| Global warming is one of the most serious | | | | appealing as sea levels rise, dunes erode, |
| challenges facing us today. To protect the | | | | and the areas become more vulnerable to |
| health and economic well-being of current and | | | | coastal storms. |
| future generations, we must reduce our | | | | |
| emissions of heat-trapping gases by using the | | | | Many families and businesses, who have made |
| technology, know-how, and practical solutions | | | | their living from fishing, farming, and |
| already at our disposal. | | | | tourism could lose their livelihoods, and |
| | | | others who love hunting, boating, skiing, |
| Earth has warmed by about 1ºF over the | | | | birdwatching, and just relaxing near lakes, |
| past 100 years & many of the world's leading | | | | streams, and wetlands will see some of their |
| climate scientists think that things people | | | | favorite places irretrievably changed. |
| do are helping to make the Earth warmer. | | | | |
| | | | Scientists agree that if we wait 10, 20, or |
| Global warming refers to an average increase | | | | 50 years, the problem will be much more |
| in the Earth's temperature, which in turn | | | | difficult to address and the consequences for |
| causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may | | | | us will be that much more serious. |
| lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise | | | | |
| in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on | | | | We're treating our atmosphere like we once |
| plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists | | | | did our rivers. We used to dump waste |
| talk about the issue of climate change, their | | | | thoughtlessly into our waterways, believing |
| concern is about global warming caused by | | | | that they were infinite in their capacity to |
| human activities. | | | | hold rubbish. But when entire fisheries were |
| | | | poisoned and rivers began to catch fire, we |
| It also means increasingly hot days in the | | | | realized what a horrible mistake that was. |
| summer, and a host of negative impacts that | | | | |
| are already under way and are expected to | | | | Our planet is warming, and we are helping |
| intensify in the coming decades. | | | | make it happen by adding more heat-trapping |
| | | | gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), to the |
| More heat waves will likely increase the risk | | | | atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuel (oil, |
| of heat-related illnesses and deaths. | | | | coal, and natural gas) alone accounts for |
| | | | about 75 percent of annual CO2 emissions from |
| Cities and towns along the nation's major | | | | human activities. Deforestationthe cutting |
| rivers will experience more severe and | | | | and burning of forests that trap and store |
| frequent flooding. | | | | carbonaccounts for about another 20 percent. |
| | | | |
| Some areas will likely experience more | | | | Our atmosphere has limits too. CO2 remains in |
| extensive and prolonged droughts. | | | | the atmosphere for about 100 years. The |
| | | | longer we keep polluting, the longer it will |
| Some of our favorite coastal and low-lying | | | | take to recover and the more irreversible |
| vacation areas, such as parts of the Florida | | | | damage will be done. |
| Keys and Cape Cod, will be much less | | | | |