Atmospheric Issues

Atmospheric Issues

Michael Holifield

SCI 275/ Week 5

03/03/13

I am writing this paper with the intent to inform you about a serious threat facing our world today. This

threat is known as Global Warming and has been a controversial topic which has been making headlines

across the world in recent years. I have chosen to inform you of this topic because as a 31 year resident

of Alabama, I have experienced Global Warming first hand. An example of how I have experience

global warming is that the average high for March in Birmingham is in the 50’s . Today on March 03 ,

2013 the high was in the 60’s. That is 10 degrees higher than the city’s average high for this time. In the

past 31 years I have lived here, it feels like the temperature has gradually been increasing as the years

go by. Throughout this paper I will discuss the possible causes and effects of Global Warming and the

ways we can work to prevent it. According to Google definitions, Global Warming is “a gradual increase

in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect

caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants” ("Global Warming", 2012).

One cause that is not mention in the definition of Global Warming is Urbanization. Urbanization is

defined as the physical growth of urban areas as a result of rural migration and even suburban

concentration into cities, particularly the very largest ones ("Urbanization", 2012). With population

increases come more buildings, roads, cars, and pollution. Each of these has their own effect on Global

Warming. When a city expands, more houses and buildings are built to meet the demands of new

residents and businesses that are moving into a location. In order to construct new building, heavy

vehicles are needed to clear land and begin construction. These heavy vehicles emit CO2 into the

atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas which is part of the greenhouse effect that causes Global...