se gas, is 70 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Methane is increasing by about 1% every year, which is twice as fast as carbon dioxide. However, methane levels in our atmosphere are much lower than carbon dioxide levels. Some major sources of methane include the anaerobic decomposition of organic material such as cattle manure and rice paddies; the extraction, refining, and distribution of oil and gas; cement manufacturing; and coal mining (Gates 13-14). Nitrous oxide, while only increasing at a rate of 0.2% a year, is 200 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. The increase in nitrous oxide, however small it is, is attributed to the increasing use of fertilizers and the high combustion temperatures in fossil fuel burning power plants (Gates 15). Other greenhouse gasses have a similar effect in the atmosphere like ozone and chlorofluorocarbons, but are found in even less significant amounts. Impacts on the Environment These trends of global warming are predicted to have an extensive impact on the ecosystems of the world. The warming ocean currents, the decline in forests and the effects on animals, agriculture and insects will be significant. The effects of global warming and the warming seas can already be seen among coral reef populations. In the early 1980’s a significant rise the temperature of the Pacific Ocean led to extensive bleaching of coral populations along the Great Barrier Reef (Warrick 11-13). Bleaching is when the coral turns white, a result of the disappearance of the algae that the coral feed on (Bright 29-30). This in turn had a negative effect on fish populations, which feed on the coral and are a major source of food for the human population of the world. The warming seas have a similar affect on fisheries around the world. In tropical regions such as Hawaii, the heat content of the upper layers of the ocean may be directly determined by from sea levels...
