Unit4GlobalwarmingPartTwo:TeachingResourcesSection2:BackgroundinformationonTHEEARTHISBECOMINGWARMER—BUTDOESITMATTER?I.Whatisglobalwarming?Globalwarmingisthenameofthetheory(idea)thattheworld'satmosphere(air)hasbecomehotteroverthelasttwohundredyears.Itisalsousedasthenameofthisevent(aneventissth.thathappens).Somepeoplesaythatglobalwarmingisaveryseriousproblemfortheworld,thatitcausesfloodsforexample.Otherssaythatthereisnothingfortheworldtoworryabout.ItisafactthattheatmosphereoftheworldisingeneralaboutahalfofadegreeCelsiushotterthanitwastwohundredyearsago.Butmanypeopledisagreeaboutwhetherthisiscausedbyman'spollution(fromcarsandfactoriesforexample),oranaturalchange.II.Whatisgreenhouseeffect?Thegreenhouseeffectisawaythatthesun'sraysmakesth.warmer.Agreenhouseisaglassorplasticbuildingwherepeopleraiseplants.Theraysofthesunshineintothegreenhouseandbecomewarmth.Theglassorplasticholdsthewarmthinsidethegreenhouse.Wecanalsoseethegreenhouseeffectwhenthesunmakestheinsideofacarhot.ManypeopleareveryinterestedinthegreenhouseeffectintheatmosphereoftheEarth.Factories,farms,andotherthingsthathumanbeingsdomakemanydifferentgasesthatgointotheEarth'satmosphere.Thegasescarbondioxide,methane,andchlorofluorocarbonsmaketheatmosphereholdmoreofthesun'sheat,sotheEarthmightgetwarmer.IftheEarthdoesgetwarmer,thiscouldcausemanyseriousproblems.DifferentpartsoftheEarthcouldbecomewarmerorcolder,wetterordrier.Theiceatthenorthandsouthpolescouldmelt,用心爱心专心116号编辑whichwouldmakethesealevelhigher,andfloodmanycitiesthatareclosetothesea.Scientists,politicians,andordinarypeopledisagreeaboutwhatishappeningandwhatmighthappen.Scientiststhinkthatweatherhasbeenespeciallywarmthelastfewyears,buttheydisagreeaboutwhetherthiswarmingiscausedbythethingsthathumanbeingsaredoingorishappeningnaturally.III.WhatisEarthCareInternational?EarthCarebuildstheawareness,knowledge,andcommitmentinyouthnecessarytocreateahealthy,sustainablefuture.Ourapproachisbasedontherecognitionthatsustainabilitycanonlybeachievedbylinkingissuesofeconomics,socialjustice,andtheenvironmentinfusedwithamulticulturalawareness.Wedevelopyoungvisionaryleaderscapableofcreatinganabundantandsustainableworld.Thesevisionaryleaderswillmakechoicesthatwillimprovetheirrelationshiptotheenvironment,oneanotherandultimatelytheworld.Weeducateyouthtounderstandthelocalandglobalconnectionsbetweenhumanandnaturalsystems.“Amovementthat'scourageousandvisionaryontheenvironmentbutcowardlyandignorantaboutthesocialissues,willfail.Andontheotherside,amovementthatisvisionaryandpassionateonthesocialsidebutisignorantandindifferentontheecologicalsidewillalsofail.There'salightatthecrossroads.Hopeisatthecrossroads.”IV.CelebrateEarthDay's35thAnniversary!“地球日”三十五周年纪念！OnApril22,1970,20millionpeopleacrossAmericacelebratedthefirstEarthDay.Itwasatimewhencitieswereburiedundertheirownsmogandpollutedriverscaughtfire.Now35yearslater,EarthDayisbeingcelebratedaroundtheglobe.ThroughthecombinedeffortsoftheU.S.government,grassrootsorganizations,andcitizenslikeyou,whatstartedasadayofnationalenvironmentalrecognitionhasevolvedintoaworld-widecampaigntoprotectourglobalenvironment.V.EarthDaybackgroundinformationOurplanetisacomplexsystemofland,air,andwater.Livingthingsdependoneachotherandthissystemforexistence.Overthethousandsofyearssincelifehasexistedontheearth,ithas用心爱心专心116号编辑undergonesome...
