Assignment 1 - Background Research

For decades, the main environmental concerns of the world at large have been, without a doubt, global warming and ozone depletion. These are the two known problems which pose the most direct threat to mankind, as they usher in a whole vista of changes in our world. Since we realized the imminent dangers posed by these problems, the whole world has concentrated greatly on eliminating them. It has proven to be a daunting task, and still, global warming and ozone depletion remain the two greatest problems faced by humankind.

Global warming is literally a rise in the world’s climatic temperature, brought on by the Greenhouse Effect. The greenhouse effect occurs when Greenhouse Gases such as Carbon Dioxide, Methane and various Oxides of Nitrogen accumulate above their tolerance levels in the atmosphere.

When these gases are present in the atmosphere in large amounts, they trap the heat from the sun, which is normally reflected and radiated out into space by the surface of Earth. This trapped heat causes a drastic increase in atmospheric temperature, causing numerous problems such as the melting of glaciers in the Polar Regions and consequently an increase in sea level. This in turn could cause the submersion of a large portion of the world’s land.

In addition, global warming could cause worldwide changes in climate and weather patterns. It would eventually result in a massive worldwide extinction, wiping Earth clean of most of its fauna and flora.