Z1-L.B.

The Greenhouse Effect (Step 1 Notes) []
 * The Earth stays warm because of the greenhouse effect. It all starts wit the Sun. When the Sun's radiation reaches our atmosphere some is reflected back into space while some passes through our atmosphere and is absorbed by Earth. This causes Earth's surface to warm up.
 * Heat from the Earth is radiated outward and absorbed by "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere. This process helps prevent heat from disappearing into space and keeps Earth warm enough to sustain life. Some human activities (burning fossil fuels, etc.) may intensify the warming affect by releasing additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (53%), methane (17%), nitrous oxide (12%), and others (18%).

Poster of Terms (Step 2) (Photo is posted on the Step 2 instructions page.)
 * Global Warming
 * Climate Change
 * Greenhouse Gas
 * Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect Global Warming Research (Step 3) Some possible causes for Global Warming: Three reasons for Global Warming reflection (Step 3) What I learned..... I learned that there are many unusual ways that man-kind may be increasing the heat from Global Warming. I contributed the fact that as the number of plants decrease the higher the carbon-dioxide level rises. I think that I am beginnning to really understand Global Warming.
 * Combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories, and electricity production.
 * Loss of forests that would usually hold Carbon Dioxide.
 * Methane released from landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive system of grazing animals)

Is Global Warming Real Reflections (Step 4) (Article 1) From the article I learned that there are many different ways to tell that Global Warming is real. One way is to note that over the last 150 years our temperature has risen 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celcius) and about twice that in parts of the Arctic. This may not seem like a lot but you can definitely tell that our global temperature is slowly-but surely-rising. Another way to tell if Global Warming is actually real is by trees. Every year trees grown thicker and form new rings. In warmer and wetter years the rings are bigger. Trees can tell us about the conditions hundred or even thousands of year ago. Another thing I found interesting in this article is that scientists can determine the future climate based on computer models that monitor the Earth's long-term weather patterens. I find it very hard to believe that some people don't think Global Warming is real. As scientists begin to dig deeper into the matter and more facts are found I believe that it will become very hard to think that Global Warming isn't real. I really enjoyed this article. (Interactive Map)
 * According to the map our area is to be experiencing increasing yeilds. We are in the moderate climate area so our crops are thriving from the possible heat increase but people in the warm area's crops are burning up and they are to be expirencing droughts.

Discussion reflection (Step 5) I thought our dicussion on Global Warming was very good. We expressed many good ideas and thoughts. Comments: