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