Guide to Global Warming Facts and Information

Get the facts of global warming from reputable sources

By Eve Lopez

Supremely
Useful

9.2

out of 10

Add Your Comments

Global warming is literally the warming of Earth, a trend in significantly higher temperatures that keep rising. Over the last 100 years, the Earth's average surface temperature has increased by 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. While the difference of a degree or two might not seem like a lot, take this into consideration:

1. Most of the increase has occurred in the last 30 years.
2. Temperatures in the Arctic are almost twice as much as the global average.
3. The continuing trend will mean an increase of another 4-5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, by which time the Earth's population will be in a state of complete emergency.

Experts actually prefer the less-sinister sounding "climate change" when talking about global warming, because overall changes in addition to temperature increases are happening simultaneously. These changes include:

Decrease in snow cover on the Earth
Rise in sea level
More frequent warm water currents (also known as El Nino)

Global warming is caused by greenhouse emissions (mostly catastrophic levels of C02). The increase in C02 is due to:

The burning of fossil fuels (primarily coal and oil)
Deforestation

This guide will explain global warming resources, global warming facts, the effects of global warming, as well as point to the best global warming articles. Businesses can use information on global warming in a variety of ways:

1. Utilize the information to implement a healthy environmental policy in the office.

2. Research more cost-effective and environmentally safe practices.

3. Become a pioneer for green business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Global warming online resources

Get the global warming facts from reputable sources.

I recommend: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a crazy amount of information, but is not easily navigable. You have to know what you're looking for, because there are links to articles with tons of data. A good place to start is the link to Businesses, which has data that includes this unfortunate fact:

Industrial and commercial energy use accounts for nearly 30% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA recommends that businesses do things like use renewable energy, and educate customers and suppliers on the effects of global warming to engage other businesses to use more green practices.

Learn about the causes of global warming

What causes global warming? You do.

I recommend: Global warming causes, as mentioned earlier, are primarily the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution, with automobiles coming in second.

EcoBridge also has a great comprehensive site on the causes of global warming. The major causes, in order of percentage of C02 emitted:

Carbon Dioxide from Power Plants
Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Cars
Carbon Dioxide from Airplanes
Carbon Dioxide from Buildings
Methane
Deforestation
City Gridlock

Other good resources on the causes of global warming and climate change are: TimeforChange and Time.com's interactive "The Effects of Global Warming."

Read global warming articles and refer to them for your business needs

A whole network of green business articles, green blogs and other related information on global warming has sprung up in the past few years. Here are some of the best global warming articles and resources.

I recommend: The National Geographic site has extensive coverage of global warming. ScienceDaily and Nasa's Earth Observatory Global Warming series are also great resources. A true gem, however, is the Global Warming Newspaper Archive, which has PDF files of old newspaper reports of global warming. An article in the Nebraska State Journal in 1949 has the ominous headline, "Man May Be Making Weather Warmer, Meteorologist Says." The article begins "The world may be headed for an indefinite stretch of good weather."

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide