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              activities. Fossil fuels burned to run vehicles, heat homes and
produce power are responsible for about 98% of carbon dioxide
emissions in the free world, 24% of methane emissions and 18%
of nitrous oxide emissions. Increased agriculture, deforestation,
landfills, industrial pollution and mining also contribute a
significant share. In 1997, the US emitted about one- fifth of total
global greenhouse gases. Governments and scientists agree that
most warming over the last 50 years is due to burning coal, oil &
gas for energy. C02 accounts for 80% of global warming
pollution. Around 23,000,000,000 tonnes of C02 are spewed into
the atmosphere every year... that's more than 700 tonnes per
second! 2001 was the second warmest year on record, beaten only
by 1998, which was the 23rd warmest year in a row.
Throughout the world we see many signs of global warming.
Warmer temperatures increase melting of mountain glaciers
and also cause sea water to expand. Largely as a result of these
effects sea level has risen 4 - 10 inches over the past 100 years. At
the present rate of warming, sea level is projected to rise from 6
inches to 3 feet in the next century. On average, 50 to 100 feet of
beach are lost for every foot the sea level rises.
Snow cover in the Northern hemisphere and floating ice in
the Arctic Ocean has decreased. Arctic snow cover has declined
10% since the late 1960' s. Over the past 150 years the majority of
monitored mountain glaciers have been shrinking. Most glaciers at
lower latitudes are disappearing and some scientists predict that the
majority of all glaciers will be gone by 2100. Europe's alpine
glaciers have lost half their volume since 1950. The US
government predicts there will be no glaciers left in Montana's
Glacier National Park by 2030.
Coral reefs in 32 countries experienced dramatic bleaching.
Bleaching results from the loss of microscopic algae that both
color and nourish living corals. Increase in water temperature by 2-
3 degrees F. has been linked to bleaching. Other factors do
contribute to bleacbing... nutrient and sediment runoff, pollution,
coastal development and severe storms. At the current rate of
degradation, the entire Great Barrier Reef could be dead within a
human lifetime.
Since the 1950' s the extent of northern hemisphere spring
and summer sea ice decreased by about 10- 15% and researchers
have measured a decline of about 40% in the thickness of Arctic
sea ice during late summer and early autumn. Pine Island Glacier,
part of the west Antarctic Ice sheet thinned by up to 5.2 feet per