Oct 17, 2010

Disadvantages of Global Warming

Disadvantages of Global Warming


  • Ocean circulation disrupted, disrupting and having unknown effects on world climate.
  • Higher sea level leading to flooding of low-lying lands and deaths and disease from flood and evacuation.
  • Deserts get drier leaving to increased desertification.
  • Changes to agricultural production that can lead to food shortages.
  • Water shortages in already water-scarce areas.
  • Starvation, malnutrition, and increased deaths due to food and crop shortages.
  • More extreme weather and an increased frequency of severe and catastrophic storms.
  • Increased disease in humans and animals.
  • Increased deaths from heat waves.
  • Extinction of additional species of animals and plants.
  • Loss of animal and plant habitats.
  • Increased emigration of those from poorer or low-lying countries to wealthier or higher countries seeking better (or non-deadly) conditions.
  • Additional use of energy resources for cooling needs.
  • Increased air pollution.
  • Increased allergy and asthma rates due to earlier blooming of plants.
  • Melt of permafrost leads to destruction of structures, landslides, and avalanches.
  • Permanent loss of glaciers and ice sheets.
  • Cultural or heritage sites destroyed faster due to increased extremes.
  • Increased acidity of rainfall.
  • Earlier drying of forests leading to increased forest fires in size and intensity.
  • Increased cost of insurance as insurers pay out more claims resulting from increasingly large disasters.
  • Aggressiveness will increase, leading to an increase in the murder rate.

 

Advantages of Global Warming

Advantages of Global Warming


  • Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia, and other frozen regions of earth may experience more plant growth and milder climates.
  • The next ice age may be prevented from occurring.
  • Northwest Passage through Canada's formerly-icy north opens up to sea transportation.
  • Less need for energy consumption to warm cold places.
  • Fewer deaths or injuries due to cold weather.
  • Longer growing seasons could mean increased agricultural production in some local areas.
  • Mountains increase in height due to melting glaciers, becoming higher as they rebound against the missing weight of the ice.
  • Boundary disputes between countries over low-lying islands will disappear.

 

Oct 16, 2010

Effects of Global Warming



What is Global Warming?


Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. According to the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 20th century. Most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century has been caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which result from human activity such as the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation. Global dimming, a result of increasing concentrations of atmospheric aerosols that block sunlight from reaching the surface, has partially countered the effects of warming induced by greenhouse gases.