Читать книгу Climate Change For Dummies - Elizabeth May - Страница 11

IN THIS CHAPTER

Getting to know what global warming is all about

Figuring out what started climate change in the first place

Investigating the changes global warming might bring

Examining the role governments can play in fighting global warming

Finding solutions to the problem

The phrase “global warming” has been in the news since the late 1980s, but climate change, as global warming is also known, has been around much longer. In fact, it has been a constant throughout history. Earth’s climate today is very different from what it was 2 million years ago, let alone 10,000 years ago. Since the beginnings of the most primitive life forms, this planet has seen many different climates, from the hot, dry Jurassic period of the dinosaurs to the bleak, frozen landscapes of the ice ages.

Today, however, the planet is experiencing something new: Its climate is experiencing rapid and dangerous changes. Scientists are certain that these changes have been caused by emissions produced by human activities. By examining previous changes in the Earth’s climate, using computer models, and measuring current changes in atmospheric chemistry, they can estimate what global warming might mean for the planet, and their projections are scary.

Fortunately, Earth isn’t locked into the worst-case-scenario fate yet. By banding together, people can put the brakes on global warming. In 2009, when this book was first released, we had more time to apply the brakes than now. This chapter explains the essentials of global warming and what everyone can do to achieve a greener future.