Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse gases, and the gradual heating of the earth's surface, is an ongoing problem in today's world. Human actions and products create these gases. It is shown, that in 2004, the U.S. emitted over 7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. These gases include, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorenated gases. The main cause of these gasses are the burning of fossil fuels. Industrial processes such as steel, aluminum, and cement cause greenhouse gases. The gasses traped inside the earth's atmoshpere permit the heat of the sun inside the atmosphere, however they are unable to escape. Therefore, the gases promote more heat within the earth's atmosphere.      Global warming and greenhouse gases can have both health and environmental effects on earth. As a result of global warming, sea levels rise, glaciers shrink, there are changes in the distribution of plants and animals, trees bloom earlier, and other dire happenings occur. Farmable areas will change. Land will become unuseable. Also, human health can chage as an effect of Global Warming. Changes in heat and cold can cause chages and increase malaria, and smog episodes.

Our government has established a vague "policy" to address climate change. The main parts of this "policy" include:         1.slowing the growth of emissions        2.strengthening science to combat problems        3.enhancing international cooperation To implement this policy, the Federal government is using a voluntary, incentive based program to reduce emissions.

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