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for most of human history, changes in the earth's climate resulted from
natural causes that usually took place over hundreds or thousands
of years. But today, human activities are beginning to affect our climate
in serious and immediate waysintensifying a natural phenomenon called the
"greenhouse effect." The result is a long-term rise in the average temperature
s
of the Earthglobal warming.
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: We rely on fossil fuelslike coal, natural gas, oil, and gasolineto power our cars,
factories, utilities, and appliances. But burning more and more of these fuels is
releasing large quantities of gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the
atmosphere. Decaying garbage in our landfills releases methane, another potent gas.
All of these gases prevent the sun's energy from
escaping back into space. Trapping heat close to the
surface of the earth raises global temperatures,
turning our world into a sort of planetary greenhouse.
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,
concentrations of these "greenhouse gases" have
increased substantially. Unless we take steps to
combat global warming, greenhouse gases will
continue to build up in our atmosphere, with long-
term consequences for the health and well-being of
people, plants, and animals.
If emissions of greenhouse gases continue to grow,
carbon dioxide concentrations will approach twice
their pre-industrial level by the end of the 21st century.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
established in 1988 by the United Nations and the
World Meteorological Organization,'Concluded that,
due to the surge in greenhouse
gases, the earth will experience
the fastest rate of warming to
occur in the past 10,000 years.
Note:
Some gases such as chlorofluo-
focarbons cause the ozone layer
that shields the earth from the
harmful rays of the sun to
become thinner. Over the
Antarctic, the damage to the
ozone layer has Been so great
that a so-called "hole" appears
each year. Although this
disintegration of the ozone layer
is a serious environmental
problem, it is quite different
from global warming. For more
information about the thinning
of the ozone layer, contact the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's Ozone Hotline
(1-800-296-1996).
People put six billion tons of carbon dioxide
and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases into
the environment each year. Driving cars,
trucks, and minivans, as well as other forms
of transportation, accounts for 32 percent of
all the carbon dioxide Americans pump into
the atmosphere.
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The thermometer tells the tale. The 10 warmest years this century have occurred
since 1980. Worldwide, according to some researchers, 1995 was the hottest year on
record.
It's not just temperatures Ithat are rising. Studies show that during the last century a:
increase in precipitation worldwide also occurred. These two phenomena-along with i
decrease in the amount of snow that covers the northern hemisphere, a simultaneous
decrease in Arctic sea ice, continued melting of alpine glaciers, and a rise in sea level-
are all consistent with global warming.
Unless we burn fewer fossil fuels and reduce the release of greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere, global warming will continue-going up approximately 3.6 degrees
Fahrenheit over the next 100 years. Such an increase may not seem like a lot-but in
fact, this temperature rise is happening at the most rapid rate of change in recorded
history. And it is precisely this rapid rate of change that people, plants, and animals
may not be able to adjust to,
I
or
260
800 1000
1800
2000
Derived from ice-core measurements (Siple and
South Pole) and direct observation (Mauna Loa, Hawaii)
Source: Based on IPCC (1994) _
Carbon dioxide emissions have increased
nearly 30 percent since the beginning of;
Industrial Revolution, methane concentra
have almost tripled, and nitrous oxide
concentrations have risen by 15 percent.
0.6
1870
Temperatures expressed relative to 1951
Source: Based on IPCC (1990)
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111
" "The balance of evidence A
suggests that there is a"
discernible human influence
-* on global climate."
^ " " -v *f"^
Intergovernmental Panel
\ on Climate Change
v "" December 1995
After extensive research and observation,
most scientific experts and the governments of
their countries overwhelmingly agree that people
are altering the earth's climate.
In 1990, 49 Nobel Prize winners and 700
members of the National Academy of
Sciences said there is "broad agreement"
among scientists that the growing greenhouse
effect "has the potential to produce dramatic
changes in climate."
In 1992, the European Community and 154 separate nations, including the United
States, signed an agreement pledging to reduce greenhouse gases.
In 1995, 2,000 scientists signed a historic document, which was formally accepted
by 96 nations, that noted the "balance of evidence suggests that there is a
discernible human influence on global climate."
In 1996, the World Health
Organization, scientists, and
United Nations officials
called for stronger efforts to
combat global warming.
1970
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Because a warmer climate makes moisture evaporate more
quickly, more damaging and costly droughts could occur in
some areas and heavier rains could fall in other regions.
Deadly diseases that exist primarily in warmer climates could
spread into other parts of the world, challenging the ability of
public health programs to contain them.
Communities that border coastal areas would have to relocate
houses or spend hundreds of millions of dollars per year on
projects to hold back the sea.
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Opportunities to enjoy hunting and fishing could dwindle as
habitats in certain parts of the country change before the fish
and wildlife that live in them have a chance to adapt.
The direct and indirect effects of climatic change, including
variations in water temperature, could affect fish populations
in critical ways. For example, stocks of brook trout that are
popularly fished from Maine to Montana and beyond could be
depleted or even eliminated.
What may seem like a small temperature fluctuation can make a
big difference. For example, during the most recent ice age,
annual global temperatures averaged roughly 9 degrees
Fahrenheit colder than they are today.
Current Climate
Doubled Carbon Dioxide by the Year 2100
HTundra '.'Broadleaf Forest HI Grassland
^Conifer Forest BH Savanna/Shrub/ HR Arid Lands
Woodland
UKMO Climate Change Scenario. Source: Adapted from Neilson, 1995; VEMAPMembers, 1995.
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Though serious, these trends are not yet irreversible. Fortunately, millions of
consumers, industries, and businesses already have taken hundreds of cost-effective
steps to reduce the impact of global warmingby using energy more efficiently and by
switching to non-fossil, renewable energy sources like water, wind, and solar power.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducts many voluntary programs to
encourage energy conservation and the use of alternative energy. The EPA also
assesses the risks of global warming so that national efforts to address the issue target
the most important needs.
Enforcement of many EPA regulations that implement environmental laws such as
the Clean Air Act contributes by indirectly reducing the use of fossil fuels and
encouraging conversions to alternative energy. EPA programs that involve regulated
industries in reducing the release of pollutants to the air, such as the Toxic Release
Inventory and Acid Rain Program, also augment voluntary citizen actions to reduce the
impact of global warming.
Energy efficiency measures not only
save energythey save money too.
New homes and buildings
incorporating innovations from the
government's ENERGY STAflฎ
programs use, on average, 30 percent
less energy than more standard designs
but maintain the same quality of life.
Even a typical home built 15 years ago
can be upgraded to reduce energy use
by 20 percent.
Wind power already provides enough
electricity for one million Americans.
The average new vehicle today gets
double the number of miles per gallon
that cars got in 1973. The United States
and other countries are now trying to
produce automobiles that are three
times more fuel efficient than today's
models. In addition, a number of
Look for the ENERGY STAI
Products that bear the
ENERGY STARฎ label, whi
stands for high efficiency,
include many types of off:
equipment, home
appliances, residential heating and
cooling equipment, residential lightir
fixtures, exit signs, and also new horr
Products with the ENERGY STARฎ lab
save energy and money, perform betl
and help prevent air pollution. A U.S
household can reduce its energy bill'
up to 40 percent with the purchase o;
products with this label. Businesses c
realize substantial savings as well.
Shining Example-. The Johnson & Johns
company has made a commitment to
use ENERGY STARฎ office equipment
evaluate opportunities to save energy
on existing office equipment, and
educate employees in wise energy us
Johnson & Johnson estimates that,
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consumers and businesses are starting to rely on vehicles that run efficiently on
electricity, solar power, or natural gas.
More than 2,000 companies have cut their energy consumption substantially by
using energy-efficient lighting-and realized savings of 30 percent or more of their
original investment.
Innovative projects across the country are recovering methane, the landfill-
produced greenhouse gas, and using it to generate electricity and boiler steam for
space heating or converting it to natural gas or fuel for vehicles.
There is money to be made and saved by relying on existing energy-efficiency
technologies as well as non-fossil, renewable fuels.
Reducing the risks of global warming will be a win-win situation for us and the world
we live in. Let's start now.
thanks to its participation in ENERGY
STARฎ programs, the company is saving
$1.5 million a year, while eliminating the
production of 32 million pounds of
carbon dioxide emissions.
Cities for Climate Protection
This program, sponsored fay the
International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, offers
guidelines to help cities reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, particularly
those generated by buildings and
transportation.
Shining Example: The City of Saint Paul,
Minnesota, is replacing lighting, heating,
and other equipment in municipal
buildings with
. energy-efficient
products. The
replacements
already have
started saving the city $277,065 a year
while reducing carbon dioxide
emissions by 3,864 tons annually.
WasteWi$e
WasteWi$e encourages businesses to
reduce solid waste through waste
prevention, recycling, and buying or
manufacturing products with recycled
content. Some of the most significant
waste prevention savings can be
achieved through reductions in
transportation packaging.
Shining Example-. When Pepsi-Cola
replaced corrugated shipping
containers with reusable plastic cases,
the company eliminated 196 million
pounds of cardboard packaging in one
year alone. By also converting to
lightweight lids, Pepsi saved almost
11 million pounds of aluminum in a
single year.
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Energy sources other than fossil fuels are as old as windmills-and as new as the
latest solar technology.
Making the most of cleaner, renewable energy sources can save money and foster
new industries for the 21st century. Renewable technologies also help reduce the
greenhouse gases that are adversely affecting our climate.
Key cleaner energy sources include:
Solar power, which harnesses energy from the sun to heat our homes
and provide domestic hot water.
Geothermal power, which taps into natural reservoirs of steam and hot
water in the earth itself in order to draw them to the surface for use as
heat or to generate electricity for home or industrial uses.
Biomass, which employs crops and trees specifically grown as fuel
sources or converts waste products from agricultural crops,
forestlands, and municipal solid wastes into liquid and gas fuels for
heat or electricity generation.
Wind power, which uses modern wind-capturing turbines to generate
electricity.
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In the Wind, Under the Sun, and Beneath the Earth
Potential users of renewable energy technologies may be unaware of recent progress
in the development of renewable energy sources, as well as the economic benefits of
using renewables, the high levels of reliability of these technologies, and ways to make
renewables part of an overall energy system.
Shining Examples
A National Wind Coordinating Committee established by electric utilities,
utility trade organizations, manufacturers of wind turbine equipment, consumer
groups, environmental organizations, state and federal regulators, and the U.S.
Department of Energy has instituted experimental projects in six northeastern,
mid western, and southeastern sites. By the year 2000, the resulting savings in
energy costs are expected to reach $484 million.
The Department of Energy is working closely with industry to develop photovoltaic
systems for harnessing the rays of the sun to generate power. The goals are to
reduce the price of electricity produced fay photovoltaic modules, extend their
lifetime to 30 years, and increase their efficiency. During the 1996 Olympics in
Atlanta, the swimming competitions took place under lights powered by
photovoltaics. ;
The Department of Energy also has initiated collaborative efforts with private
industry to address the need for growing and harvesting crops that can be
turned into biomass fuels and to reclaim waste products from agricultural crops
and forestlands for generating electricity. Two demonstrations of advanced
technologies are up and running, the Vermont Gasifier Project and the Hawaii
Biomass Gasifier Facility.
The Department of Energy also is accelerating commercial operation of cost-
shared geothermal projects, including development of a pipeline that involves
geysers in California. In addition, a consortium of more than 70 utility companies,
including 8 of the nation's top 12 utilities, is promoting the use of geothermal heat
pumps, one of the most efficient technologies for providing heat, cooling, and hot
water to residential and commercial buildings.
To learn how you can help stop global warming, open this brochure all the way.
You'll find a poster you can hang in a spot where others
also can read how to combat global warming.
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