THE HOLE IN THE OZONE LAYER GLOBAL WARMING AND THE HOLE IN THE OZONE LAYER Yes they are 2 different things……!

GLOBAL WARMING IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

GLOBAL WARMING IS ALSO CALLED: THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT! So what is a greenhouse? How does it work? What has this got to do with global warming then??

So what is the Green house Effect? Our earth is surrounded by a layer of gases called greenhouse gases which are naturally occurring (in other words they are meant to be there and would be there whether humans were on the planet or not!) There job is to keep the planet at a nice warm temperature - in fact without them there would be no little life on our planet as the temperature would be 33 c colder and far too cold for plants and animals to survive. The main gases that make us this layer are carbon dioxide, methane, CFC and nitrous oxide. This layer of gas acts like the roof of a greenhouse and that is why it is called the greenhouse effect. They allow the suns heat to pass through easily and warm the planet but they do not allow much to escape back into space thus keeping us all warm and able to survive.

REMEMER.... The greenhouse effect is NATURAL! It is supposed to happen! It would happen even if there was not a human being on the planet! In fact if there was no greenhouse effect then humans could not live here as the planet would be 33c colder and would look like and be as cold as Mars!

So it's us that turns the GREENHOUSE EFFECT into GLOBAL WARMING!!! But HOW!?!?!

Think about the greenhouse as if it was the planet and this is…. GLOBAL WARMING

So what is GLOBAL WARMING then? Unfortunately human activity is adding more gas to the layer than there should be. It is therefore getting thicker and thicker. It is still able to let the sun’s heat through but even less heat is escaping back into the atmosphere. This means that the earth’s temperature is rising.

Human activity is adding more gases to the naturally occurring layer of greenhouse gases. This thickens it so it cannot let as much heat return to space and so the temperature of the earth gradually increases…… GLOBAL WARMING! What are greenhouse gases? Name of gas Contribution Source(s) Carbon dioxide (CO2) 50% From burning coal and oil, and the removal of vegetation Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 20% From air conditioners, refrigerators and aerosols Methane (CH4) 16% From rice growing, animal waste, swamps and landfills Ozone (O3) 8% From air pollution Nitrous oxide (N2O) 6% From fertilizers and burning of coal and oil

CARBON DIOXIDE As you can see the main culprit is Spend 5 minutes in 2’s listing all the ways that you have contributed to global warming in the last 24 hours!

Just think for a moment about how much electricity we all use…..! So where are these gases coming from? Power stations release huge amounts of carbon dioxide as they burn coal (a fossil fuel) in order to produce electricity. Just think for a moment about how much electricity we all use…..!

ELECTRICITY

But who are the main culprits….?

China and India are particular bad contributors to global warming. It’s many LEDC’s They are currently experiencing their industrial revolution and are becoming the greatest users and producers of electricity and are burning huge quantities of fossil fuels to keep their booming industries going. This is creating masses of pollution and contributing greatly to global warming. China and India are particular bad contributors to global warming.

6 of the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in China! China is currently the world's second largest energy consumer and producer and will overtake the USA by 2009 6 of the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in China! Picture above: Beijing's smog Lanzhou This country is hooked on coal. With 21,000 coal mines across the country, it is cheaper and more easily available than any other form of energy in China. It is the lifeblood of its booming economy, producing 70 per cent of the energy that fuels its dramatic growth.

Engines burn oil which is another fossil fuel Engines burn oil which is another fossil fuel. They also add carbon back into the atmosphere and thicken the layer. Just think a moment about how many vehicles there are around……

Brilliant we will be able to sunbathe here in the UK!! Global Warming…. So what......?! It was found that 9 hottest years on record occurred during the past 14 years. The mean Earth temperature in 1997 was 0.43°C higher than the past 26 years. Brilliant we will be able to sunbathe here in the UK!!

And even that’s not necessarily a good thing!!

ICE CAPS MELTING AND SEA LEVEL RISE But what are the real consequences of global warming for us all? ICE CAPS MELTING AND SEA LEVEL RISE

Global warming causes the polar ice sheets melt Global warming causes the polar ice sheets melt. It increases the sea-level. It will possibly rise 18 cm by 2030 and 58 cm by 2090. Flooding will probably occur in lowlands. Many cities along the coast may be under sea water.

The loss of polar ice will have a profound effect on nature in particular animal habitats.

7 METRE RISE 13 METRE RISE 84 METRE RISE Sea level rise around the world is going to leave many people homeless!

Many of the world’s islands are already disappearing beneath the sea. The tiny island nation of the Maldives is in trouble. If global warming continues, say scientists, the country could sink beneath the ocean within 100 years. The average height of the islands above sea level is 1.5 metres and the rate of sea level rise is currently 59cm per century.

Tuvalu is found in the ocean near Australia Tuvalu is found in the ocean near Australia. Most of Tuvalu is less than one metre above seal level.

A Tuvalu Poem   TUVALU AND GLOBAL WARMING Jane Resture   I hear the waves on our island shore They sound much louder than they did before A rising swell flecked with foam Threatens the existence of our island home.    A strong wind blows in from a distant place The palm trees bend like never before Our crops are lost to the rising sea And water covers our humble floor.   Our people are leaving for a distant shore And soon Tuvalu may be no more Holding on to the things they know are true Tuvalu my Tuvalu, I cry for you.   And as our people are forced to roam To another land to call their home And as you go to that place so new Take a little piece of Tuvalu with you.    Tuvalu culture is rare and unique And holds a message we all should seek Hold our culture way up high And our beloved Tuvalu will never die

There will also be an increase in COASTAL FLOODING

And Hurricanes will become more frequent, intense and will happen in places that currently do not suffer them!

And drought and crop failure which leads to

FAMINE WHICH THEN LEADS TO DISEASE And this could be common in countries that do not usually suffer

And therefore flooding will become more frequent and severe. Some places will suffer far more rain…. And therefore flooding will become more frequent and severe.

What might stop Global Warming? So what can we do? What might stop Global Warming?

Use less:

Or use energy saving light bulbs….. Which will also save you money!

Which is just as well as your fuel bills will start to get more and more expensive. This is one of the ways that the Government are tryint to combat Global Warming – by trying to encourage us to use less electricity.

Or try and generate electricity in a cleaner, more environmentally friendly way?

We can also think about the way we travel! From these……

To these!

Basically you need to reduce your….. CARBON FOOTPRINT!