Abstract – Full Article Available Below

Alarming average temperature increases of the Earth’s surface and oceans have prompted global action to curtail the human population’s impact on climate change.  Increases in global temperatures will significantly impact water resources, food security, coastal regions, biological ecosystems, and human health.  Climate fluctuations will likely increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomenon such as severe storms, floods, and droughts.  Weather and regional temperature changes could harm agricultural land and ecosystems, spread disease, and irreparably damage health and food security in many regions throughout the world.  Predictions also foretell of irreversible ice cap melting, the sea level rising, and mass flooding of coastal regions – displacing portions of the human population. Strong scientific evidence has determined that human production of “greenhouse gases” are the primary culprit in trapping heat, leading to global warming over the last half century.  Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) absorb, scatter, and emit energy that would otherwise be radiated into space, resulting in a net warming of the Earth.    The large quantities of greenhouse gases emitted during human energy production, e.g., by burning coal or oil, have exacerbated this phenomenon beyond its natural degree, despite being a normal and partially necessary process to keep the Earth habitable.  Anthropogenic warming over the last three decades has likely had a global influence  on many physical and biological systems.  In response, scientists and engineers have developed “clean” technologies to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions.  Clean technologies are designed to mitigate climate change with solutions ranging from carbon capture and energy-efficient devices to renewable energy sources and hybrid technologies…

Share