As surfers, we love warm summer days. But it's been hot lately —really hot. Record temperatures are being set around the country this summer, and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies recently declared that 2005 is the warmest year on record. So what's the deal? Is this global warming?
The Supreme Court agreed in June to hear a case that will bring climate change and the regulation of carbon dioxide emission before the court for the first time. To be determined: if there is enough evidence that global warming is exacerbated by humans, which would mean it's not just a naturally occurring phenomenon. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Earth's surface temperature rose about one degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. If carbon dioxide is not absorbed by plants and trees, it rises up into the earth's atmosphere and acts as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas.
Evidence of global warming can be seen in retreating glaciers, thinning arctic ice, rising sea levels, lengthening of growing seasons, and the early arrival of migratory birds. Determining just how much human-manufactured by-products affect the greenhouse is not an easy thing, though, as natural factors also affect the planet's temperature. It seems obvious that there is an affect, but how much?
Depending on the outcome of this case, the Supreme Court could force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate CO2 emissions from cars and power plants. Just hearing the case (the Supreme court only hears one percent of the petitions it is presented) is a victory for environmentalists, as the Supreme Court is recognizing global warming as an immediate environmental threat.
What you can do:
• Reduce energy consumption in your home by buying products with the ENERGY STAR label (these products are designed to help conserve energy).
• Plant trees.
• Insulate your home.
• Walk, bicycle, skate, or use public transportation instead of your car.
• Keep your car tuned up and tires properly inflated to save on fuel and reduce emissions. Also consider purchasing a Hybrid or other fuel-efficient car.
For a passionate look at global warming, check out Al Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth."
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