| Show The Heat is on Global Warming should be a grave concern Joseph oseph W. W Bateman Contributing Writer Forget the instability in Iraq Forget sleeper cells of Al Global warming is is- the he most seri seri 1 ous threat facing our nation and the generations to come come The word word threat isn't even an accurate description because ih its it implies uncertainty Rather global warming warming warming warm warm- ing is a phenomenon that is affecting affecting affecting affect affect- ing us right now If youre you're think- think Death Valleys with high temperatures temperatures temperatures tempera tempera- tures climbing past degrees In France alone the death toll climbed to with morgues the in Paris unable to meet demands of the never-ending never influx of bodies After the tenth day the heat subsided but not before claiming the lives of people across Europe Recently NASA scientists released an analysis of the recorded record record- of 2005 Their ed temperatures last was one analysis showed year in recorded history of the hottest tying 1998 for the hottest yeat alarming even more ever What's showing that o of 01 is NASA's data on record 1 IS 14 S the 20 hottest years occurred after 1980 figures alone Although these start to raise some eyebrows than a aI Global Warming is more increase in temperatures From droughts flooding and hurricanes global warming is responsible for extreme weather related events During the period from 1980 to present the US U.S. experienced 67 weather-related weather disasters that caused over billion dollars in damage according to National Climatic Data Center In 1998 seven of these weather disasters manifested Along with holding the record for hottest recorded temperatures this was the most events in one year T weather nJ In in 2005 w ing of year-round year summer sum sum- related disasters disaster mer allowing fora for a presented themselves them them- wardrobe exclusively selves in the of flip- flip form o ol 01 flops and Hurricanes Hurricane shorts think Wilma Ritz Rit again and Dennis Just three causing eve ovel i years ago p 22 billion it ir the European damages anc ane heat wave had i if an estimated 8 basking people deaths Along will in body bags the hurricanes instead of getting spring summer spring summer drough some rays The cities became L I J h gripped me Midwest L wit WILU over v. v billion in damages These events would be to raise concern 2005 also wit wi witnessed the most expensive J disaster in US U.S. history Katrina with over billion i i damages along with over 13 deaths If watching the destruction Katrina unfold troubled you the brace yourself Hurricane Katrina is just tt tl beginning of more weather relate disasters that are expected i 1 plague the country According to an MIT profesor's profesor's sors sor's study of hurricanes over tl I last 30 years storm intensity ai ax duration are directly related to tl ti warming of the ocean by Glob Warming Along with the oce 1 warming Glacier National Pa The Greenhouse Effect 4 Some solar radiation Some ot o othe the Infrared r 1 is tS reflected t by y the me Earth radiation ra S al on passes through Yi w y and the atmosphere tho atmosphere and ond sU some Is b absorbed and andro u t ro ro-em ro re in n directions alt by greenhouse no gas 93 molecule ry i The Theo Thethis effect o of 01 this Ms Is to 10 warm tho Earths Earth's surface surface- anc Solar Sota r. r the tower lower atmosphere r radiation ATMOSPHERE passes pae through the clear a J Ual Jv atmosphere j r infrared ration by the Earths Earth's surface and from the Earths Earth's surface r ff Stale 1992 Global warming is a growing concern thanks to recent data stating that 2005 tied 1998 for the hottest year ever recorded located in Montana is estimated to disappear completely by 2030 As these and other glaciers in the theArtic theArtic theArtie Artic Artie and Alaska melt the sea levels levels levels lev lev- els increase which means greater storm surges even from relatively minor hurricanes The problem with Global War Warming ing is that we are the ones responsible The latest Department of Energy report shows 2004 had most trap heat recordkeeping recordkeeping record- record ping gases released since 1 keeping began l 1 Even our president announced 1 in his State of the Union Address r that we as a nation are addicted 1 1 to oil Despite the strong words 1 one of Bushs Bush's first acts as president president president dent was to pull out of the Kyoto 1 1 Protocol This is an agreement Ii 1 between countries agreeing to tot 1 t reduce emissions of trapping heat-trapping 1 gases When our leaders fail we need b 1 to look at one another for the answer According to Union of II 1 Concerned Scientists Scientist's book The Thee e Consumers Consumer's Guide to Effective n I L Environmental Choices the main maino maini o i causes of Global Warming is our love affair with the automobile If f r We need to put down our keys II n t drive less and take public trans trans- The second leading le e cause is fossil fuels used to heat d I and power our homes and busi- busi to 0 i nesses Instead of relying on dirty coal plants we should seek out outs s- s renewable energy such as wind winde windle le e and solar for the homes we live in ld I the schools we attend and the ie businesses in which we work al 1 With Utah Powers Power's Blue Sky prom pron pro- pro m n f gram we all have the choice to tork tot rk t of share of eliminate a portion our trapping heat-trapping gases I implore every student to look into replacing replacing replacing ing dirty energy in their homes Along with the students I beseech President Bioteau and the Board of Regents to lead the fight against Global Warming with a declaration declaration declaration declara declara- tion to support renewable energy on campus As one of the largest colleges in the state is in a unique opportunity to make a resounding impact for our generation generation generation genera genera- tion and the generations to come |
