| Highly increase in the average | | | | and Kansas, and floods caused hundreds |
| temperature of the Earth's near-surface | | | | of millions of dollars in damage in |
| air and oceans in recent decades and its | | | | Texas, Montana and North Dakota. Since |
| projected continuation is called Global | | | | the early 1950s, snow accumulation has |
| Warming. | | | | declined 60 percent and winter seasons |
| Global warming is a phenomenon that has | | | | have shortened in some areas of the |
| been discussed widely nowadays and | | | | Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington. |
| global warming causes are one of the | | | | Of course, the impacts of global warming |
| most studied subjects presently in the | | | | are not limited to the United States. In |
| world. Through out the world many | | | | 2003, extreme heat waves caused more |
| governments, institutes and universities | | | | than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more |
| are trying to find out what are the | | | | than 1,500 deaths in India. And in what |
| causes for global warming. As the | | | | scientists regard as an alarming sign of |
| effects of global warming is becoming | | | | events to come, the area of the Arctic's |
| more and more evident, many of us have | | | | perennial polar ice cap is declining at |
| started to realize that steps have to be | | | | the rate of 9 percent per decade. |
| taken to control Global warming at the | | | | Is global warming making hurricanes |
| earliest and various countries and | | | | worse? |
| people have started working towards it. | | | | Global warming doesn't create |
| For this we know exactly what is global | | | | hurricanes, but it does make them |
| warming, causes of global warming and | | | | stronger and more dangerous. Because the |
| effects of global warming. | | | | ocean is getting warmer, tropical storms |
| What causes global warming? | | | | can pick up more energy and become more |
| Carbon dioxide and other air pollution | | | | powerful. So global warming could turn, |
| that is collecting in the atmosphere | | | | say, a category 3 storm into a much more |
| like a thickening blanket, trapping the | | | | dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, |
| sun's heat and causing the planet to | | | | scientists have found that the |
| warm up. Coal-burning power plants are | | | | destructive potential of hurricanes has |
| the largest U.S. source of carbon | | | | greatly increased along with ocean |
| dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 | | | | temperature over the past 35 years. |
| billion tons every year. Automobiles, | | | | What can I do to help fight global |
| the second largest source, create nearly | | | | warming? |
| 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually. | | | | There are many simple steps you can take |
| Here's the good news: technologies exist | | | | right now to cut global warming |
| today to make cars that run cleaner and | | | | pollution. Make conserving energy a part |
| burn less gas, modernize power plants | | | | of your daily routine. Each time you |
| and generate electricity from | | | | choose a compact fluorescent light bulb |
| nonpolluting sources, and cut our | | | | over an incandescent bulb, for example, |
| electricity use through energy | | | | you'll lower your energy bill and keep |
| efficiency. The challenge is to be sure | | | | nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out |
| these solutions are put to use. | | | | of the air over the bulb's lifetime. By |
| Are warmer temperatures causing bad | | | | opting for a refrigerator with the |
| things to happen? | | | | Energy Star label -- indicating it uses |
| Global warming is already causing damage | | | | at least 15 percent less energy than the |
| in many parts of the United States. In | | | | federal requirement -- over a less |
| 2002, Colorado, Arizona and Oregon | | | | energy-efficient model, you can reduce |
| endured their worst wildfire seasons | | | | carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton |
| ever. The same year, drought created | | | | in total. Join NRDC in our campaign |
| severe dust storms in Montana, Colorado | | | | against global warming. |