Though the synergistic effects of multiple changes in the climate patterns of our atmosphere are difficult to predict, many scientists have agreed upon a basic set of consequences of the global warming trend.  If the concentration of greenhouse gases is allowed to increase unchecked, our world could become a very different place.

    Some of its effects have already occurred.  Scientists have found that the global average temperature of Earth has increased approximately 1.1°F over the past century, the fastest temperature increase in the last 1000 years.  The years between 1990 and the turn of the millennium were the hottest 10-year span in the last 1000 years.

    
The images above show the extent to which Arctic ice has melted between 1979 (left) and 2003 (right).  Source: http://www.terranature.org/globalWarmingArctic.htm

    NASA has determined, through satellite imagery, that Arctic sea ice has decreased by almost 20% during the past quarter-century.  Glaciers around the world are shrinking at alarming rates, and the ice covering Antarctica is melting faster than any scientist ever expected.  The increase in sea level that could result from this melting would erase millions of miles of coastline all over the world.  Higher temperatures have caused an increase in acidity of the world's oceans.  Accompanied with this higher acidity, the actual temperature of the water is increasing, an effect that is impacting the strength and frequency of hurricanes that hit the Eastern United States.

    Not only could the weather become much, much hotter in the near future, but many scientists believe that dramatic climactic interactions could produce a multitude of effects for everyone around the world.  With new temperature ranges and disrupted biological rhythms, crops across the globe could begin failing, increasing starvation in countries where food is already scarce.  An increased atmospheric temperature will probably cause more water to evaporate, not only further contributing to an increased temperature, but also resulting in increased rainfall in certain parts of the world.  Floods could worsen in developing countries, while at the same time, dry areas could experience worsening droughts.

    As the intensity of solar radiation increases, skin cancer may become next century's common cold.  Atmospheric conditions will probably contribute to the collection of smog on top of and around metropolitan areas.  Air at the surface of our planet could become so toxic that it is increasingly unhealthy to breathe.  Cases of breathing-related illnesses like asthma have already increased over the past decades, and could increase more during the years to come.  Many have used the excuse that global warming action requires such a drastic change in people's daily lives that it is almost impossible to implement.  They will soon begin realizing that the changes to our lives that may occur as a result of inaction will be far greater, and far more devastating.

    Ocean currents may dramatically shift, creating a disruption of local biomes and ecosystems.  As temperature differences become more and more exaggerated, coral reefs all over the world will have a more and more difficult time surviving.  Further altered weather patterns could continue changing biomes everywhere.  Delicate balances may be upset in ecosystems everywhere, all of a sudden creating an environmental effect that will turn what once were suitable ecological situations for millions of species everywhere into harsh, destructive climates.  Certainly, species extinctions will probably occur more frequently than they do today.  Many fear that, should global warming go unchecked, evolution could be set back so far that it may take 1000's of years for Earth to recover the diversity of life it boasts today.

    The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has stated that even a modest increase in average global temperature could trigger enormous consequences for people here in North Carolina.  A rise in sea level could cause massive erosion, flooding, and a loss of ocean and river buffers.  Niche species like the Fraser Fir may find it difficult to adapt to a rise in average temperature.  The forests of the Great Smoky Mountains could decline by 5-15%.  North Carolinians could see an increase in tropical diseases, smog-related respiratory disorders, and heat-related illnesses and deaths, not to mention a declining supply of drinkable water in costal regions.  In terms of economic setbacks, the tourism, real estate, and insurance industries will suffer from the huge property loss that could be caused by frequent storms of greater intensity.

    We think Chapel Hill has the potential to drastically reduce its emissions of global warming gasses in the future.  Our Cred group has put together a comprehensive approach for dealing with the global warming emissions in Chapel Hill.  These goals reflect local conditions and values, yet are consistent with higher common goals shared throughout the state and the country.  The key is to come up with a plan based on a sustainable model that includes links between economic vitality, environmental quality, human health, and social justice.

• Click here for a detailed account of our policy suggestions and recommended changes.
• Click for more about what North Carolina and Chapel Hill are doing to combat global warming.

For more information:
CRed Project from Spring 2004 regarding Carolina North: http://www.unc.edu/%7Emccarty/globalclimatechange.htm
EPA Global Warming Information: http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/climate.html
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/
Natural Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/default.asp