- Fact 2 - Human activities, such as
burning coal, oil and natural gas results in increased
greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) which
cause the Earth's temperature to rise globally
- Fact 3 - As global warming
increases average temperatures rise which lead to possible
changes in weather patterns and agricultural output
- Fact 4 - When did global warming
start? The average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and
oceans has been increasing since the middle of the 20th century
- Fact 5 - The increased burning of
fossil fuels and deforestation of the
rainforest have
been major contributors to global warming
- Fact 6 - Strong effects are being
observed in the Arctic where glaciers are retreating, as is the
sea ice
- Fact 7 - Other effects of global
warming include changes in weather leading to disasters such as
cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and
volcanoes
- Fact 8 - Other threats include
pollution, loss of vegetation (see
facts about the
rainforest) and loss of wildlife (see
facts about
endangered species)
- Fact 9 - The Kyoto Protocol is a
protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting global warming.
- Fact 10 - The Kyoto Protocol was
initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and
entered into force on 16 February 2005
- Fact 11 - Nearly two hundred states
have signed and ratified the Kyoto protocol to fight global
warming, committing themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse
gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur
hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and
perfluorocarbons)
- Fact 12 - Ozone is a naturally
occurring gas found in the troposphere and other parts of the
atmosphere. Tropospheric ozone is often called "bad" ozone
because it can damage living tissue and break down certain
materials.
- Fact 13 - The deterioration of the
Ozone layer ("bad" ozone) contributes to global warming and is
caused by the burning of fossil fuels, such as gasoline, diesel,
etc
- Fact 14 - Motor vehicle exhausts,
industrial emissions and chemical solvents are major sources of
chemicals which contribute to the deterioration of the Ozone
layer
- Fact 15 - The
greenhouse effect
is an increase in the temperature of a planet as heat energy
from sunlight is trapped by the gaseous atmosphere. Excess
carbon dioxide and water vapor increase this global warming
effect.
- Fact 16 - As people are made aware
of the problem initiatives such as
Recycling increase in
popularity
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