The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in greenhouse gas concentrations via the greenhouse effect”. Natural phenomena such as solar radiation combined with active volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950 and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by at least 30 scientific societies and academies of science. While individual scientists have voiced disagreement with some of the main conclusions of the IPCC, the overwhelming majority of scientists working on climate change are in agreement with them.
Increasing global temperatures will cause sea level to rise, and is expected to increase the intensity of extreme weather events and to change the amount and pattern of precipitation. Other effects of global warming include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, species extinctions, and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.
Remaining scientific uncertainties include the amount of warming expected in the future, and how warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. There is ongoing political and public debate worldwide regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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ACTIVITY I: DEFINITIONS:
Find any kind of information about the underlined words that appear in the text above. Then, according to that information, define them using your own words, and provide examples if there are any.
- Greenhouse gas:
- Greenhouse effect:
- Solar radiation:
- Active volcanoes:
- Warming effect:
- Cooler effect:
- Sea level:
- Extreme weather events:
- Kyoto Protocol:
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ACTIVITY II: TRUE OR FALSE:
Read the document above. Then, write a “T” for “true” or an “F” for “false” for each statement according to its veracity. Correct any false statement you may find.
2) ___ Natural phenomena such as solar radiation combined with active volcanoes probably had both warming effects and cooling effects on our planet.
3) ___ Most of the scientists agree with the conclusions obtained by the IPCC about global warming.
4) ___ The rising of the sea level increases the intensity of extreme weather events and modifies the amount and pattern of global precipitation.
5) ___ Thanks to the Kyoto Protocol, the problem of global warming will be over pretty soon.
By Claudio Soto, Jorge Suárez and Randy Urtubia
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