Global warming (2009) TỪ VỰNG HAY THEO TOPIC

Global Warming Debra A Miller Global Warming by Debra A Miller © 2009 Gale, Cengage Learning ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher Every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyrighted material LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Miller, Debra A Global warming / by Debra A Miller p cm — (Hot topics) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 978-1-4205-0049-3 (hardcover) Global warming I Title QC981.8.G56M56 2009 363.738'74—dc22 2008025678 Lucent Books 27500 Drake Rd Farmington Hills, MI 48331 ISBN-13: 978-1-4205-0049-3 ISBN-10: 1-4205-0049-X Printed in the United States of America 12 11 10 09 08 Foreword INTRODUCTION Global Warming: A Planetary Emergency CHAPTER ONE The Science of Global Warming 11 CHAPTER TWO Predicting the Future 29 CHAPTER THREE Threats Posed by Global Warming 45 CHAPTER FOUR Solutions for Global Warming 62 CHAPTER FIVE Preparing for a Warmer Future 79 Notes 94 Discussion Questions 99 ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTACT 101 FOR More Information 105 INDEX 108 PICTURE CREDITS 119 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 120 Y oung people today are bombarded with information Aside from traditional sources such as newspapers, television, and the radio, they are inundated with a nearly continuous stream of data from electronic media They send and receive e-mails and instant messages, read and write online “blogs,” participate in chat rooms and forums, and surf the Web for hours This trend is likely to continue As Patricia Senn Breivik, the former dean of university libraries at Wayne State University in Detroit, has stated, “Information overload will only increase in the future By 2020, for example, the available body of information is expected to double every 73 days! How will these students find the information they need in this coming tidal wave of information?” Ironically, this overabundance of information can actually impede efforts to understand complex issues Whether the topic is abortion, the death penalty, gay rights, or obesity, the deluge of fact and opinion that floods the print and electronic media is overwhelming The news media report the results of polls and studies that contradict one another Cable news shows, talk radio programs, and newspaper editorials promote narrow viewpoints and omit facts that challenge their own political biases The World Wide Web is an electronic minefield where legitimate scholars compete with the postings of ordinary citizens who may or may not be well-informed or capable of reasoned argument At times, strongly worded testimonials and opinion pieces both in print and electronic media are presented as factual accounts Conflicting quotes and statistics can confuse even the most diligent researchers A good example of this is the question of whether or not the death penalty deters crime For instance, one study found that murders decreased by nearly one-third when the death penalty was reinstated in New York in 1995 Death Foreword penalty supporters cite this finding to support their argument that the existence of the death penalty deters criminals from committing murder However, another study found that states without the death penalty have murder rates below the national average This study is cited by opponents of capital punishment, who reject the claim that the death penalty deters murder Students need context and clear, informed discussion if they are to think critically and make informed decisions The Hot Topics series is designed to help young people wade through the glut of fact, opinion, and rhetoric so that they can think critically about controversial issues Only by reading and thinking critically will they be able to formulate a viewpoint that is not simply the parroted views of others Each volume of the series focuses on one of today’s most pressing social issues and provides a balanced overview of the topic Carefully crafted narrative, fully documented primary and secondary source quotes, informative sidebars, and study questions all provide excellent starting points for research and discussion Full-color photographs and charts enhance all volumes in the series With its many useful features, the Hot Topics series is a valuable resource for young people struggling to understand the pressing issues of the modern era Global Warming: A Planetary Emergency G lobal warming (also called climate change) refers to rising global temperatures caused by high levels of carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere At least some of these greenhouse gasses are produced by burning fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal In recent years, global warming has become the world’s most urgent environmental issue Many commentators attribute the rising public awareness about this issue to the efforts of former American vice president and 2000 presidential candidate Al Gore, who since his defeat in the presidential race has waged a worldwide publicity campaign about the dangers of global warming Gore’s campaign began with speeches and a slide show of compelling photos, graphs, and time lines, but in 2006, Gore unveiled a documentary and book on the topic, both named An Inconvenient Truth The documentary was critically acclaimed and won two 2006 Academy Awards for best documentary and best original song In the film, Gore uses humor, science, and personal stories to show how human activities that produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are the cause of the rise in Earth’s temperatures Warmer temperatures, Gore warns, are melting the polar ice caps and leading to dramatic climate changes such as rising sea levels that could engulf some of the world’s major coastal cities The film claims global warming may already be producing frightening weather, including stronger hurricanes, flooding, and torrential rains for some parts of the world, and record heat and drought in other areas These climate changes, Global Warming: A Planetary Emergency Gore says, could in turn result in numerous other problems— everything from new mosquito-borne disease pandemics to the loss of animal species, such as the polar bear, that cannot adapt quickly enough to the rapid temperature increases Later in 2006, Gore won an international award—the Nobel Peace Prize—for his efforts He shared the award with scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations (UN) organization set up to investigate and report on the causes, effects, and solutions to climate change In his acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2007, Gore said, “We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency, a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential.” He urged the public and policy makers to act now to prevent what could become catastrophic disasters in the future, explaining, “We have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst, though not all, of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.”1 Former vice president Al Gore (center) receives the Nobel Peace Price for his work on climate change on December 10, 2007 Global Warming The other recipient of the Nobel Prize, the IPCC, was honored because of a series of scientific reports it has issued over the past two decades, which the Nobel committee said had created a broad consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming The IPCC’s latest report, “Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change,” warned that unless governments act quickly to reduce global emissions, greenhouse gases could rise by 25 to 90 percent over year 2000 levels by the year 2030 The report urged governments to slow and reverse these emissions trends and stabilize the level of greenhouse gases remaining in the atmosphere at around 445–490 At the U.S embassy in Hamburg, Germany, environmental activists from the group Greenpeace voice their disapproval of the Bush administration’s nonsupport of the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 Global Warming: A Planetary Emergency parts per million (ppm)—a level that would hold average global temperature increases to 3.6 to 4.3 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 2.4 degrees Celsius) This IPCC goal, however, would require governments to reduce emissions dramatically over today’s levels In fact, experts say countries such as the United States would need to reduce emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050, and Gore urges the country to take the lead with a 90 percent reduction in the United States Such significant emissions reductions, however, will be a daunting challenge given the United States’ history of virtually ignoring global warming President George W Bush, for example, began his administration by abruptly reversing a campaign promise to regulate U.S carbon dioxide emissions and by withdrawing the United States from ongoing negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty negotiated in 1997 that set targets for emissions reductions by developed nations Instead, Bush advocated an approach based on what he called “greenhouse gas intensity,” a way of measuring greenhouse emissions according to economic output Under this approach, companies are urged to produce more products while generating the same or fewer greenhouse emissions Critics say this plan masks the true levels of U.S greenhouse gas emissions, because it allows the administration to report reductions in “greenhouse gas intensity” when in reality the United States is increasing its total emissions year after year The Bush administration also opposed the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2005—a bill introduced by Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman to limit the total greenhouse gases emitted by U.S electricity generation, transportation, industrial, and commercial sectors to the amounts emitted in 2000 And the Bush administration resisted efforts to treat carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act and to strengthen vehicle mileage standards Finally, administration representatives in 2007 blocked progress on negotiating a global treaty with mandatory caps on emissions, instead pushing for separate talks to discuss voluntary emission cutbacks Elections in November 2008 will produce a new American president, but until then no one knows what future course the U.S government will take Books Ronald Bailey, ed., Global Warming and Other Eco Myths: How the Environmental Movement Uses False Science to Scare Us to Death Washington, DC: Competitive Enterprise Institute, 2002 A book that takes a skeptic’s perspective of the claims of the environmental movement’s concerns about global warming It includes essays and commentary from many prominent scientists and scholars John D Cox, Climate Crash: Abrupt Climate Change and What It Means for Our Future Washington, DC: Joseph Henry, 2005 A book for the general reader about the science and future impact of climate change, by a science and environmental journalist Laurie David and Cambria Gordon, The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming New York: Orchard, 2007 An upbeat and articulate book about the climate crisis and the actions that individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprints Joseph F Dimento and Pamela M Doughman, Climate Change: What It Means for Us, Our Children, and Our Grandchildren Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007 An introduction to the science, politics, and policies of climate change for the layman, with information about what individuals can to combat global warming Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming New York: Viking, 2007 Former vice president Gore’s bestselling book about global warming, adapted for the young adult audience Christopher C Horner, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism Washington, DC: Regnery, 105 106 Global Warming 2007 A best-selling book by a conservative attorney and environmental policy analyst that details arguments made by skeptics about global warming Elizabeth Kolbert, Field Notes from a Catastrophe New York: Bloomsbury, 2006 A New York writer’s personal narrative about global warming Fred Pearce, With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change Boston: Beacon, 2007 An exploration of the possible major shifts in climate that could be caused by global warming Henrik Svensmark and Nigel Calder, The Chilling Stars: A New Theory of Climate Change London: Icon, 2007 A book by scientists who theorize that subatomic particles from exploded stars have more effect on the climate than human-made carbon emissions Periodicals John Carey, “The Real Costs of Saving the Planet; Critics Say Limiting Carbon Emissions Could Cost Trillions But a New Study Suggests the Costs Are Much Lower,” Business Week Online, December 4, 2007 www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/ content/dec2007/db2007123_373996.htm?chan=top+news_ top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives Global Agenda, “Losing Sleep Over Climate Change; Joining the Fight; Involving Poor States in the War Against Climate Change.” July 16, 2007 Peter Jackson, “From Stockholm to Kyoto: A Brief History of Climate Change,” UN Chronicle, June 2007 Brad Knickerbocker, “Will Global Warming Cause War?” Christian Science Monitor, April 19, 2007 www.csmonitor com/2007/0419/p02s01-usgn.html Portia Simpson Miller, “Confronting Climate Change: A Shared and Global Responsibility,” UN Chronicle, June 2007 Hilary Osborne, “CO2 Emissions Rise Outpaces Worst-Case Scenario,” Guardian Unlimited, May 22, 2007 www.guardian co.uk/environment/2007/may/22/climatechange.climatechange environment For More Information Space Daily, “Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change,” December 5, 2007 Peter N Spotts, “Time to Begin ‘Adapting’ to Climate Change?” Christian Science Monitor, February 13, 2007 www.csmonitor com/2007/0213/p03s02-wogi.html U.S News & World Report, “Climate Clash, Round 2; Nations Answer the Bell for the Next Global-Warming Slugfest,” December 10, 2007.  Bryan Walsh, “Cutting a Climate Deal,” Time,  December 10, 2007 Jennifer Winger, “An ‘Unequivocal’ Change: Monumental Report Leaves Little Doubt That Humans Have Hand in Climate Change,” Nature Conservancy, Summer 2007.  Web Sites Clean Energy, Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa org/clean_energy/) A very useful Web site on clean and renewable energy options by a leading science-based nonprofit organization Climate Change, U.S Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov/climatechange/) An informative federal government Web site on the science, effects, and solutions to climate change Global Climate Change, Pew Center (www.pewclimate.org/) A very helpful site with both basic and in-depth information about all aspects of the climate change issue, including the latest news on efforts to address the problem The Global Warming Survival Guide, Time (www.time.com/ time/specials/2007/environment/) A Time magazine site that provides articles, graphics, and references to past Time issues on global warming 107 A Action, need for immediate, 62–64 Adaptation strategies, 79–83, 90–92 Africa, 17, 49, 56, 84–85 Agriculture negative effects on, 49, 55–58, 84 positive effects on, 49 Air pollution, 20, 21, 38–39 Air travel, 86–87, 91 Alaska, 34, 36, 46–47 Allergens, 81 Anderson, David, 58 Antarctic Peninsula, 28 Antarctica, 28, 45 Arctic, 36, 45 Arctic ice, melting of, 35, 40, 50 Arrhenius, Svante, 17 Asia, 56 Asthma, 81 Atmosphere, carbon dioxide in, 16–17, 18, 24, 32 Australia, 49, 76 Automobiles See Cars Avery, Dennis T., 34 108 B Bali negotiations, 77, 78 Bangladesh, 51, 57, 84 Biodiesel, 68 Biodiversity, 52–55 Biomass, 68 Blast, Joseph, 31 Bond, Tim, 90 Britain, 69, 76, 82 Broad, William J., 19 Bromwich, David, 28 Bryden, Harry, 43 Building codes, 82 Bush, George W., 9, 70, 72 Byrd-Hagel Resolution, 76 C California climate change initiatives by, 63 solar energy in, 66–67 wildfires in, 49–50, 57 Cambodia, 48 Canada, 58, 76, 77 Cap and trade system 74–78 Carbon dioxide absorbed by oceans, 37 Index atmospheric concentrations of, 16–17, 18, 24, 32 as cause of global warming, from decay of organic matter, 35–36 greenhouse effect and, 13 measurement of, 18 U.S emissions of, Carbon emissions See Greenhouse gas emissions Carbon footprints, 91 Carbon offsets, 92 Carbon sequestration, 70 Carbon tax, 78 Caribbean nations, 51 Cars electric, 68, 70 emissions from, 91 Cereal crops, 57 Child growth, 58 China energy consumption by, 62, 63 greenhouse gas emissions by, 17, 77 Kyoto Protocol and, 76 Chlorofluorocarbons, 13 Chowdhury, M.H Khan, 84 Christy, John R., 21, 28 Cities, 59 Clean Air Act, Clean coal, 70–71 Clean Development Mechanism, 75 Climate stability of, 13 uncertainties about, 44 See also Temperatures “Climate Change 2007” (IPCC), 8–9 Climate changes impact of future, 23 natural, 11–13, 26 predictions on future, 31–34 U.S initiatives for, 63 See also Global warming Climate feedbacks, 34–37, 44 Climate models, 20, 27–28, 35 Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, Cline, William, 56 Clinton, Bill, 76 Cloud cover, 13, 37–39, 41 CNA Corporation, 61 Coal, 15, 16, 70–71 Coal gasification, 70 Coastal flooding, 46 Coastal regions adaptations in, 82 sea-level rise and, 50–51 Coastal wetlands, 46 Coleman, John, 54 Compact fluorescent bulbs, 91–92 Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, 57 109 110 Global Warming Cooling trend, 20 Coral systems, 54–55 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), 73–74 Cosmic rays, 41 Crop failures, 13, 49, 56–57 D Davis, Deborah, 73 Deaths, 58–60 Dengue fever, 48–49 Denmark, 65, 69 Depression, economic, 88 Desanker, Paul, 84–85 Developing countries food and water shortages in, 56–58 global warming impacts in, 83–85 increased energy consumption in, 63–64 infectious diseases in, 58–60 Dinosaurs, 12 Diseases, 58–60, 82 Droughts, 35, 49, 57 E Earth climate of, 11–13 poles of, 14 Earth Summit, 85–86 Economic concerns, 87–90 Ecosystem changes, 45–47, 54–55 Egan, Timothy, 46 Electric vehicles, 68, 70 Electricity from fossil fuels, 62 invention of, 15 from nuclear power, 72 reducing usage of, 91–92 from solar energy, 66 from wind, 65 Electronic devices, 92 Emissions See Greenhouse gas emissions Emissions reductions, 8–9 Energy clean coal, 70–71 nuclear, 70, 72 renewable, 64–68, 69 Energy consumption, 17, 62–64 Energy efficiency, 72–74 Energy Star labels, 91 Environmental changes current, from global warming, 45–50 future expected, 50–52 species extinctions caused by, 52–55 Erosion, 84 Ethanol, 68 European Union adaptations in, 82 agriculture in, 58 Index decline in temperature in, 43 greenhouse gas emissions by, 17 heat waves in, 48 Kyoto Protocol and, 77 Extinctions, 12, 46, 52–55 Extreme weather, 49, 50 F Famines, 13, 49, 56 First Assessment Report (IPCC), 22 Flood defenses, 82 Flooding, 46, 49, 50–52 Flu, 59 Food importation, 82 Food prices, 87 Food shortages, 49, 55–58 Forest, 17 Forest fires, 35, 49–50, 57 Forests, 46 Fossil fuels burning of, 6, 11, 15, 16–17 depletion of, 16 reliance on, 62 Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC), 24 France, 72, 78 Fuel standards, 63, 73–74 G Gas mileage, 63, 73–74 Geothermal energy, 67 Germany, 66 Glacial lakes, 45 Glaciers during ice ages, 11 melting of, 40, 42–43, 45, 50 release of methane by, 36 Global anarchy, 61 Global dimming, 38–39 Global temperatures See Temperatures Global warming adapting to, 79–83 alternate theories on, 39, 41 changes from, 6–7 climate feedbacks and, 34–37 defined, economic concerns from, 87–90 impact of, 45–61, 83–85 Industrial Revolution and, 15–17 political will for addressing, 10 public awareness of, scientific consensus on, 24–25 scientific study of, 17–20 signs of, 45–50 skeptics of, 19, 26–28 solutions for, 62–78 uncertainties about, 44 111 112 Global Warming Gore, Al Greenhouse gas intensity, campaign by, to raise awareness of global Greenland, 36, 42–43 warming, 6–7 Gulf Stream, 41–43 criticism of, 19 Nobel Peace Prize won by, H Hannah, Lee, 54 on threat of global Hanson, James E., 91 warming, 10 Health impacts, 48–49, Grain crops, 56–57 58–60, 81 Great Britain See Britain Health systems, 82 Greenhouse effect, 13–15 Heat, trapped by greenhouse Greenhouse gas emissions effect, 13–15 cap and trade system for, Heat waves, 48, 50, 52 74–78 Hertsgaard, Mark, 79–80, caps on, 63 82 cuts needed in, 77–78 Hill, Tessa, 36 immediate action to cut, Hillman, Mayer, 14, 16, 32, 62–64 62, 74 mandatory caps on, 9, 63, HIV/AIDS, 59 77–78 Home heating and cooling, personal strategies for 91 reducing, 91–92 Homer-Dixon, Thomas, 39 sources of, 91 Human activities Greenhouse gases global warming from, atmospheric concentrations 22–24, 31 of, 16–17 greenhouse gases from, burning of fossil fuels and, 16–17 16–17 Human health, 48–49, as cause of global 58–60, 81 warming, Hurricane Katrina, 82–83 goals to reduce emissions Hurricanes, 19, 50, 82 of, 8–9 Hybrid vehicles, 70 rising levels of, 8–9 Hydrogen fuel, 68, 70 types of, 13 Index I Ice ages, 11, 13, 41–43 Ice caps, melting of, 14, 42–43 An Inconvenient Truth (Gore), 6–7 India, 56, 57, 63, 76 Indonesia, 48 Industrial Revolution, 15–17 Industrialized countries, 77 Infectious diseases, 58–60, 82 Influenza, 59 Infrared iris effect, 37 Infrared radiation, 13–14 Interglacial periods, 11, 12–13 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on adaptation, 79 Nobel Peace Prize for, 7, 8–9 predictions on future temperature changes by, 32–34 recommendation by, to curb global warming, 64 reports by, 21–25, 36, 45, 89–90 on sea level rise, 19 weather predictions by, 50 Internal combustion engine, 15–16 International Institute for Strategic Studies, 56 Ionizing radiation, 41 Ireland, 13 J Jackson Lake, 30 Japan, 66, 76, 77 Joint Implementation, 75 Juniper, Tony, 78 K Keeling, Charles D., 18 Khan, Sana Aftab, 83–84 Klaus, Vaclav, 27 Klein, Richard, 80 Kyoto Protocol, 9, 23, 74–78 L Lashof, Dan, 67 Latin America, 56 Laws, Lynn, 52 LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs, 92 LePage, Michael, 31 Lieberman, Joe, Lindzen, Richard, 37 Little Ice Age, 13, 27 Louisiana, 51 Lovelock, James, 14–15, 64 Lydersen, Lari, 71 113 114 Global Warming M Malaria, 58–59 Malnutrition, 56, 58 Mandatory emissions caps, 9, 63, 77–78 Marine ecosystems, 54–55 Marshall Islands, 51 Mass extinctions, 12, 46, 52–55 Mathematical models, 20 McCain, John, Medieval Warm Period, 13, 19, 27 Methane, 13, 24, 36 Military conflicts, 60–61 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 86 Morse, Stephen, 59–60 Mosquitoes, 48–49, 59 Murray-Darling river system, 49 N National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 30–31 National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), 30 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 33 National security, 61 Natural gas, 16, 70 Natural Resources Defense Council, 72, 92 Negative climate feedbacks, 37 Netherlands, 82 New Hampshire, 89 Nitrous oxide, 13 Nobel Peace Prize, 7–8 Noble, Ian, 84 Northeast, 50 Nuclear energy, 70, 72 O Ocean currents, 13, 41–43 Oceans carbon absorption by, 37 energy from, 69 increasing temperatures in, 13, 54–55 rising levels of, 19, 40, 45–46, 50–51, 84 Oechel, Walter, 36 Oil, 15, 16 Oreskes, Naomi, 24 Organic matter, decay of, 35–36 P Pacific Northwest, 50 Pakistan, 57 Palumbi, Steve, 55 Pandemics, Pathogens, 58 Index Permafrost, 36, 45 Personal adaptation strategies, 90–92 Photovoltaic (PV) cells, 66 Pidwirny, Michael, 17 Plankton, 54–55 Pleistocene Age, 11 Polar bears, 7, 46, 53 Polar ice caps, melting of, 14, 42–43 Political instability, 60–61 Pollution, 20, 21, 38–39 Population increases, 56 Positive climate feedbacks, 34–36 Potato famine, 13 Precipitation, 37, 49 Public awareness, of global warming, R Radiation infrared, 13–14 ionizing, 41 solar, 13–15, 39, 41 Rainfall, 50 Renewable energy, 64–68, 69 Resource wars, 60–61 Rice crops, 57 Rio Earth Summit, 85–86 Rivers, 45 Rocky Mountains, 89 Russia, 58, 77 Ruth, Matthias, 89 S Sanders, Bernie, 93 Santa Ana winds, 50, 57 Satellites, 20 Scientific consensus, 24–25 Scientific findings disagreement over meaning of, 20–21 on global warming, 17–20 by IPCC, 21–25 skepticism of, 19, 26–28 Seafood, 55 Sea-level rise from arctic ice melting, 40 impact of, 84 projections on, 19, 50–51 as sign of global warming, 45–46 Second Assessment Report (IPCC), 23 Severe weather, 49, 50 Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), 59 Skeptics, 19, 26–28 Ski resorts, 89 Smog, 20 Solar activity, 39, 41 Solar energy, 65–67 Solar radiation greenhouse effect and, 13–15 115 116 Global Warming increased, 39, 41 Southeast Asia, 48–49 Southwest, 50, 57, 67 Species extinctions, 12, 46, 52–55 Speth, James Gustave, 15 Stanhill, Gerry, 38 State climate change initiatives, 63 Steam power, 15 Stern, Nicholas, 88 Storm buffers, 82 Storms, 50, 52 Sudan, 56 Sun energy, greenhouse effect and, 13–15 Suntrajarn, Thawat, 48–49 Sustainable development, 85–87 Svensmark, Henrik, 24, 41 T Technology alternative energy, 64–68 clean coal, 70–71 nuclear, 72 transportation, 68, 70 Temperature graph, 26–27 Temperatures cooling, 20, 43 greenhouse effect and, 13–15 impact of climate feedbacks on, 34–37 impact of rising, 39 natural changes in, 11–13, 26 ocean, 13 predictions on future, 23, 24, 27–28, 29, 31–34 record of ancient, 20 rising, 9, 11, 29–31 solar activity and, 39, 41 water, 45–46, 50, 54–55 Terrorism, 58, 61 Thailand, 48 Third Assessment Report (IPCC), 23 Three Mile Island, 72 Transportation technologies, 68, 70 Tropical diseases, 58–59 Tropics, expansion of, 33 Tropospheric ozone, 13 Tuberculosis, 59 Tunmore, Stephanie, 36 U UN Conference on Environment and Development, 85–86 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, 22, 77 Union of Concerned Scientists, 65–66 United Kingdom See Britain United States Index adaptations in, 82–83 climate change initiatives by, 63 climate impacts in, 40 economic effects in, 89 energy consumption by, 62 environmental changes in, 49–50 greenhouse gas emissions by, 17 ignoring of global warming by, Kyoto Protocol and, 76–78 solar energy in, 66–67 temperature predictions for, 34 U.S Green Building Council, 73 V Vegetation, 37 Vehicle mileage standards, Verchot, Louis, 58 Vietnam, 48 Volcano activity, 13 W Warming trend, 29–34 Wars, resource, 60–61 Water shortages, 49, 52, 55–58, 83 Water supplies, 51 Water temperatures, 45–46, 50, 54–55 Water vapor, 13 Weather, severe, 49, 50 Wetlands, 46, 51 Wheat crops, 57 Wildfires, 52, 57 Wind power, 65, 69 Winter sports, 89 World Health Organization (WHO), 58 Z Zero-emission vehicles, 70 Zoning laws, 82 117 Cover photo: PhotoLink/PhotoDisc/Getty Images © Michael Amendolia/Corbis, 12 AP Images, 7, 8, 18, 19, 22, 25, 27, 30, 32, 35, 38, 40, 46, 47, 48, 51, 53, 55, 59, 60, 65, 66, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 80, 81, 83, 87, 88, 93 © Corbis, 42 © Orjan F Ellingvag/Dagens Naringsliv/Corbis, 52 Gale, Cengage Learning, 14 Time Life Pictures/Getty Images, 16 119 Debra A Miller is a writer and lawyer with a passion for current events, history, and public policy She began her law career in Washington, D.C., where she worked on legislative, policy, and legal matters in government, public interest, and private law firm positions She now lives with her husband in Encinitas, California She has written and edited numerous books and anthologies on historical, political, health, environmental, and other topics 120