1. Global Warming

3. Blue Man Group

4. Global Warming … what is it? Increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans

5. What causes this warming? Industrial Revolution: burning fossil fuels and deforestation increases greenhouse gases Greenhouse gases – Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) – Methane (CH 4 ) – Nitrous oxide – Sulfuric hexafluoride – Hydrofluorocarbons – Perfluorocarbons – Water Vapor (*) They are necessary for life – Keep planet ’ s surface warm

6. Animation It ’ s all about Carbon – Episodes 1-5 – http://www.npr.org/news/specials/climate/vi deo/ http://www.npr.org/news/specials/climate/vi deo/

8. According to NASA data, temperature has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4°F in the last 100 years 11 of the last twelve years rank among the 12 warmest years on record – Warmest: 1998 and 2005

9. Measuring Atmospheric CO 2 Air samples taken in Mauna Loa, Hawaii 1958-2000 Why Hawaii – Isolated location – Minimal human activity/pollution/vegetation Zig-Zag – Earth breathing in and out – Winter (trees give off CO 2 ….levels rise) – Summer (trees take in CO 2 ….levels drop)

11. CO 2 in Ice Samples EPICA: European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica 400,000 years ago Today ’ s rising atmospheric CO 2 is already 27% higher than its highest record level during the last 400,000 years Crush the ice, expand the gas, analyze in a gas chromatography – the ratio of oxygen isotopes in the snow reveals temperature, In snow, colder temperatures result in higher concentrations of light oxygen.

14. What ’ s being done? Kyoto Protocol (met: 1997) – Put into effect 2005 agreement by which industrialized nations have committed to making substantial reductions in their emissions of greenhouse gases by 2012 5.2% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. More than 187 countries have signed and ratified U.S.?

15. Bush administration has rejected it as being too costly for the economy Did propose a climate change initiative – Voluntary reductions in emissions, tax credits for emissions and increased research and development for new energy technologies

16. Others who haven ’ t signed … In 2006, China ’ s CO 2 emissions were more than the US. – 8% higher By 2025, China ’ s annual CO 2 emission alone will be 3.2 billion tons of Carbon – Current world emission: 6.15 billion – Neither China nor India have signed the Kyoto Protocol either

17. Obama Administration Obama stopped by the climate talks held in Copenhagen – The president said he met with leaders from India, China, Brazil and South Africa, and "that's where we agreed... to set a mitigation target to limit warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. ” – voluntary pledges of 85 countries to cut emissions Obama acknowledged that the cap-and-trade approach to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, backed by his administration, "was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way. It was a means, not an end."

18. Climate Change talks in Cancun – the US repeated its ''one-in, all-in'' catchcry, claiming that targets for cutting emissions needed to be binding on all countries, not just developed nations. – Progress appeared likely on several fronts, such as the protection of tropical rainforests and $US30 billion of fast-start finance to help developing countries deal with the impact of climate change.

19. What can we do?

20. Opposing View Is there really a global warming consensus? – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZcp_wcDXec&f eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZcp_wcDXec&f eature=related Dr. Fred Singer – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6mJ0naC1Ac http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6mJ0naC1Ac – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSr-4MnKjQE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSr-4MnKjQE