The greenhouse effect traps heat in the lower atmosphere due to gases like carbon dioxide, causing global warming and long-term climate change. Global warming is raising the planet's average temperature and causing more extreme weather events, threatening ecosystems and economies. While some argue human activity does not impact climate change, most scientists agree activities like burning fossil fuels are the primary driver of current warming trends. To mitigate further global warming, actions are needed like improving energy efficiency, switching to renewable energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Global Warming

2. What is the greenhouse effect? Climate Change? Global Warming? The Greenhouse Effect is when carbon dioxide and other gases in the planet’s atmosphere absorb infrared radiation that is emitted by the earth’s surface when there is an exposure of solar radiation, thus increases the earth’s temperature globally. Climate Change is a long – term change in the earth’s climate and increase in the average atmospheric temperature. Global Warming is a change in climate that may be resulted from the greenhouse effect.

4. Global warming can cause drastic climate changes such as more intense storms, pronounce droughts, and the average temperature increasing by approximately 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. What are the possible consequences if we do not work to stop global warming? Possible consequences include: Species going extinct Polar bears drowning with no habitat Acidic oceans Bleached coral reefs Shifting habitat and migration patterns of animals Forests in west may die out Thin ice causing the sea levels to rise All things would lead to a change in ecosystems and possible food chain changes which would corrupt everyday life.

7. How is global warming impacting the economy? In the United States economy is effected by global warming because there are droughts and loss of soil moisture from warmer climates. This causes the lowering of water tables and will potentially devastate economic impacts to communities throughout the Great Plains in the agricultural industry. This will also effect timber industries from increased prevalence of pests like the southern pine beetles, slower growth rates for trees, and more frequent wildfires. This mean revenue for producers decrease about $1 billion to $2 billion per year.

8. What are several ways we can all fight Global Warming? There are many ways to fight global warming including Completely filling the dishwasher Using recycled paper Taking shorter showers Stop using plastic Buying local products Carpool Plant trees Unplug electronics Spread the word

9. What is the basic arguments against global warming? Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth’s climate Some people say the IPCC did not prove that human activities are causing global warming Others say our most reliable sources of temperature data show no global warming trend Also, some people said that the Global climate computer models are too crude to predict future climate changes

10. What are your personal opinions about global warming? Victoria: My personal opinion on global warming is it can be prevented and if it is not our very existence is at risk. We need to do all we can in order to preserve the earth and protect it from decaying into a different place. Maria: My personal opinion about global warming is that it is not good. Whenever I think about global warming I think about a polar bear dying from being stuck on melting ice. Then I also think about how we can prevent it by just doing simple things like car pooling or saving energy.

11. Source Slide http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/glossary.html#Greenhouse_effect http://www.edf.org/climate/climate-change-impacts http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/actionguide/27-things-you-can-do-stop-global-warming http://www.aproundtable.org/tps30info/globalwarmup.html http://blog.sustainablog.org/2009/06/the-top-causes-of-global-warming-natural-or-human/ http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/09/podesta_nast.html