The Basics of Climate Change
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Posted On :
Jul-02-2010
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Article Word Count :
532
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Climate change is a natural phenomenon that has been happening for millions of years, but it’s easy to see that human activity is accelerating the process. We can do more for our world by using renewable energy sources, to which this guide offers a brief overview.
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Changes relating to the climate are a natural occurrence and have been taking place since the earth was created, roughly 4.6 billion years ago. For example, The British Isles have experienced an abundant amount of alterations in the climate since they were created, over half a billion years ago. What used to be the British Isles was once covered in rainforest, and much of the climate was tropical in nature. At which point, oil and coal that we use for electricity was created. Soon, it will be vital to take a look at some of the most recent energy smart solutions available today.
Pangaea was being formed, and 260 million years prior, The British Isles had moved into the middle of the continent, and it tuned into a desert. The conditions had drastically become altered, and the desert made the transformation once again to a tropical existence. At which point, the dinosaurs were becoming extinct. The earth began to get frigid, known appropriately as the Ice Age. 15,000 years ago was the latest Ice Age, but Britain has been warming up steadily from that point. Many natural climate changes take place in what appear to be tiny increments, which allows for adaptation to take place among animals and plants. Unfortunately, this incremental process of change is getting faster, so it is vital that each one of us learn the ways in which we can contribute to slowing down global warming and lessening its effects.
Global warming refers to the process of the earth’s temperature increase, and for the last 15,000 years, the temperature has been slowly increasing. One major culprit of this process is seen notably with regard to the “Greenhouse Effect.” Without this natural process, the earth’s temperature would be 118 degrees centigrade, instead of its current temperature of +15 degrees centigrade. Nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide are the fundamental gases that have caused this process to take place. Basically, a blanket is formed around the earth, which keeps remaining heat inside, and this has been at a constant level for many years. Roughly 200 years ago, the greenhouse effect had begun increasing dramatically, due to man-made greenhouse gases, which are the result of burning fossil fuels, gas, coal, and oil; this causes greater amounts of gases into the atmosphere, which directly increases the size of the blanket of gases around the earth.
In the UK, climate is changing rapidly, e.g., longer lasting heat waves, and in Scotland snow melted entirely off of some of the highest mountains. Winters, recently, have seen less precipitation, and projections point to many winters without snow. Flash flooding is a huge issue in the UK, which causes sea levels to rise and coastlines to erode. Our homes produce almost a third of the offensive carbon dioxide that enters into the atmosphere, and almost another third comes from transportation domestically. The ways in which to lower dioxide emissions are numerable, some of which include using energy efficient products, generating one’s own renewable energy, utilizing grants for efficiency measures, insulating the home, and finding alternative transportation methods. All of these small, individual changes can create a positive lasting impact on the environment.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The Basics of Climate Change_24226.aspx
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Author Resource :
Find out more about climate change and what you can do to be energy smart and electricity efficient with Marcus.
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Keywords :
energy smart, electricity,
Category :
Society
:
Society
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