The Earth climate has suffered important changes since the industrial revolution. These changes are caused by the fossil fuel energy used on daily basis by industries, households, businesses, airlines, etc. Fossil fuels - oil, gas, coal, are the main sources to generate energy in our industrial and demanding world. We all use this energy.  The combustion of these fossil fuels increases the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and it has been increasing dramatically in the last decades. Greenhouse gases hold the heat of the sun inside the atmosphere and cause the so-called greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are amongst others carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapor (H2O) and ozone (O3).

The energy we use in the form of electricity, obtained from petrol or gas raises the quantity of these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and as a result reinforces the greenhouse effect. This increases the temperature on Earth and has harmful consequences for everyone.

What are the consequences of global warming?

The scientific evidences of climate change are irrefutable. The average temperature on Earth has increased since the industrial revolution by 0.6 degrees Celsius. Up to today, the year 2005 has been the warmest year ever registered, the second place goes to 1998. Already since the 80’s and 90’s global warming has had significant effects these being amongst others:

- Important changes in weather seasons;

 

- Melting of ice masses and glaciers, this has already caused an increase of the sea level up to 20 cm in some places;

 

- Increase of floods, violent tropical storms, extreme rainfalls, long-term drought, more frequent and severe (for instance, flood-ravaged and drought in China, July 2007);

 

- The number of hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons with maximum force has been doubled, causing larger economic and social damages (for instance, Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans 2005);

All this has already happened with an increase in temperature of only 0.6 degrees Celsius. Scientists forecast that if we don’t start taking action the temperature will increase between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees Celsius in this century.

They expect that the consequences of this increase in temperature will be much more severe, for instance:

- Further increase from the sea level up to 90 centimeters - coast areas will be more often and rapidly overflown and the drinking water in these areas will become scarce;

 

- Disappearance of nature areas, such as coral reefs, forest - by more often and destructive forest fires and desertification;

 

- Shortfall of food by longer droughts or heavy floods;

 

- An Increase, start and develop of new contagious diseases in areas where they were not present, such as cholera, malaria, dengue, etc.

- Further increase of asthma cases as well as the development of new allergies.