Where does the pollution come from?
Currently, the United States, with less than 5 per cent of the world's population, is responsible for emitting almost a quarter of global CO2. China, with over a billion people, comes second in the CO2 emission stakes, but by 2020 it will probably be emitting more CO2 than the United States. China and India both have enormous coal reserves, and plan to burn huge amounts to generate power for their surging economic growth.
Is there evidence of climate change?
Perhaps the clearest evidence of current global warming comes from the world's mountain ranges. Glaciers are melting everywhere from the Alps to the Himalayas. In the United States, the original 150 glaciers within Glacier National Park are now down to a mere 50. The Alps have lost a half of their ice over the last century. Africa's Kilimanjaro lost 80 per cent of its ice cap between 1912 and 2000. The only glaciers currently growing in size are a few in Scandinavia, where the rising temperatures have been matched by an increase in snowfall.
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