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=An Easy Way to Save the Planet = = = =  THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT   =  The Greenhouse effect is what keeps the temperature an average 15° C or 60° F. To start off, gasses are trapped in the lower atmosphere. The 3 main gasses in the atmosphere are  Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated Gases. The Greenhouse effect is just like a green house. The sun’s energy comes through the atmosphere and hits the earth. When the energy tries to go back into space, the gasses trap the energy in the earth. This is necessary for our survival because it keeps the earth a steady temperature. If we didn’t have these gases trapping the energy in the earth than the temperature would get so low we wouldn’t be able so survive.



GLOBAL WARMING: THE BIG PICTURE
Global warming is the rising of temperature throughout the world. This is occurring because of the increase of greenhouse gasses. The temperature in the last century has increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F). These gasses are increasing because of human activities such as burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Global warming is concerning because the ice caps will melt and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation. The more greenhouse gasses we put into the air the higher the temperatures will rise, and until we stop, the temperatures won’t stop either.


 * GLOBAL WARMING: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS **

There are many things that humans are doing that are contributing to global warming. The things that we do are letting gasses like carbine dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated Gases. We put carbine dioxide into the air by burning fossil fuels, solid waste, and by tree products. Methane gets put into the air by agricultural practices, natural gas and oil. Nitrous Oxide gets put into the air by agricultural and industrial activities and the combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste. These gasses are being put into the atmosphere in large amounts and are building up.



GLOBAL WARMING: LOCAL EFFECTS **

There are 5 main local effects caused by global warming. The first is the melting of the ice caps. These ice caps have 5,773,000 cubic miles of water frozen in them. This has the potential to make the sea levels rise 230 feet. This would throw the ecosystem out of balance, and also throw off the temperatures. Secondly, there would be more droughts and heat waves due to global warming. The warming waters would create more hurricanes and strong er ones like the hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. The warming of the northern countries would promote insects and animals to migrate more north. These insects would bring different plagues and disease. Lastly, it would affect the economy greatly because people would have to spend billions of dollars on curing diseases, relocating people, and on the damage of hurricanes.


 * WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY: **

My audience is to anyone who uses a light bulb in there everyday life. One way you can help is by using CFLs. A CFL is a Compact Fluorescent Light bulb. This is one small way that you can help. Compared to a regular light bulb, the CFLs use 75% less energy. Also, they last up to 10 times longer. If everyone light bulb in the US was replaced with a CFL light bulb, in one year it would save enough energy to light more then 3 million houses. This is equal to the amount of greenhouse gases as 800,000 cars. One 24-watt CFL can equal the same amount of brightness of one 150-watt incandescent light bulb. The average U.S. house has 45 light bulbs; replacing that number of 75-watt incandescent bulbs with CFLs would save $180 per year. These bulbs are so energy efficient; if 110 million households changed one light bulb to a CFL then it would be the equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the road. It would make such a difference, for one light bulb for 110 million homes; it would be able to turn off 2 coal electric plants.
 * A SUMMARY OF YOUR RESEARCH **

The greenhouse effect is what we need to survive. Every year we are emitting more and more gasses into the atmosphere. This is called global warming because the gasses are trapping more and more heat into the earth causing it to warm up. One way you could help put less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere is to use a light bulb called a CFL. If one light bulb in 3 million houses were changed for one year to a CFL then that would save as much greenhouse gas as 800,000 cars produce. A little change in our everyday lives can have a big effect on our world.

** BIBLIOGRAPHY ** greenhouse effect. (2009). //Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia//. Retrieved May 29, 2009, from Grolier Online [] " ** Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions ** ."__U.S Environmental Protection Agency.__ Tuesday, May 12th, 2009. June 1, 2009 http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/index.html#ggo "The Greenhouse Effect. "__Climate Change Connection.__ July 17, 2007. June 1, 2009 http://www.climatechangeconnection.org/Science/Greenhouseeffect.htm " Global warming ."__Wikipedia.__ 2 June 2009. June 2, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming "Cut CO2 by UV light." __Optocleaner.__ June 2, 2009 []

"Greenhouse Gas Emissions."__ U.S Environmental Protection Agency.__ May 12th, 2009. June 2, 2009 [] " [|5 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming] ." 2009 Environmental Graffiti __. __ 2009 June 2, 2009 [] " Frequently Asked Questions  Information on Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury ."__Energy__ Star July 2008. June 2, 2009 [] [|Charles Fishman]. " How Many Light bulbs Does it Take to Change the World? One. And You're Looking At It.." __Fast Company.__ Wed Dec 19, 2007   June 3, 2009 [] __ The Pagean. __ March 13, 2008. []
 * Crystal Davis ** . " **Farmers Feel Effects of Climate Change**." __World Resources Institute.__ **Thu, 2008-02-28**. June 4, 2009 http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/288