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The Greenhouse Effect: Global Dimming and Warming

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Nashville Generation Y Examiner

 The weather is unpredictable, we are constantly seeing reports of our ever changing environment. It makes you wonder what will our environment be like in 10 years if all these changes are happening in our lifetimes. Most of the unusual or unseasonable weather is attributed to The Greenhouse Gas Effect. The Greenhouse Effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for example) trap energy from the sun. Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases. The facts are the climate is changing, more specifically the earth is warming up. Through numerous scientific studies, it seems these changes can greatly be contributed to the effects of human beings. Each and every individual impacts the environments that they inhabit. 

Air pollutants are one of the largest  contributors, when looking into the causes of these environmental changes. This is where things become a bit confusing to the average person. Hand in hand are Global Warming, and the lesser know environmental effect know as Global Dimming. Global Dimming often is seen as the opposite of  Global Warming. Global warming is the continued increase of the Earths temperature. It can be contributed to changes in rainfall patterns, and a rise in sea level, created when greenhouse gases are trapped in our atmosphere. Global Dimming is air pollutants from fossil fuels used, producing clouds that reflect more of the sun’s rays back into space. These effect temperature changes in large bodies of water, which have been observed to result in droughts. It would seem as if Global Dimming would be the balance to Global Warming. 
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The opposite is true, Global Dimming stands to effectively mask Global Warming. If research can not accurately determine the extent of the damages to our environment caused by Global Warming and Dimming, it can not accurately produce positive solutions to correct it. In essence we are battling two large environmental issues that compliment each other making the problem 2 times as difficult to solve.
We owe it to our future generations to attempt to correct the mistakes made during our generation. We must do all we can to preserve for them a similar planet for which we lived, loved, and experienced life.  Each person can make small changes in their lifestyles that will have a more positive effect on our environment. If we can't right each of our wrongs, as some of the damage done to the earth can not be changed (the extinction animals, and plant life for example), we can at least attempt not to continue down a path of know destructive behaviors. 
We must monitor the effects of these environmental threats . Without a balanced the effects of Global Dimming could create droughts, and colder temperatures, or Global Warming can cause massive flooding, and increased temperatures. Either outcome will not create environments that would sustain life on this planet as it is known to us now. As the greenhouse effect becomes more unbalanced, we move closer towards a negative outcome that we will not be able to be correct. Even a little extra warming or cooling will cause problems for humans, plants, and animals.
 
Want to make a difference, start by calculating your carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint is a measure of how your domestic and social activities are affecting the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases you produce per year. Making even the slightest changes in these activities can help to correct the damages to our environment.
 
Follow the link to learn what your carbon footprint is, and what you can do to reduce it www.nature.org.
We are effectively going to make the Earth to Hot or to Cold to Inhabit a change must be made.
We are effectively going to make the Earth to Hot or to Cold to Inhabit a change must be made.
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Native Tennessean and Nashvillian Lovely Michelle is a strong minded young lady who has no problem telling it like it is. Lovely is a master at researching she is well versed on current events and stays on top of local and international news. She also has a great sense of humor. Her taste are...

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