Post by Emperor AAdmin on Oct 22, 2007 11:20:45 GMT -5
Discovery Channel has formed a global alliance with the BBC and NBC News productions to fund cutting edge research on climate change that will be revealed in Global Warming: What You Need To Know, hosted by Tom Brokaw. The two-hour special moves beyond the debate to present the facts about climate change. Global Warming: What You Need To Know premieres Sunday, July 16, 9-11 PM.
dsc.discovery.com/convergence/globalwarming/globalwarming.html
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Travel to the Frontlines of Global Warming Research
Tom Brokaw
Discovery Channel visited global warming tipping points across the planet, talked to the world's leading experts, and examined the latest evidence about global warming for GLOBAL WARMING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. Produced by Discovery Channel, the BBC and NBC News Productions, and hosted by award-winning journalist Tom Brokaw, the two-hour special presented the facts and encouraged viewers to determine their own opinion about global warming.
The two-hour special decoded the buzzwords and armed viewers with an arsenal of clear definitions and visual depictions to explain the greenhouse effect, carbon dioxide emissions, CFCs, effects on weather and rising sea levels. CGI and cutting-edge climate computer models helped viewers see into the future at a world significantly changed by unchecked global warming.
GLOBAL WARMING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW took viewers to global warming hot spots where the planet is most affected by climate change - into rushing subterranean rivers deep in Patagonian glaciers, into the drought-stricken Amazon, on coral reefs ravaged by rising ocean temperatures, into a massive Chinese coal mine, and many more.
The international team of experts, including NASA's top climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, and Princeton University professors Michael Oppenheimer and Stephen Pacala, discussed the current realities of global warming and predicted the future of the planet. Many of the experts addressed natural warming and cooling cycles going back 600,000 years, and discussed if the present warming trend is unnatural.
GLOBAL WARMING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW demonstrated how much carbon dioxide the average American family produces and presented a graphical timeline of global warming throughout history. Finally, the special looked at technical solutions, both great and small, from giant gas injection rigs in the ocean, to more efficient architecture in cities, to what the average American family can do to slow global warming.
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Global Warming: A Primer
By Larry O'Hanlon
In the simplest terms, global warming is just what it sounds like: the worldwide rise in surface temperatures. The National Academy of Science has put the rise at 1 degree F over the course of the 20th century, but measurements from satellites of both land and sea surfaces are showing that the rate of warming is increasing sharply.
It's more than just surface temperatures that are going up, however. A lot of research into temperature changes in the upper layers of the atmosphere, as well as the deep oceans, is showing warming. Then, there are the more obvious signs: the rapid retreat of glaciers in Greenland, Alaska, the Himalaya, the Antarctic Peninsula and on high tropical mountains; the thinning and disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean during summer; the melting of permafrost in Canada, Alaska and Siberia; and the rise of sea level and an increase in extreme weather.
The cause of global warming is what's called the "greenhouse effect." That's shorthand for the ability of gases in the atmosphere to slow down the release of heat into space at night. Some gases are better at this than others. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are the top three "greenhouse gases." They are very good at absorbing sunlight and converting that energy into heat – rather like a rock does just sitting in the sun.
Surprisingly, the greenhouse effect isn't a bad thing. It's essential for life on Earth – when it's not too vigorous. If not for the greenhouse effect, the temperature on the surface of Earth would be like that of the airless moon – swinging wildly from 225 degrees F (107 C) during the day to -243 degrees F (-153 C) at night. Not a good place for life.
The greenhouse effect is only troublesome when it gets too strong and warms things too much. And that's just what scientists say has happened over the last 150 years or so as the people of industrialized nations have extracted Earth's vast buried stores of fossil fuels and burned them. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased nearly 30 percent, methane has more than doubled, and the nitrous oxide concentration is up about 15 percent. All those extra greenhouse gases mean more and more solar energy is being trapped in the atmosphere, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and making things warmer.
The result: 2005 was Earth's warmest year in a century, according to NASA climatologists. The years 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004 were the next four runners-up. The year 2005 was also a record-breaking year for Atlantic hurricanes in which the coastal city of New Orleans – made all the more vulnerable because of sea level rise – was almost wiped off the map by Hurricane Katrina.
Of course, because the effects of global warming on local climates are very complicated, it remains to be seen exactly how different regions will feel the heat.
"Global warming is a term that's extremely useful when you're running a planet," says John Cox, author of the book Climate Crash. "But it's regional change that affects people. It's the wet and cold and hot and dry."
That's why climate modelers are constantly refining their simulations, and climate scientists continue to refine our view of past climate changes to create a better idea of what to expect.
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Signs and Sources
dsc.discovery.com/convergence/globalwarming/interactive/interactive.html
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Climate Change History
dsc.discovery.com/convergence/globalwarming/timeline/timeline.html
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Hot Spots Slideshow
dsc.discovery.com/convergence/globalwarming/slideshow/slideshow.html
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Global Warming: What's A Person To Do?
By Larry O'Hanlon
OK, we’re all worried about global warming. But what can a lone, concerned citizen do? Good question.
The answer, according to climate scientists, is more than you might think. But first a reality check: Everyone has to understand and accept that whatever we do today is an investment in the future – we will probably not make a noticeable difference to global warming in our lifetimes. That’s because global warming is like a freight train that’s been building momentum for about 150 years. It can’t stop on a dime. Rather, it will take many decades, if not centuries, to slow or reverse the trend. Taking action means adopting a much longer view than most people, corporations and governments are in the habit of doing. It also means being aware of the different forms of energy we use and where it comes from.
"I’m very interested in the planetary effects of everything I do," says climate researcher and avid bicycle commuter Gidon Eshel of the University of Chicago. Eshel is a firm believer in the power of the individual to make a difference. "Governments are shying away from taking bold action," which means it’s really up to the people to do what is necessary for future generations," he says.
But it’s not all gain through pain. There happen to be some great benefits to the people of industrialized nations – where most carbon gases are released – who change their lifestyles to emit less carbon.
Switch Motors
Riding a bicycle, walking, carpooling, combining trips, telecommuting or buying a more efficient car remain some of the most direct ways almost anyone can cut their fossil fuel use and greenhouse emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that by leaving a car at home just two days each week, the average commuter can reduce their annual carbon emissions by 1,590 pounds. Switching from a gas guzzler to a car that gets 32 miles per gallon can reduce carbon emissions by 5,600 pounds per year, according to the EPA.
Of course, there are some immediate and perfectly selfish side benefits to these actions. Bicycling or walking are great for overall health, so long as they are done in a safe manner. It’s also vastly cheaper to walk, ride or carpool than to drive yourself: less gas to buy and less wear and tear on the car. Some people who spend time on a treadmill at a gym might even save themselves time and membership fees by melding their workout with their commute.
Most cities have designated routes for bikers and walkers. If they don’t, there’s nothing stopping any citizen from starting the process. A good place to begin is with local bicycle shop owners, who have a financial incentive to have designated bike routes.
For those who cannot get to their workplace by bike or foot, there is, of course, public transportation. These now include burgeoning Park & Ride systems in exurban areas, trains and buses. All get more bang for their carbon emissions than a person driving alone in a car.
Eat Greener
A less obvious lifestyle change that has a big effect on carbon emissions is diet. According to a recently published study by Eshel and his colleague Pamela Martin, the carbon emission difference between an all vegetable-based diet vs. a typical American diet – which includes ample meat and dairy products – is about the same as the difference between driving an SUV vs. a small sedan.
"Of the total U.S. greenhouse gas footprint, agriculture is one of the top five players," said Eshel.
The fossil fuels and carbon emissions involved in farming, transporting, processing and distributing food is enormous, said Eshel. Also, because it takes 10 times as much energy to grow a pound of beef than to grow a pound of corn, it’s a lot more efficient for humans to eat the vegetables directly, when possible.
It’s not necessary to become a vegetarian to make a difference. Just reducing the amount of meat or animal products eaten every week can chip away at your personal carbon emissions.
"If you scale it up, it’s actually a big thing," says climate researcher David Battisti of the University of Washington, of the effect of millions of people making small dietary changes. "There is a real issue here."
Plus, of course, there are ample well-documented health benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables.
Smarter Homes
Then, of course, there is that pernicious monthly energy bill: heating and cooling your home. What to do about that? Tons, according to the EPA. Aside from just turning down the thermostat in winter and up in summer, homeowners can invest in renewable energy systems, like solar hot water that can be connected to your existing hot water heater to cut that large portion of your energy bill. There is even a new federal tax credit for installing such systems.
Aside from renewable energy, almost any house can be made more efficient by replacing old appliances with energy efficient models and those incandescent light bulbs with new fluorescent bulbs that use a fraction of the electricity and last many times longer. There are also "hidden loads" in your house – appliances that gobble up electricity even when they are not in use. Televisions and computers, for instance, can be unplugged or otherwise cut off from electricity to save power and money.
Get Active
Finally, people can push for changes at all levels of government. That’s where the greatest strides are needed the most and where changes can have the greatest global effect, says climate researcher Gavin Schmidt of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York. Already many towns, cities, counties and states across the U.S. are taking matters into their own hands and tackling initiatives on which they feel the federal government has been too slow to act.
"Stay politically active and aware of the issues," suggests Gavin. "Try to encourage your local energy producers to use more renewables."
Who knows, you may not only save the planet, but live long enough, perhaps, for some future generation to tell you "Thanks."
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Greenhouse Challenge
dsc.discovery.com/convergence/globalwarming/quiz/quiz.html
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More on Global Warming
If you are looking to find out more about global warming, these sites are a good start.
What You Can Do
BBC Climate Change Experiment
www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/
Donate your spare computer power to the world’s largest climate change experiment.
EPA’s Personal Greenhouse Gas Calculator
www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
Find out how much carbon you produce and how you can reduce it.
Cool Cities
coolcities.us/
Make your city a fuel-efficient, energy-saving model. Join a Sierra Club Cool City community.
Agencies and Organizations
National Snow and Ice Data Center
nsidc.org/sotc/index.html
According to this site, the movement of snow and ice on Earth maybe one of the biggest predictors of climate change.
Environmental Protection Agency
yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/index.html
Find out what is being done on a national level.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
www.noaa.gov/climate.html
The U.S. government agency that observes climate change presents recent data on extreme weather occurrences such as hurricanes and drought.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
www.ipcc.ch/
Formed by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program, this group outlines its climate change findings.
Climate Action Network
www.climatenetwork.org/
Co-founded by Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, this global network works to reduce "human-induced climate change." Read recommendations and studies.
Global Warming News
RealClimate
www.realclimate.org/
On this site, scientists blog about the latest climate change findings.
Climate Hot Map
www.climatehotmap.org/
This site features a map with more signs of global warming.
Global Warming Photography
World View of Global Warming
www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/index.html
View photos from photographer Gary Braasch, chronicling climate change in photos since 1999.
National Snow and Ice Data Center
nsidc.org/gallery/
This site shows images of changes in sea ice, glaciers and snow cover.