This short article is aimed towards providing a general non-scientific overview of global warming, along with some concerning statistics to enhance awareness, and to motivate behavioral change.
Since the 70's it has been told how bad global warming and how much is harms the environment, how policy is very permissive, not strict enough and how it protects the interests of elites. The damage to the environment is very advanced by now, and it is believed to be almost irreversible. We must the way of thinking about sustainability and go green, we must change behaviors radically before it is too late, if it isn't already.
There are skeptics that question the degree to which men driven carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions contribute to global warming, or how irreversible is the damage. From my point of view it is OK to be skeptic and to search for the facts; but it must be done carefully, without committing the mistake of simply looking the other way. I've seen some US politicians like Al Gore (an Inconvenient Truth) and Bill Clinton campaigning pro-environment in a very positive way. Let them continue making selling documentaries and investing in renewable sources; there is nothing wrong with making profits from educational documentaries or investing in renewable resources if it means providing clean energy or transmitting a positive message and motivating people into taking action.
What is global warming?
It is the constant increase of the planet's temperature, as a result of CO2 that gets trapped in the atmosphere. Sun rays enter the earth, warm up the surface and then bounce back up in the form of infrared rays; some of these aren't allowed to go back out to space freely due to the CO2. This is known as the greenhouse effect which mainly damages the polar caps and ecosystems in consecuence.
The top contributing factor to CO2 emissions is fossil fuel (oil, gas and coal) burning to produce energy (electricity, fuel for transport, etc) in order to power the planet; specially by developed countries. China and the Unites States are the 2 biggest contributors in the world. Ironicly, George Bush refused to sign the Kyoto protocol during his 8 years as president. This was a worldwide agreement signed in 1997 by most industrialized countries, commiting together to a 5.2% below the 1990 level by 2010.
I'm going to deviate from the main topic for a moment to clarify the difference between global warming and the hole in the ozone layer.
Hole in the ozone layer
Some people tend to confuse global warming with the hole in the ozone layer issue over the Antarctica, which is a different problem. It is caused by the release of chlorine and bromine gases in the stratosphere, which allows the passing of ultraviolet rays into the surface, causing severe skin damage when exposed. However, this issue is not warming up the earth significantly, like the greenhouse effect does.
The following chart demostrates the upward trend in the planet's temperature as a result of carbon emissions after the industrial revolution began at the end of the 18th century. It can be noticed that for almost 2000 years, the planet's temperature followed constant trends.
The following facts were taken from www.climatecrisis.net. I think they are pretty significant and demostrate the kind of danger we are in.
 | The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.2 |
 | Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.3 |
 | The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.4 |
 | At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.5 |
If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
 | Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.6 |
 | Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.7 |
 | Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense. |
 | Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. |
 | The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.8 |
 | More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.9 |
Everyone can contribute, by saving energy, advocating and demanding policy changes. Is the risk of doing nothing worth it?
