Global Warming Q & A

1. What causes global warming? Is it part of a natural cycle?
2. How can Global Warming affect our lives?
3. Does the rise in the earth's temperature cause more intense storms /hurricanes/ tornados here in the US? If so, how?
4. What are the largest sources of global warming pollution in the world and in the United States?
5. Can we curb our emissions of global warming pollution without hurting our economy?
6. Is it too late to stop global warming?

1. What causes global warming? Is it part of a natural cycle?
Answer: Global warming is caused by the build up of gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide and methane, which form a sort of blanket over the Earth, trapping in heat that would normally escape the atmosphere. The leading greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, a pollutant emitted from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural has. While it is true that there has always been some natural climate variability, the changes that are currently underway are unlike anything that has been seen before. Record levels of carbon dioxide are having a far reaching change over our weather, sea levels, and climate.

2. How can Global Warming affect our lives?
Answer: Global warming is sometimes referred to as the most dangerous experiment ever conceived. We do not know what the full affect of radical climate change will be on our environment, but we do know that even a modest rise of 2°- 3°F (1.1°-1.7°C) could have dramatic effects. In the last 10,000 years, the Earth's average temperature hasn't varied by more than 1.8°F (1.0°C). Temperatures only 5°-9°F cooler than those today prevailed at the end of the last Ice Age, in which the Northeast United States was covered by more than 3,000 feet of ice. Leading scientists assert that a rise of 3 degrees would cause famine and drought and threaten millions of lives. It would also cause a worldwide drop in crops of between 20 and 400 million tons, threatening 400 million more people with famine, and put up to 3 billion people at risk of flooding and without access to fresh water supplies. Few ecosystems could adapt to such a dramatic temperature change, resulting in the destruction of half the world's nature reserves and a fifth of coastal wetlands. Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet if the ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica collapsed, which is a distinct possibility if temperatures continue to climb. Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

3. Does the rise in the earth's temperature cause more intense storms /hurricanes/ tornados here in the US? If so, how?
Answer: While it is impossible to blame any single event on global warming, there are several reasons to believe that global warming will create more intense storms. Hurricanes are powered by warm water on the surface of the ocean. As global warming heats the surface of the water, hurricanes will increase in speed, power, and frequency. Tornadoes are caused by rapidly rising amounts of heat from the lower areas of the atmosphere to higher portions of the sky. While scientists are again reluctant to pin individual storms on global warming, global warming does create greater amounts of heat in the lower portions of the atmosphere, creating more tornado-causing energy to be released into the upper atmosphere.

4. What are the largest sources of global warming pollution in the world and in the United States?
Answer: The US produces far more carbon dioxide than any other country in the world. According to the latest figures by the Department of Energy, the US produces 22% of all CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, at 5,912.21 million metric tons in 2004. That is more than China, and India together (17% and 4.1% respectively), more than Russia (6%), Japan (4.7%), Australia (1.4%) and the whole of Europe put together (17.2%). In the United States, the major sources of CO2 emissions stem from burning fossil fuels, like coal, natural gas, and oil. We burn coal and natural gas to produce electricity and energy for our homes, businesses, and factories, while most of the oil is burned to power transportation Ð planes, buses, and especially cars. However, all of the technology that produces this energy is outdated and inefficient. We can continue to live our lives by putting more efficient technology to use, and by getting more energy from clean sources, like wind and solar.

5. Can we curb our emissions of global warming pollution without hurting our economy?
Answer: Absolutely. In addition to being dirty and dangerous, America's coal and nuclear power plants are wildly expensive, America's energy policy is terribly expensive, requiring large subsidies while taking a heavytoll on consumers. There have been dozens of studies which show that by investing in clean energy, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, we can reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases while creating new jobs and saving consumers money. While many countries in Europe and Asia are recognizing the need to curb emissions, America's industries are being left behind. America needs policies and programs that will stimulate green power industries, we can ensure that America will once again lead the world in technology and manufacturing. And by making simple choices in the kinds of products we buy, such as Compact Florescent lightbulbs and hybrid cars, we can all save money and protect the environment by consuming less energy.

6. Is it too late to stop Global Warming?
Answer:While it is true that global warming is already occurring and affecting the way we live, it is vital that we take steps to curb global warming pollution. If we do not begin to make the change to clean energy, the heat waves and hurricanes that we have already suffered through will become more routine and worse. Thankfully, we have all the tools necessary to curb our emissions of greenhouse gases - tools like clean energy, energy efficiency, and cars that go farther on a gallon of gas.

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• Request a speaker for your local group
• Read more about global warming from national Sierra Club
• Wikipedia's Entry on Global Warming
• EPA's Global Warming Site
• Calculate Your Carbon Emissions
• Basics on Global Warming from Environmental Defense
• An Inconvenient Truth's Website
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Union of Concerned Scientistse
• Pew Center on Global Climate Change
• California Climate Registry
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability

• Sierra Club Praises San Jose City Council’s Support for Mayor Reed’s Green Vision and Urges Rapid Implementation
  
• U.S. Dept. of Energy recognizes our Solar Permit Fee Campaign!
  
• San Mateo County Supervisors Sign Cool Counties Climate Declaration on Oct. 16!