Summarization for 7 chapter of the weather makers Essay - 1

Summarization for 7 chapter of the weather makers - Essay Example The effects of clouds on global warming are still being investigated (Flannery 153-165). The Commitment and Approaching Extreme Danger (Seventeen) Although most of the greenhouse gases that was emitted during the WWI as our great-grand mothers stoked their fuel stoves is still warming the earth, It is not until about 2050 that we will be able to begin feeling the full effect of those greenhouse gases that happen to still be in circulation. The Earth’s current average temperature stands at around 59 degrees F and a slight increase could potentially wipe out most of the world’s species and billions of people (Flannery 166-170). Leveling the Mountains (Eighteen) The temperature drops by about 1 degree F for every distance of about one hundred yards travelled up a mountain. Without this effect, mountains would not be any different from the lowlands that surround them. In the past, when the world warmed at a rapid pace, most of the mountain-dwelling species used to inexorabl y and swiftly retreat to the cooler higher regions. It is possible to accurately calculate when some of these mountain dwelling species will become extinct given the current rate of global warming. The only species that stands to gain from the effects of global warming as animals retreat to the cooler temperatures are the four strains of malaria causing parasites (Flannery 171-177). How Can They Keep On Moving? (Nineteen) This is a brief chapter of the book in which Flannery seeks to explain just how climate change might potentially impact the world’s various habitats in the coming decades. Previously, Most of the world’s species had been able to escape the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change by moving up the mountains to the cooler parts where they could be able to find favorable temperatures necessary for their survival. However, as a result of global warming, there has been the formation of large water bodies being formed from the melting ice that ser ve in inhibiting the movement of these animals up the mountains. Various human activities such as buildings and fences are also playing a huge role in blocking the routes that these species normally use for migration. The effects of climate change are not limited to affecting only the animal species as various plant species are also being negatively impacted as well. Flannery explains how they fynbos which is one of the six floral kingdoms in the world and is found in the Cape Fold Mountains stands to lose nearly half of all its present species by the year 2050 if migration is restricted. Flannery is keen to point out that if immediate action were to be taken, we could potentially be able to save at least two species for every species that is killed failure to this, three out of every five of these species will not survive to see the turn of the century (Flannery 178-183). Boiling the Abyss (Twenty) In the past, scientist thought that the dying of most deep-sea dwelling fish immedia tely they happened to be brought up to the surface by the trawling nets used by marine biologists was attributed to the change in pressure. Modern scientists have proven this to be wrong and have attributed the deaths to temperature change. These fish are used to surviving in water temperatures that are close to zero and the surface temperatures are too high for them. The ocean is separated into different layers based on temperature. If perchance the ocean happens to absorb too much CO2, it