Veronica+Will

= // WHAT WILL HAPPEN AND HOW YOU CAN HELP // = by Veronica Will

Please Listen to this music created by different artists about the effects of Global Warming we have afflicted on our world that must be changed.  media type="custom" key="5244387" align="center"

__What Will Happen__
The long term effects of //Global Warming// are severe and disastrous for our planet. The Glaciers will Melt, The Seas will Rise, Fresh Water will evaporate completely, and more extreme weather conditions ([|National Geographic - What Is Global Warming]) There are some who believe that with the continued change in climate, the Earth will eventually become uninhabitable.

//**The Health Impacts of Global Warming**//
More frequent and severe heat waves will result in a greater number of heat-related deaths || Global warming could increase smog pollution in some areas and intensify pollen allergies and asthma. Hotter conditions could also aggravate local air quality problems, already afflicting more than 100 million Americans || Warming temperatures, alternating periods of drought and deluges, and ecosystem disruption have contributed to more widespread outbreaks of infections like malaria, dengue fever, tick-borne encephalitis, and diarrheal illnesses. People living in poverty will be hardest hit by the global surge in infectious diseases || A warmer atmosphere can hold -- and dump -- more moisture, contributing to more intense extreme weather events, which in turn put people's lives at risk. ||  In 2003, extreme heat waves claimed as many as 70,000 lives in Europe. In France alone, nearly 15,000 people died during two weeks of soaring temperatures, which reached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit.  Much of North America experienced a severe heat wave in July 2006, which contributed to the deaths of over 140 people, including some who owned working air conditioners.  In the 1995 Chicago heat wave, 739 heat-related deaths occurred in a one-week period ||  Scientific studies show that a higher level of carbon dioxide spurs an increase in the growth of weeds such as ragweed, whose pollen triggers allergies and exacerbates asthma.  The number of pollen allergy and asthma sufferers has increased worldwide over the last several decades. Some researchers have suggested that this could be an early health effect of human-caused climate change.  Air pollution makes allergies worse: Diesel exhaust particles can interact with pollen and deliver it deeper into the lung.  Rising temperatures increase ground-level ozone smog production, which presents a serious threat to asthmatics. ||  Disease-carrying mosquitoes are spreading as the climate allows them to survive in formerly inhospitable areas. Mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever viruses were previously limited to elevations of 3,300 feet but recently appeared at 7,200 feet in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. Malaria has been detected in new higher-elevation areas in Indonesia and Africa, posing new risks to millions of impoverished people whose health is already challenged.  Heavy rainfall events can wash pathogens from contaminated soils, farms, and streets into drinking water supplies. An outbreak of diarrheal illness in Milwaukee in 1993 which affected 403,000 people was caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium, which washed into the city's drinking water supply after heavy rains.  Higher outdoor temperatures can cause increased outbreaks of foodborne illnesses such as salmonella, which reproduces more rapidly as temperatures increase. Another foodborne bacteria, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, once native to subtropical regions, has expanded its range as far north as Alaska, where in 2004 it sickened unlucky cruise ship passengers when they ate raw local oysters. ||  Hurricane Katrina forced the evacuation of 1.7 million people in 2005, and lead to deaths and long-term health problems for 200,000 New Orleans residents.  A combination of rising sea levels, reduced snowfall and increased rainstorms threatens to flood the homes of 300,000 California residents in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta area, potentially contaminating the drinking water of 24 million people.  Alternating drought and floods have led to food and water shortages, malnutrition, mass migrations and international conflict. Some researchers suggest that 50 million people worldwide could become "environmental refugees" by 2010, displaced by rising sea levels, desertification, depleted aquifers and intermittent river flooding. || All Data in the Table shown above was gathered from the National Resources Defense Council Website : [|The Consequences of Global Warming on Health] accessed 11:48 26/01/2010
 * **Results of Global Warming** || **Deadly Heat Waves** || **Bad Air, Allergy, and Asthma** || **I**** nfectious Disease and Food and Waterborne Illness Outbreaks ** || ** Dangerous Weather Events ** ||
 * Effects on Health ||
 * Warning Signs ||



**Carbon Footprint**
Your //Carbon Footprint// is the amount of greenhouse gasses you produce each day. This can add up very quickly. From driving a car, to drinking a bottle of water, creating greenhouse gasses and adding to global warming is almost impossible to to avoid. We can, however, greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses we emit by simply being conscious of our actions, and by slightly altering the way we go about living our lives.

media type="youtube" key="u7zwrzEyzkA" width="425" height="350"

[|The Nature Conservancy Organization], based in the United States of America, offers a Carbon Footprint Calculator for individuals and families living in the United States, and also suggests some ways for you and your family to reduce your Carbon Footprint. [|Calculator.com] offers an International version of the Carbon Footprint Calculator, although this Calculator requires some detailed information about the consumption of household energy.

There are many more ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint. Among University students in Ontario, a viable option for making money for school and for helping the environment is to sign up for a session of Tree-Planting in Northern Ontario. For 60 days, you can live in a beautiful area of Northern Ontario, and spend your days planting trees. For More information visit [|TreePlanter.com] or the [|Canadian Forest Industries Association].



Help You find ways to Reduce your Carbon Footprint
rss url="http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/thegreenguide/atom.xml" title="National Geographic's Green Guide" number="5" description="true" date="true" author="true" length="80" enclosure="true"

rss url="http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/rss/" title="The Daily Green's Tips to Reducing your Carbon Footprint" number="5" description="true" date="true" author="true" length="80" enclosure="true"

 Hello, My name is Veronica Will and I am a second-year Commerce Student at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. I think it is important for everyone to be informed on the issues that affect our lives, and will affect the lives of our descendants. Team Global was formed for a Management Information Systems Class in 2010 and our Pages on Global Warming is our first experience on Wikispaces. This has been an interesting assignment. The instructions given were somewhat vague, but I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the resources and tools that Wikispaces offers.