Global Warming"We have an obligation to weigh the risks of inaction against the cost of action. In that regard, global warming is no different than any other problem. But global warming is novel in one respect. It brings with it the possibility of global disaster, and we have only one Earth to experiment on."--Michael Oppenheimer, Senior Scientist of the Environmental Defense FundThe glass panes of a greenhouse and the Earth's atmosphere are both transparent to sunlight-they let in the sun's energy and trap heat. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the planet's surface. Heat rising from the surface warms the atmosphere; greenhouse gases in the atmosphere together with water vapor absorb some of the heat and reflect it back to the ground. This warming process is called the greenhouse effect. Every year, we release billions of tons of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. We add more than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the air mainly by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) in industry, transportation and deforestation. In doing so, we are intensifying the natural greenhouse effect, setting the stage for global warming. The ozone hole is another disastrous effect of the increase in greenhouse gases. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related industrial gases have thinned the ozone layer in many places-the greatest damage is the ozone hole over Antarctica. Ultraviolet light passing through damaged areas can harm many forms of life on Earth.

Unless we reduce the use of fossil fuels and learn to cope with the effects of global warming, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will double by sometime mid-21st century. The United Nations Environment Program has already sponsored studies by several governments to assess the impacts of climate change. Further research directed at exploring renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels will be essential for the preservation of the environment. I am particularly interested in the potential energy resources that could replace petroleum products: the sun, nuclear processes, biomass, and synthetic fuels. The issues of global warming and the ozone depletion loom perilously over the future of humankind. Air pollution supercedes boundaries; our environment is a treasure that all people must help protect. In today's society, many dismiss environmental problems as trivial and irrelevant-even with the painful evidence of climatic warming surrounding them. Now, for the first time in Earth's history, humans may be a decisive factor in future climate change. by Duchess407@aol.com