periods of warming. But most climate experts now believe that the current warming is caused in part by humans. Every time we burn gasoline for our cars or coal to generate electricity in power plants, carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases are released into the atmosphere. They form a hazy blanket around the earth.
A certain amount of this gas is healthy because it keeps the earth from freezing, just as a greenhouse lets plants get warmth and light from the sun without being exposed to the elements outside. But the blanket is too thick now. Too much heat is getting trapped close to the earth's surface. This "greenhouse effect" contributes to global warming. The problem is even worse because humans have cut down billions of trees, which absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere.
|  Demonstrators in Greece recently protested President Bush's decision not to support a global warming pact. |
Backing Away From a Big Plan
The U.S. is a major CO2 polluter. Although our country is home to just 4% of the world's population, it produces 25% of all greenhouse gases. President George Bush once vowed he would help fight global warming. But he recently decided not to support an international agreement aimed at controlling the problem. The Kyoto Protocol sets specific limits for the amount of harmful gases that countries may release into the atmosphere. Former President Bill Clinton backed this treaty. But President Bush feels it would be too costly for U.S. companies to meet its limits. "We will not do anything that harms our economy," he says.
Environmental groups have attacked Bush's decision. Some have even urged people around the world to show their anger by not buying gas from U.S. oil companies. Officials of nations that support the Kyoto agreement, which took nine years to negotiate, are also critical. For the treaty to go into effect, 55 countries must accept it. Leaders from 40 countries were scheduled to meet in New York City on April 21 of this year to try to reshape the plan. They hope that by making some changes, they will be able to convince Bush that a cutback on greenhouse gases is best for the U.S.-and the world.
What Can We Do?
Americans lead the world in carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution. Here are some simple ways you and your family can cut back:
1. Don't Be Fuelish Walk or ride a bike instead of having a grownup drive you places.
Average annual CO2 reduction: 20 lbs. for each gallon of gas saved
2. Pitch In Reduce paper waste at your school or home. Help set up community recycling programs.
Average annual CO2 reduction: 4 lbs. per pound of paper recycled
3. Home Improvement Help plant trees next to your house. They absorb CO2 from the air and give off oxygen.
Average annual CO2 reduction: about 5,000 lbs.
4. Get It Just Right Don't overheat or overcool rooms. Set the thermostat lower in winter and higher in summer.
Average annual CO2 reduction: about 500 lbs. for each 2ºF change
5. Put In Some Padding Your family can insulate walls and ceilings to help the inside temperature remain constant.
Average annual CO2 reduction: as much as 2,000 lbs.
6. Goodbye Guzzlers If your family is buying a car, help them pick one that gets at least 30 miles per gallon of gas.
Average annual CO2 reduction: about 2,500 lbs. if the new car gets 10 miles a gallon more than the old one