Geolor's Earth Issues
Global Warming

Background Information

Because Global Warming is such a Hot Topic, there are so many good sites out there so it is impossible to list them all. These links should give you a good head start into understanding the issue of global warming as well as providing leads for further research, should in depth investigation be the purpose that brought you to this page.

Climate: An Introduction

Top Ten Things You Need to Know about Global Warming Good Introduction to the Topic

The Carbon Cycle and the Greenhouse Effect

How important are these changes in a longer-term context?

What are the "greenhouse gases"?

Greenhouse Effect: How the Earth Stays Warm : Concise explanations, greenhouse gases pie chart, ozone hole information.

Individual Emissions: How much are you responsible for?

WHY IS IT SO HOT? by Margie Calderon and Jenny Rosario
This site will assess the following issues:
Explore and understand what global warming is.
List at least 3 causes of global warming.
Describe the greenhouse effect.
Make at least 3 predictions about what could happen if global warming continues.
Describe what people can do to slow down global warming.
Many links are provided that will take you on to even more sources of information. A good beginning!

Greenhouse Gases and Society: another excellent site that covers many aspects of Global Warming, including the greenhouse gases, causes and effects of global warming. Excellent charts, graphs and diagrams help illustrate concepts.

Greenhouse Effect Versus Global Warming

By definition, the "Greenhouse Effect" is the warming of the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere as a result of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere, which absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation. This process is what makes planet Earth habitable for life.
This is a good thing! See: Global Warming: These Truths We Hold Self-Evident

However, "Global Warming" is a "runaway" greenhouse effect where the earth's temperatures heat up too much, beyond levels in our recorded history. It is inexorable warm up of the planet Earth due to the emission of man-made Carbon Dioxide and other gases.

What is the greenhouse effect, and is it affecting our climate?

See also: What Is The Greenhouse Effect and

Global Warming Report ....Background and Guides to the Main Issues and the Latest News

Investigations and Evidence
That a State of Global Warming Exists:

Temperature Trends Over The Last Century

Precipitation Trends and Changes Over The Last Century

Sea Level Rise Reports

150-Year Global Ice Record Reveals Major Warming Trend

Greenhouse Gases Spur Warm, Wet Winters

Greenhouse Gas Influence on Northern Hemisphere Winter Climate Trends

Alaska's Big Ice Melt: Glaciers Are Disappearing Faster

Mercury Rising: Bearing Witness to Climate Change

Ice records: Global Warming Is It Real?

Global Warming: Sizzling year. Torrid decade. Blistering future?

Warmest Spring on Record for U.S. (2000)

Is the climate warming?: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report.

Global Warming: The Scientific Evidence

Is This Global Warming?: Burning up

Thinning Of Arctic Ice

Thinning Of the Arctic Sea Ice - Good Illustrations

Dramatic Thinning Of Arctic Ice Found - CNN Report

Global Warming: Early Warning Signs Covers heat waves, sea level rise, melting of glaciers and Polar ice. Also discusses the effects Global Warming will have on people and the environment. Well done.
(This link is also listed under "Effects Of Global Warming". See below).

Latest New Release - Tropical Ocean Warming Drives Recent Northern Hemisphere Climate Change

Amphibian Mortality Linked To Global Climate Change

Earth May Be Dimming As It Warms (Possibly due to Global Warming)

Greenhouse Gases Main Reason For Quicker Northern Winter Warming

Causes of Global Warming

Causes of Global Warming: Messing with the thermostat can be devastating

Global Warming: Desperately Seeking Stability: Can agriculture contribute to global warming?
(A look at deforestation).

Global Warming: Warming: Here at last? Whose Fault?

A Global Problem: China's Pollution (The Culprit Is Sulfur Dioxide From Burning Coal )

Causes Of Global Warming - Easy to Read Text Version

Greenhouse Gases, the Burning Of Fossil Fuels and Global Climate Change

Biomass Burning: Burning of vegetation causes an increase in greenhouse gases and may lead to Global Warming.

Rainforests And Global Warming: (Rainforest Action Network)

In Focus: Ozone Depletion & Global Warming

Water Vapor Transport: First global warming? Then global cooling? Exact role of water vapor is uncertain.

Effects of Global Warming

Water World: What would happen to the world's coastlines if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet melted?

Is Sea Level Rising?

Is Antarctica melting because of global warming?

The Big Meltdown (more about Antarctica).

Melting Glaciers Signal Global Warming - NASA

Global-Warming.Net is a site devoted specifically to this topic. The Network changes the featured articles to remain current with new findings. A good site for finding updates relating to Global Warming issues.
Is the hydrological cycle (evaporation and precipitation) changing?

Global Warming: Early Warning Signs Covers heat waves, sea level rise, melting of glaciers and Polar ice. Also discusses the effects Global Warming will have on people and the environment. Well done.

Is the atmospheric/oceanic circulation changing?

Is the climate becoming more variable or extreme?

Global Warming Impacts

Health In A Warmer World: Global warming is likely to affect people's health in a variety of ways.

A Warm Unwelcome - Seabirds suffer as climate change unravels North Sea food web

Wildlife's Uncertain Future: Changes in temperature, rainfall and plant distribution caused by global warming could affect migratory routes, feeding behavior and mating habits of many animal species.

Polar Paradox: Rising Sea Levels BUT increased snowfalls to glaciers.

Global Warming: No Day at the Beach - CNN Report: Signs of a Warming World

The Natural Resources Defense Council's Website On Global Warming.
Includes:
Global Warming: In Brief
Photo Album Polar Thaw
Global Warming in the Arctic and Antarctic Photographs from 'World View of Global Warming' by Gary Braasch

Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: Technical with supporting charts and graphs.

What is Being Done?

Global Warming Actions

The Kyoto Protocol
In December 1997, after two weeks of intense negotiation, a historic international environmental agreement to address global warming was reached that includes legally binding emission reductions for the first time.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Deal To Cut Greenhouse Gases: The Kyoto Summit and Related Stories

New International Projects to Address Global Warming

Global Warming and the Kyoto Treaty

Planetary fixes for a planetary problem: Interesting Solutions, at first seemingly outrageous, but perhaps quite effective and beneficial.

Oceans Found to Absorb Half of All Man-made Carbon Dioxide - May Slow Global Warming
Read about CO₂ Ocean Sequestration

Research is Being Done To Come Up With Suitable Alternative Energy Sources:
Making hydrogen while the sun shines
Is the answer blowing in the wind?
What's ahead for wind?
Meet the fuel cell
Solar Cells: Catching Some Rays
Solar Power Markets Boom

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Learn About the Using Earth's own heat as an energy source from this website, which includes links to other sources for further reading.

Alternative Fuels - Bio Oil

Congressional Research Service Report for Congress IB97057: Global Climate Change: Market-Based Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

How Can You Help?

Actions By Individuals

Support WWF - "Global Challenges" and get involved in the Action Network.

We Can Make A Difference? EPA Global Warming Kids Site

20 Simple Steps to Reduce Global Warming
Includes a link to the "20 Steps to Reduce Global Warming" (above) but in an Interactive Game

The Climate Change Calculator is a software tool that: allows you to estimate your personal CO2 emissions and provides helpful hints to reduce them.

WWF "Forests Conservation Programme" Current Reports

Save The Rainforests! Go to my other Earth Issues site on RAINFORESTS and read how you can help save these critical contributors to the healthy state of our planet. Just a click of your mouse can save precious rainforest acreage!

For Teachers and Students

LEARN by playing the interactive "Global Warming Game" that appears here. Educational for adults and children alike.
(This page also links to other global warming games).

Global Warming is an interactive online lesson that will educate students about this highly debated environmental issue". Excellent ideas for presentation of this topic to students in grades 9-12. Looks at both sides of the debate: the believers and the skeptics and presents the facts clearly.

Here is another site, more comprehensive than the one above, where teachers can find resources, lesson plans and activities on "Global Warming", grades K-12. Includes plans from Discovery.com and also The New York Times On The Web Learning Connections sites.

Electronic Visualization Global Warming Lesson One: Introduction to Global Warming

Teachers and Parents: Here is an EPA site titled "Global Warming Kids Site". It presents all the issues in a easy-to-understand format. Great for school reports.

Playing Devil's Advocate

Global Warming is still being disputed by some.
Here are a few links debunking global warming.
It is only fair that the reader be presented with both sides of the argument.

Has The Threat Of Global Warming Overstated?

A lot of hot air? Skeptics unsure it's a real problem

Debunking Global Warming

Anti-Global Warming Petition

The Global Warming Folly

Global Warming, Global Cooling, Which is it?