Global Warming
                                                                                                                                         Last Update: 12/02/2001

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INTRODUCTION 

            The climate of the earth is changing and it is predicted to continue to change.  These changes are referred to as Global Warming.  Many difficulties will arise in the future due to global warming and this report will describe what global warming is and how it is being accomplished.  It will then delve into the impacts on the climate, on animals and on human activity.  The report will focus next on economic effects and finally on some solutions to the problem on hand.   

"There is no doubt in my mind that global warming is here. To me, it’s probably one of the most important issues facing humanity today."
Dr. Andrew Weaver, IPCC Lead Author, University of Victoria

Summery

Global warming refers to the rise in global average temperature.  The key contributor to global warming is the emission of greenhouse gases, which are retained in the lower atmosphere.  These gases in the atmosphere act like the glass in a greenhouse: they are transparent to sunlight which warms the earth, but they prevent some heat from escaping into space, which keeps the earth warmer than it would otherwise be.¹ A majority of this greenhouse effect is natural, maintaining the Earth’s average temperature at 15°C.  Without the natural greenhouse effect the Earth’s average temperature would be closer to -18°C.²

Unfortunately, the concentrations of some greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere are rising as a result of human industrialization.  Many climate scientists say that the global average temperature has risen about 1°C over the past 140 years, and assessments done by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) say the Earth may warm by possibly 5.8°C during the next century. ² This would have devastating effects on society and the ecosystems of many species as will be discussed later on.      

Since the future of climate change is still uncertain, scientists and government officials signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  The treaty was a voluntary commitment by industrial countries to reduce their emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000.  The treaty was further strengthened in 1997 when countries met in Kyoto Japan at the Third Conference of the Parties (COP–3).  There they signed the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for a mandatory reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 % from 1990 levels by the period of 2008-2012.  In addition each country must show demonstrable progress towards attaining this goal by the year 2005.³ The Kyoto Protocol covers six greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride which will now be discussed.