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 The global warming is a process, that changes the climate and the atmosphere, so that the earth becomes uncomfortable for the living organisms on it. The global warming destroys the qualities on our planet, which have made it the only (known) planet with life on it. There are few things that cause this change in the climate, and the humans are responsible for 98% of them.
The real thing that causes the increase of the earth's average temperature is the sun energy, and the atmosphere. The atmosphere is the thing that makes the life possible on the earth, and it is the only thing that can keep the earth's warmth during night. (For example Mercury doesn't have atmosphere, and during the day temperature there is over 100 °C, and during night it is less than -100 °C).
When the sun energy reaches the earth, some of it is reflected from the atmosphere. This prevents from too big increase of the average temperature on the earth's surface. Other part is absorbed by the clouds, but the biggest part of it is absorbed by the earth. This happens during the day. However, during night, the earth (and any other planets) starts radiating energy back in the space. However, the atmosphere on the earth lets only a small part of the radiated energy to leave the earth. The rest of the energy is reflected back to the earth's surface, and keeps the average temperature on the earth's surface during night. This is how the earth's atmosphere regulates the temperature on the earth's surface, and creates the pleasant conditions, that have made the life possible on our planet.
However there are some factors on which depends the ability of the atmosphere to keep any heat energy on the surface of the earth. There are some gases like the ozone and the greenhouse gases, which depend on human activities. Due to their effect on the heat energy the earth's average temperature has been increasing, and is will increase even more. This will cause great troubles to all living organisms on the earth.
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The ozone layer is a part of the earth's atmosphere, consisting of special gas, ozone. It is made up of oxygen atoms, and has very important qualities. However, it can only be found in this part of the atmosphere, where the concentration of molecules is one per some square meters. This is very important, because the ozone is very reactive. It is important to live on earth, because one molecule of ozone may absorb a big quantity of ultraviolet energy, which has destructive effect to the live organisms.
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However, when a molecule of ozone absorbs too big amount of energy, it may split into an oxygen molecule, and a free oxygen atom. The most dangerous is that the free atom formed may get to another ozone molecule, and split it into two new oxygen molecules. This forms big holes in the ozone layer, through which the ultraviolet radiation can pass, and harm the animals and plants below it. Such holes form over territories with cold climate, because the ozone in such places able to hold, and reflect less energy.
Such wholes are also produced as a result of some human activities.
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In this section we'll describe briefly some human activities that increase the average temperature on the earth, by releasing, or destroying some gases in the atmosphere. They also increase the risk of global warming on the earth. Most of these activities are connected to the industrial revolution that started in the 19th century. Actions that destroy the ozone layer: Production of refrigerators, deodorants a other sprays, in which is used CFCl3. When a CFCl3 molecule is released and reaches the ozone the following process takes place: 1) CFCl3 + UV light ŕ Cl + CFCl2 2) Cl + O3 ŕ ClO + O2 3) ClO + O ŕ Cl + O2 4) Cl + O3 ŕ ClO +O2, etc. This forms great holes in the ozone, through which ultraviolet rays can pass, and cause skin cancer to the people living there, and increase in the temperature all over the world. Actions Releasing Greenhouse Gases: Due to different industrial processes different greenhouse gases are released. Carbon dioxide is released when people burn solid wastes, fossil fuels, wood and wooden products. Methane is emitted of production of coal, natural gas and oil. It can hold 21 times more head than the carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide is released during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels, and during agricultural activities. It can hold 270 times more heat per molecule than the carbon dioxide. Other very powerful greenhouse gases are HFCs, PFCs, and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). However they are released only during industrial processes, and do not occur naturally. You can see that greenhouse gases are released in many industrial processes, but also in many things we do every day. For example when we drive our cars we help for the releasing of great quantities of carbon dioxide. Some electricity is produced by burning different solid fuels, so when we use electricity we destroy the ozone, release greenhouse gases, and kill the forests… |
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Due to the global warming the temperature on the earth increases. This causes great troubles to people living in areas with too cold or too hot temperature. This also fastens the melting of the ice in Antarctica and Arctic, and increasing of the sea level. This means that lands which are lower than the sea will be covered with water. Such lands are New York, almost the whole Holland, some parts of Great Britain, some parts of Spain, Florida, etc. All these places will get below the water, and the live there will be impossible.
The life in the equatorial and tropical parts of the earth will become very difficult, because the temperatures there are over 40° C now, and they will increase even more.
More conflagrations will start on the earth, in the forests. This will release more carbon dioxide, and the temperatures will raise even more.
It may seem nice to you to have hotter winter, but just imagine how a winter without snow would look like. No more snowmen, no more skiing… only this is a good reason to start caring about the global warming.
And finally - the global warming causes great troubles to the health of the people. Skin cancer, more heart attacks, diabetes, are only a small part of the diseases caused by the heats. The number of the sick people will increase greatly… People will not be able to leave their homes, because the sun rays will be burning (really). So we better start caring more about the world we'll live on in 20 years.
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Greets from the Global Warming team!!! http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/
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