Why the Earth is Overheating

The industrial revolution and the rapid development of the world's economies during the last two centuries were driven by the accelerating use of energy. Steam engines began to burn wood and coal. Coal is still burned in large quantities and has been joined by ever increasing amounts of oil and natural gas.

After the invention of the automobile, consumption of petroleum products began accelerating steeply and is actually still growing today.

During recent years, we have begun to realize that combustion of fossil fuels not only releases large amounts of energy in the form of heat but also discharges huge amounts of water vapor and treacherous carbon dioxide.

In addition, combustion of fossil fuels is emitting many harmful pollutants, which accumulate in the atmosphere, in freshwater reservoirs, and in soil.

Increasingly, people are becoming aware of the many negative implications of fossil fuel combustion. Regulatory efforts are being introduced for reducing the emissions of health threatening substances. However, large amounts of pollutants are sent still into our atmosphere on a continuing basis. There is no legal liability for the damages these substances are causing, and there are no efforts underway to effectively eliminate these harmful agents entirely.

Combustion of fossil fuels is accelerating, emissions of pollutants and of carbon dioxide are increasing, global warming is intensifying, and aggravating climate changes are being felt across the world.

Why is the world overheating, what can be done to stop the damages, and what are the consequences of a continuing accumulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere?

Already one hundred fifty years ago, a couple of scientists warned of the dire consequences of releasing carbon dioxide emissions into the Earth's atmosphere. Their warnings were published in scientific journals, were read by only a few people, and were soon forgotten.

Since then, science has made huge advances and our knowledge about the effects of carbon dioxide emissions has advanced dramatically. Carbon dioxide emits and absorbs infrared radiation. This emission effect is used in sensors for the early detection and location of rockets and airplanes and is a vital part of the US Ballistic Missile Defense System.

The strong radiation effect of carbon dioxide is also a major factor in industrial applications where metals and other substances are heated and melted at extreme temperatures.

This same emission capability is present at lower temperatures but to a lesser degree. A major reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to a major cooling effect and has caused an earlier Ice Age. Conversely, a major increase of carbon dioxide will result in a warming effect and to the eventual overheating of our Earth.

Very small concentrations of carbon dioxide can be measured very accurately. Therefore we know that carbon dioxide concentrations have increased from 280 parts per million (ppm) to close to 400 ppm as a direct result of fossil fuel combustion. In fact, the increase would have been even larger, if the oceans had not absorbed some of this combustion generated carbon dioxide.

Unfortunately, this ability of the oceans is being diminished as seawater is heating up in response to global warming. Additionally, countries like China, India, and many other Asian countries have begun to burn ever increasing amounts of fossil fuels and especially coal. Coal combustion discharges especially large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide emissions have resulted in an average global warming effect of roughly two degrees Fahrenheit already. Extrapolating quickly accelerating carbon dioxide emissions during the last decade over the next forty years makes it very likely that global temperatures will rise another three to four degrees by 2050.

Carbon dioxide is a very stable gas, which stays in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. There are no technologies available or imaginable that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Once global warming has occurred, it cannot be reversed. The effect of global warming is a delayed effect. World oceans and lands need a long time before they begin to warm perceptibly. This means that global overheating will continue even after we have stopped all fossil fuel combustion.

There is only one conclusion we can arrive at. We must end fossil fuel combustion as quickly as possible or our Earth will overheat and make living in the tropical and subtropical regions unbearable. We will experience ever more destructive climate changes in the form of more violent storms, extreme flooding, and more severe heat waves. Many animal and plant species will become extinct. Melting of glaciers on mountains and of ice sheets in Polar Regions will accelerate. Ocean levels will rise and will inundate coastal regions with their irreplaceable infrastructures and huge cities.

Is there anything we can do?

Yes there is. The US must take the lead and show the rest of the world how to change their energy supply systems. The world must begin to use more and more renewable energies in the form of sun energy, wind power, hydropower, marine power, geothermal energy, nuclear energy, and biomass.

Most difficult will be the replacement of fossil, liquid transportation fuels with renewable fuels. Airplanes cannot fly, cars cannot drive without.

Only the USA has the resources to find and develop replacement energies that can be used for the next several centuries without harming our Earth.

We must convince the incoming administration to start with a well directed and well managed rescue effort immediately.