| Global warming is the increase in the average | | | | emissions and the Kyoto Summit in December |
| temperature of Earth's near-surface air and | | | | 1997 established binding agreements that would |
| oceans since the mid-20th century and its | | | | commit nation states to the constraints. |
| projected continuation (From Wikipedia). Then, | | | | Europe, Japan, and the United States have agreed |
| how does global warming become one of the | | | | in principle to adopt the "Berlin Mandate" that |
| most serious environment issues, and what should | | | | requires them to cut their CO2 emissions to 15% |
| we do to deal with this problem? | | | | below their 1990 levels by 2010. The US is not |
| The recent attention to the topic of global | | | | totally convinced this is the right approach, |
| warming is due to the fact that human actions | | | | however, as the US Department of Energy has |
| have caused global warming on a scale and with a | | | | conducted a study that suggests the "Berlin |
| rapidity unseen before. | | | | Mandate" will not reduce world-wide emissions of |
| Global average air temperature near the Earth's | | | | CO2. |
| surface has increased by 0.56-0.92 C over the | | | | In fact, the study suggests that the "Berlin |
| last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on | | | | Mandate" could raise CO2 emissions because |
| Climate Change concludes that this observed | | | | many energy intensive industries would be forced |
| increase in globally averaged temperatures since | | | | to leave the US, Europe, and Japan where the |
| the mid-20th century is very likely due to the | | | | constraints are enforced to countries that have |
| observed increase in greenhouse gas | | | | either not adopted the mandate or that don't |
| concentrations due to such activities like burning | | | | strictly enforce them, and because those |
| coal and fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and | | | | countries likely would have less energy efficient |
| overgrazing the land. These activities have | | | | industries, that would likely raise the level of CO2 |
| increased the greenhouse effect, which in turn, | | | | emissions. |
| has warmed the temperatures near the Earth's | | | | Now, as you see, human behaviours have done a |
| surface and lower atmosphere. | | | | great harm to the earth. If we still hope to live on |
| | | | this planet, if we are concerned about the future |
| Global warming has continued to be a major | | | | of our offspring, we should strive on to make up |
| international policy issue since 1979, as the Rio | | | | for the problems we have caused, such as global |
| Summit in 1992 proposed actions to constrain the | | | | warming. |