What the Scientists Are Saying

After considerable study, scientists have realised that our Earth is a closed and very ecologically fragile system, which relies on everything working in concert.

Although our planet has cooled and warmed through recurring cycles for eons, the scientific community now sees the impact of our industrial age and this consensus is world-wide.

· The 2,500 scientists of the United Nations sponsored by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn us that, " …the balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on global climate. "

· Doctors from Harvard University and the Johns Hopkins Medical Schools have linked recent US outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria and other diseases to climate change.

· NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies has analysed data from thousands of meteorological stations around the world and have conclusively stated that " there has been a long-term global warming trend underway since the early 1960s. "

The Primary Sources of Global Warming

The levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂), in our atmosphere have increased approximately 30% in the last century and methane concentrations have more than doubled.

If CO₂ is not directly responsible for Global Warming, there can be little doubt that its increased presence is a clear sign of danger to come.

Whether nature or man creates them, the three main engines of Global Warming are:

· Increased Solar Activity: The amount of sunlight received from the Sun, which has noticeably increased due to the Solar Maximum.

· Diminished Atmosphere: The reflectivity of our upper atmosphere has diminished due to the depletion of certain gases.

· Retained Heat: The amount of heat retained by the varying gases in our atmosphere.

The primary greenhouse gases that are generated in part by man are:

· Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): The primary man-made source comes from the burning of fossil fuels.

· Methane (CH₄): This gas traps over 21 times more heat than CO_2.

· Nitrous Oxide (N₂O): This gas traps 270 times more heat than CO₂.

The heat-trapping properties of these gases are undisputed and the amount of heat retained by Earth is also dependent on the amount of greenhouse gases being trapped inside the atmosphere.

However, an even greater danger seems to loom upon the horizon beyond the pale of greenhouse gases. According to our government, more oxygen is being consumed right now than the planet’s ecosystem can generate. While this shortfall in oxygen production has yet to reach a state that is harmful to humans, it does signify a serious threat.

Assuming that Global Warming is a worsening natural condition that is being aggravated by humans, this oxygen shortfall is a loud alarm bell. Simply put, we’re methodically ripping the lungs out of our planet.