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=__ Our World is Heating Up __ THE GREENHOUSE EFFE CT   = The greenhouse effect is what keeps us warm and alive. First, the surface of the Earth gets heated by the sun. This surface heat is then given off. It eventually gets trapped in our atmosphere by special greenhouse gases. But, not all of t his raditation is trapped. If more of these gases are added, more heat will be trapped. These heat trapping gases are methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrous oxide. They keep the Earth at an average temperature at all times. It doesn’t get too hot in the day or too cold at night. Our atmosphere acts as a blanket around the Earth because it keeps us warm at all times. Without it, the extreme temperatures could stop human life.



Global Warming: The Big Picture

Humans are making the greenhouse effect too strong. People emit many greenhouse gases ( methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrous oxide) everyday. These gases are causing the greenhouse effect to increase and heat up our world more. The heating of the Earth is a major problem because it melts the ice caps, which causes rise in sea level. This leads to erosion on shorelines, which is decreasing the area of small island villages and animal environments. It will eventuallly cause floodings of major coastal cities, too. In addition, the world temperature is increasing. In 100 years temperatures will be very high. This will make it harder to live and complete everyday tasks. If we can stop giving off these greenhouse gases, our world will never experience these problems in the future.



** GLOBAL WARMING: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ** Global warming is caused by human impact. One of the main contributors to global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. When they burn, they give off carbon dioxide and that is a greenhouse gas. We burn these fossil fuels in planes, cars, power plants, and factories. Another contributing factor is mining. As we dig deeper into the surface, methane is released. This is another greenhouse gas. Methane is also released from cows. They belch out a lot of it. Overpopulation is yet another cause of global warming. Too many people causes too much manufacturing and driving of cars. These both increase greenhouse gases because they involve the burning of fossil fuels.

Here is a song about recycling and global warming:

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There are many local effects of global warming. First, the rise in sea level could flood the city if Boston. This could impact us because there are many important buildings in Boston that help the state function, such as the statehouse. Also, people who work in Boston could lose their jobs. There is also a rise of temperature in the water. This could slow down the fishing industry in the New England area. Without fish, we won’t have as much food to survive. Another effect of high water temperatures is tropical storms. Tropical storms form in warm water, so if the water temperature increases around here there will be more storms. The physical temperature will change, too. We will have warmer winters and scorching hot summers in the future.
 * GLOBAL WARMING: LOCAL EFFECTS **

Here is a vdieo that predicts the water level in Boston:

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** WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY: One specific area of focus ** I think that everyone in the world should drive hybrid or plug-in hybrid cars. In the long run, they are cheaper than a cheap gas car because you don’t have to buy as much gas. Also, gas cars give off carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas. If everyone in the world drove these cars, there would be less and less carbon dioxide given off to the atmosphere. The standard gas powered car gets about 20-30 miles per gallon, the average hybrid car gets about 40-60 miles per gallon, and plug–in hybrids get over 100 miles per gallon. Plug-in hybrids are new cars that will become more popular in the coming years. They mostly rely on electrical energy and have gas as a back up. Before you start driving, you must charge your car. When you run on just electricity, you give off no emissions. This would be just for a city. When you get on the highway and need more power, you must use a mix of gas and electricity, which will give off some emissions. For example, when a plug-in hybrid uses coal, it gives off 326 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. Other energy sources give off even less carbon dioxide. But, that is only when it has to use it, not the whole trip. A standard gas car gives off 452 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. It is even more efficient if it didn’t use electricity. A regular hybrid car gives off 294 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. Lets compare the standard gas powered Honda Civic with the standard hybrid Toyota Prius. As far as pricing goes, a standard Honda Accord costs $20,000. A standard Toyota Prius costs $22,000. The Accord gets 31 miles per gallon while the Prius gets 51 miles per gallon. The average car travels 20,000 miles a year. If the Prius gets 51 miles per gallon, you would have to fill it with about 392 gallons per year. If the Accord gets 31 miles per gallon, it would need about 645 gallons per year. If gas is about $1.50 per gallon, you would have to pay $588 on gas per year for the Prius and $967.50 on gas per year for the Accord. It would take a little over 5 years for the Prius to become a better deal. We cannot compare these with a plug-in hybrid because they are still in development. After looking at these statistics, it is much better to get a hybrid or plug-in hybrid because you will save money and give off less emissions.



If we continue to give off these gases, everyone will eventually die. Cities and towns will flood because of rising water levels. Temperatures will get unbearably high. Do we really want to leave our children to deal with this? We should take action and stop it now because it is starting to get too late. One of the biggest actions we can take is using more hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
 * A SUMMARY OF YOUR RESEARCH **

"Global warming." Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Thomson Gale, 2001. NA. General Reference Center Gold. Gale. Coolidge Middle School. 29 May 2009 . "The Greenhouse Effect" __Maps and Graphics at UNEP/GRID-Adrenal.__ 2008. June 1, 2009< http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/greenhouse-effect> [] "Causes of Global Warming" Eco Bridge __.__  June 1, 2009 [] [] http://go635254.s3.amazonaws.com/gas2/files/2008/04/hybrid_chartb_x450.jpg
 * BIBLIOGRAPHY **

http://www.treehugger.com/plug-in-hybrids-chart-001.jpg

" Plug-in hybrid ." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. June 3, 2009. June 4, 2009 