We need climate plans

So, can you explain how global warming actually works?

To explain how global warming actually works we need to look at energy coming from the sun and what happens to that energy. The sun releases energy as radiation comprised largely of visible energy (light), ultraviolet energy (high frequency energy that is responsible for sunburns) and infrared energy (heat).

Infrared energy from the sun helps warm the Earth; however, there’s additional warming taking place related to visible energy.

Visible energy can be reflected back into space by snow, ice, clouds and light colored objects, or it can be absorbed by the Earth and things upon the Earth. When visible energy is absorbed, everything that absorbs it radiates additional infrared energy (heat).

Some of that additional infrared energy (heat) becomes trapped in our atmosphere. Why? Because greenhouse gases absorb it. The more greenhouse gases we emit, the more difficult it becomes for this additional heat to escape into space – resulting in global warming.

For hundreds of thousands of years, longer than people have existed on Earth, the CO2 level in Earth’s atmosphere never surpassed 300 parts per million (ppm). We’re at 411 ppm now and rising. Over 75% of this increase has occurred in the last 40 years.

We don’t want to see disasters coming, however those of us who look see them. What is civilization going to do to mitigate these coming disasters, and how quickly? These are the critical questions. Ask politicians these questions and demand answers.

Del Nord

Spokane Valley