The Mysterious Disappearance of Tuvalu ----Global Warming F 李昕 毛艳萍 曾晖

TuvaluTuvalu,a dreamland of people in the past.

Tuvalu However, Tuvalu is doomed, to be submerged. In February 2004, the nine islands of the low-lying atoll of Tuvalu were submerged by "king tides" with peaks approaching three meters. A small island of Funafuti (The Capital of Tuvalu) has already disappeared beneath the sea and in some areas.

Tuvalu The whole world are sympathizing them, but who can help them out? status quoLet’s take a look at more about the status quo of the world:

What’s the problem? ——Phenomenon

What’s the problem? Rising Temperature Rising Sea Levels Hurricane 、 Drought Flood Health Tsunami Melting Glaciers ——Phenomenon

Tsunami “ Suddenly I heard a shout, ‘ Big wave! ’ The streetlights around us exploded almost in the same instant. I looked up and saw a locally well known fishing boat coming up over the Bridge ” -- A survivor of a tsunami

Tsunami On 26 December 2004, a great tsunami occurred. In April 2005 the number of people killed in the December 26 tsunami disaster which devastated 11 Indian Ocean countries has been 217,000. Indonesia remains the worst hit country, with 163,978 people dead or missing. The toll in Sri Lanka, which was second hardest hit by the catastrophe, was 30,957.

Rising Temperature In the summer heat-wave of 2003, 14,000 people died in France and over 30,000 died across the whole of Europe. It is projected that a global average temperature increases of degrees Celsius.

Hurricane, Flood and Drought This worst Caribbean hurricane season in living memory, along with other extreme weather events that took place in 2004 in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, are seen by many as empirical evidence of impacts that are harbingers of the expected effects of climate change.

Hurricane, Flood and Drought Storms and floods can cause dreadful damage to homes, transport, communications, businesses, crops, water supplies and the general environment, bringing misery, disruption and health problems such as epidemics and starvation. Long droughts also affect crops and water supplies, often causing many deaths from famine, disease and dehydration.

Melting Glaciers Glaciers are retreating in many locations around the world. In the past 50 years, sea ice has retreated by a fifth since Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has declined since the late 1960s by around 10%. The front of a melting glacier

Rising Sea Levels The global average sea level has risen by 10 to 20 cm over the past 100 years. This represents some 10 times faster than the rate observed for the previous 3,000 years. Researchers worry about that sea level rise may affect fresh water, sanitation, agriculture, fishing, housing and the rest of the economy

Health Very hot weather is particularly unpleasant for people who are old, very young or ill, and the number of people who die increases noticeably during these periods. As the climate is becoming less stable and more extreme. For humans, this can have a big effect on our daily life, health and well-being.

What is it? ——Causes

What is it? Global Warming The Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases ——Causes

Global Warming Global Warming is the name given to the rise in average temperature of the Earth. Although the actual temperature rise might seem small, the Earth ’ s natural balance is very sensitive, so even this small increase in average temperature can cause major changes to weather patterns.

Global Warming When weather patterns change, the kinds of plants and animals which are able to survive also change, and some species may even die out altogether. As plants, in particular, have their own influence on local weather patterns, this may cause yet more weather changes, and so the effects become greater and greater.

Greenhouse Effect The Greenhouse Effect is the name given to the way gases in the atmosphere trap in sunlight and warm the Earth. Many of these gases occur naturally, so the warming effect has been happening for much of the Earth’s lifetime, and is partly responsible for the way the planet and its life has evolved.

Greenhouse Effect When sunlight reaches the earth, it is reflected back from the earth’s surface, but the reflection causes a change in the light’s wavelength. Some of the gases in the atmosphere (Greenhouse Gases) can then prevent much of this new wavelength from escaping back into space, so the light’s energy is trapped, releasing heat. In effect, the gases form a blanket around the earth, trapping in the heat.

Greenhouse Gases These gases allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere freely. When sunlight strikes the Earth’s surface, some of it is reflected back towards space as infrared radiation (heat). Greenhouse gases absorb this infrared radiation and trap the heat in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gases Many gases exhibit these “greenhouse” properties. Some of them occur in nature (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide), while others are exclusively human- made (like gases used for aerosols).

Greenhouse Gases Unfortunately, modern ways of living are producing too many greenhouse gases. This excess of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is producing what is known as the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect, increasing the amount of solar heat that is trapped in the atmosphere, and causing Global Warming.

Greenhouse Gases Carbon dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide Other direct GHGs

Carbon dioxide Sources: Biomass Respiration Land-use change Energy Transport Industry Biomass Burning Global Carbon Cycle (Billion Metric Tons Carbon)

Carbon dioxide Trends in Atmospheric Concentrations and Anthropogenic Emissions of Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide World Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Region, (Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent)

Methane Sources: Wetlands Termites The Oceans Hydrates Energy Landfills Ruminants Waste Treatment Rice agriculture Biomass burning

Nitrous oxide Sources: The Oceans The Atmosphere Tropical soils Temperate soils Agricultural soils Biomass burning Industry Livestock and feed Transports Tropospheric ozone

Other direct GHGs Water vapour HFCs PFCs and SF6 Halocarbons Indirect GHGs Carbon monoxide Hydrogen VOCs NOx

Greenhouse Gases “Greenhouse gases are accumulating in Earth’s atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing surface air temperatures and sub-surface ocean temperatures to rise. Temperatures are, in fact, rising. The changes observed over the last several decades are likely mostly due to human activities, but we cannot rule out that some significant part of these changes is also a reflection of natural variability.” ——A National Research Council study dated May 2001 stated

Greenhouse Gases Our greenhouse gas emissions come mostly from energy use. These are driven largely by economic growth, fuel used for electricity generation, and weather patterns affecting heating and cooling needs.

What can we do? ——Solution

What can we do? Climate change is a very real threat to the whole planet. It has drawn international attention. Many effects have been made,such as the most famous Kyoto Protocol. As individuals, we need to become more aware of how the way we live has created the problem of global warming and change our lifestyles to halt and if possible, reverse this process. Every one of us must take some responsibility for the changes in climate we are experiencing and begin to take practical steps towards reducing Greenhouse emissions and protecting our environment.

What can we do? Transport ENERGY STAR® Active steps Education Cool Stuff Energy 3R

What can we do? Use Energy more efficiently Whenever we use electricity, we help put greenhouse gases into the air. Saving energy is one of the easiest steps we can all take. Make sure buildings are insulated properly and heating systems turned down whenever possible. By turning off lights, the television, and the computer when you are through with them, you can help a lot.

What can we do? Use Public Transport and more efficient vehicles Think twice about your mode of transport- is taking a car absolutely necessary? For short journeys, it is healthier and cheaper to walk. Otherwise use public transport ---- buses and trains or more efficient transport such as bicycles or electric vehicles.

What can we do? Take active steps to protect forests, wildlife and our environment The environment, particularly the forests and ocean life, creates the natural balance which stabilizes our climate and provides a habitat for wildlife and nature. We must protect these areas from pollution, destruction and over-use.

What can we do? When You Buy, Buy Cool Stuff One of the ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that we put into the air is to buy products that don't use as much energy. By conserving energy, we help reduce global warming and make the Earth a better place. Some products – like certain cars and stereos – are made specially to save energy.

What can we do? Reuse Reduce and Recycle Renewable energy is energy produced from a source that, unlike fossil fuel, will not run out and does not pollute the atmosphere. Reduce waste and recycle whenever possible. Try to buy products with minimal packaging. Disposing of waste uses up energy and damages the environment, particularly in landfill sites. Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save natural resources, like trees, oil, and elements such as aluminum.

What can we do? ENERGY STAR® Many things, like computers, TVs, stereos, and VCRs, have special labels on them. The label says "Energy" and has a picture of a star. Products with the ENERGY STAR® label are made to save energy. Buying products with ENERGY STAR® labels will help protect the environment.

What can we do? Improve our education and attitudes by involving the whole Community Get involved with community projects and take responsibility for your local and global environment. Businesses, organizations, schools the media should be encouraged to take a leading role in changing attitudes and helping people to understand the important issues.

Conclusion Global warming may be a big problem, but as we have mentioned,there are many little things we can do to protect our planet. If we try, we can make a difference!