How did it start?

它是如何開始的？

How will it continue?

它會如何發展？

What will happen to humanity?

它將如何影響人類？

Will one day we be gone due to our own ignorance?

我們會因為忽視它而在某一天消失嗎？

Global Warming is the continuing rise in the average temperature of Earth's climate system

全球暖化指的是地球氣候系統中不斷上升的平均氣溫。

Through the sudden use of factories, gas consuming cars and and other ambitions from fossil fuels

由於工廠、使用汽油的車輛和其他以化石燃料為能源的需求暴增，

the Earth's temperature has rapidly increased since the beginning of the industrial age.

地球的氣溫自工業時代開始便快速上升。

Global warming is a natural event

全球暖化是自然事件，

but is being majorly contributed to by humans.

但主要導火線是人類。

Today, the quality of the atmosphere has been irreversibly depleted over time

現在大氣的品質已經不可挽回地被消耗，

and if nothing is done about it, the Earth will ultimately swelter

如果不想辦法改善，地球最終將變得極熱。

Americans are noticing changes all around them already.

美國人已經發現到居住環境的改變。

Summers are longer and hotter

夏季變得更長、更熱。

An extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced.

不尋常的長期炎熱是現代美國人從前未經歷過的。

Winters are generally shorter and warmer.

冬季變得更短、更暖。

Rain comes in heavier downpours,

雨下得更大，

tropical storms are much more intense,

熱帶氣旋比以前更強烈了，

more destructive, and more frequent.

變得更具毀滅性，發生次數更頻繁。

Residence of some costal cities see their streets flood more regularly

有些沿海城市的居民更常看到街道因暴風雨和滿潮

during storms and high tides.

而受洪水侵襲。

And the cities near large rivers also experience more flooding,

大型河流沿岸的城市也更常淹水，

especially in the midwest and northeast.

尤其是中西部和東北部。

So how does this happen?

這是如何發生的？

It is through something called "the enhanced greenhouse effect"

這是透過「加速溫室效應」而成的，

which is the key ingredient of global warming.

它是全球暖化的重要因素。

Greenhouse gasses include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone.

溫室效應氣體包含水蒸氣、二氧化碳、甲烷、氧化亞氮和臭氧。

Greenhouse gasses help regulate the temperature of the Earth.

溫室氣體幫助維持地球的氣溫。

The raise of the sun warm the Earth and the Earth reflects the radiated heat outwards.

太陽讓地球升溫，而地球會將熱量反射回去。

Greenhouse gasses prevent this heat from escaping from the surface of the earth.

溫室氣體避免這些熱量從大氣層流出。

Without these gasses,

如果沒有這些溫室氣體，

the temperature of the earth would be unbearably colder.

地球的氣溫可能會異常寒冷。

It is the sun that provides our planet with warmth and light,

太陽確實提供地球溫暖以及光線，

but the amount of energy that the Earth receives from the sun varies.

但地球自太陽接收的能量多寡則不一定。

Throughout the Earths existence the Earth has gradually changed its orbit around the sun.

地球存在以來，繞著太陽公轉的軌道逐漸改變。

And with each orbit, the patterns of the energy that the Earth receives are different from each other.

每次軌道的不同會導致地球接收到能量的形式則不同。

These changes have contributed to dramatic shfits in Earths climate.

這些變化會影響地球氣候的巨變。

The suns radiation comes in the form of light waves

太陽輻射以光波的形式傳到地球，

heating up the Earth.

讓地球升溫。

Some of the radiation that is absorbed and warmths the Earth is reradiated back into space

有些被吸收、讓地球升溫的輻射會被反射回太空中，

in the form of infrared waves.

以紅外線的形式。

But some of the infrared radiation is trapped by the atmosphere and held inside it.

但有些紅外線會被大氣層攔截並停留在內。

So the problem is,

所以問題是

that the atmosphere is continuing to consist of more and more carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses due to human kind,

大氣層內由於人類活動而持續增加的二氧化碳和溫室氣體，

And therefore making the radiation from the sun become trapped on Earth

因此導致來自太陽的輻射停留在地球

and heats up the planet.

並讓地球升溫。

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution,

自工業革命開始以來，

nitrous oxide, which is used in fertilizer, has increased 18%,

用於製作肥料的氧化亞氮濃度增加了 18 %，

carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion 39 %,

燃燒化石燃料生成的二氧化碳濃度增加了 39 %，

and methane 148%.

而甲烷則增加了 148 %。

By adding more greenhouse gasses, we have altered the natural cycle of the atmosphere

由於溫室氣體的增加，我們已經改變了大氣層的天然循環，

making it harder for radiation to escape to outer space.

導致輻射更難反射回太空中。

Gasses in the atmosphere absorb both shortwave solar radiation and low wave infrared radiation

大氣層內的氣體會吸收太陽輻射的短波以及紅外線輻射的低波

in which this radiant energy warms the atmosphere.

這些輻射的能量導致大氣層升溫。

When too much carbon dioxide is put up into the atmosphere,

過多的二氧化碳被排放到大氣層

that disrupts the balance,

會導致平衡失調，

like super saturating and already existing solution.

像是極度飽和以及已存在的解決方法。

For example, carbon dioxide already makes up 0.03% of the atmosphere

舉例來說，二氧化碳已經佔大氣層氣體的 0.03 %，

in which is steadily increasing.

並且正持續增加中。

If you put sugar into water, there is a limit to which the sugar and water will no longer mix.

如果你把糖加到水裡，會有一個極限是糖不再溶解於水。

The same happens here,

這裡的狀況也一樣，

if you put too much carbon dioxide up

如果排放非常多二氧化碳，

it absorbs infrared radiation depending on its vibration of its bonds.

它會根據化學鍵的震動來吸收紅外線輻射。

We'll overall increase the amount of energy, and we'll ultimately increase the overall temperature.

我們將增加整體的能量，最終導致整體氣溫上升。

Part of this is due to the kinetic molecular theory,

其中有一部分是由於分子運動論。

meaning more energy causes further vibration,

就是能量的增加會引起更多振動，

which causes the gasses to start bouncing off of each other more quickly.

從而導致氣體開始更快速地互相撞擊。

Basically, the overall understanding is that there is a rise

基本上一般的理解是會上升

in 0.5 degrees to 1 degrees centigrade.

攝氏 0.5 到 1 度。

The quantity insists of aerosols and molecules in the atmosphere

大氣中煙霧和分子的含量

affect the way that they scatter radiation.

會影響它們分散輻射的方式。

This differences is easy to observe in the visible part of the spectrum.

這種差異可以很容易地從光譜上的可見光區觀察到。

Our sky appears blue,

我們的天空看起來是藍色的，

because the white sunlight coming towards the Earth

因為白色的太陽光來到地球後

is scattered by the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere.

被大氣層裡的氮氣和氧氣分子散射。

This process is called the rayleigh scattering effect.

這種過程叫做瑞利散射。

The molecules of these gasses interfere with incoming sunlight.

這些氣體的分子會影響穿過大氣層的太陽光。

The shortwave length, blue light, is more strongly affected

波長較短的藍光較容易受到影響

and is scattered in all directions.

並會被散射往各個方向。

While the longer wave length, green and red light, is able to pass straight through.

然而波長較長的綠光和紅光則能夠直接通過。

As you look at the sky,

當你看向天空，

you are seeing the scattered light.

你看到的是經過散射的光。

Therefore the sky looks blue.

所以天空看起來是藍色的。

So if the atmosphere scatters more blue light than red light,

如果大氣散射的藍光比紅光多，

then you may wonder why sunsets look red.

你可能會想知道為什麼夕陽看起來是紅色的。

First,

首先，

when you look at the sunset,

當你看著夕陽，

you are looking toward the sun, not away from it.

你是面對著太陽，而非背對。

So while all of the blue light has been scattered away,

所以當所有的藍光被散射開來，

you're looking at the redder light that passes straight through the atmosphere to your eyes.

你看的是直接穿過大氣層抵達你眼中的紅光。

Secondly,

再來，

the sun is lower in the sky,

太陽此時在天空中較低的位置。

so the light is forced to travel through much more of the atmosphere.

所以光線必須經過更厚的大氣層。

In the process, it also passes through much more water vapor and dust.

在這個過程中，它同時穿過更多水蒸氣和粉塵。

Water vapor and dust both absorb the shortwave length,

水蒸氣和粉塵都會吸收短波的

blue light, while allowing the longer wave length,

藍光，並讓長波的

red light, to pass straight through to your eyes.

紅光直接通過而進入你眼中。

Different molecules absorb different wave lengths of light,

不同的分子吸收不同波長的光線，

making a unique pattern in the spectrum

從而的出光譜上獨一無二的波紋，

like a fingerprint that we can use to identify the molecules.

就像我們可以用以分辨分子的指紋。

As mentioned before,

如先前提到過的，

one of the largest and most detrimental factors of global warming

全球暖化最大也最有害的因素之一

is the increased melting of permanent ice sheets and glaciers all over the globe.

是全球各地持續融化的永凍冰層和冰河。

From 1978 to 2004, perennial sea ice cover in the arctic

從 1978 到 2004年，四季皆覆蓋於北極圈的海冰

declined by 7.8% each decade.

每十年少 7.8% 。

If these trends continue,

如果這種狀況持續，

late summer sea ice could disappear from the arctic as early as 2030.

夏季的海冰可能會在 2030 年就在北極圈消失。

Palio climate scientists can learn a lot about the Earths past climate

義大利巴里歐的氣候學家能夠藉由觀察冰塊中的空氣

by looking at the air in the ice,

看出地球過去的氣候，

all by analyzing what geochemical proxies

只要分析出什麼樣的地球化學代用指標

that are contained in the air bubbles of the ice.

存在這些冰塊的氣泡中。

To analyze this ice,

要分析冰塊，

scientists set the ice cores onto a continuous melter

科學家將冰塊的一部分放在持續加熱的機器上，

which is just like a hotplate,

它就像是一個熱盤子，

and it melts the ice core layer after layer.

它會將冰塊一層一層的溶化。

As the water is produced, and the included air bubbles are released,

冰塊融化成水的同時，氣泡中的氣體釋放出來，

it is brought through various instruments,

它們會被送到多個儀器中，

such as a mass spectrometer for an analysis of the chemical composition

例如巨大的光譜儀，用來分析這些水和空氣的

of the water and the air included.

化學成分。

These scientists are specifically looking for properties of the water or air

科學家特別想知道這些水和空氣的特性，

that can reveal what the environment was like when the snow fell

由此可以得出他們正在探索的事情：當雪落在冰層時

on the ice sheet they are probing.

環境是什麼樣的。

This record makes the conclusion that the last 100 years

這個紀錄有了一個結論，那就是過去 100 年

of manmade atmospheric alterations have had a profound affect on the

人類導致的大氣變化對地球平均氣溫

average temperature of the Earths atmosphere evident.

造成明顯的影響。

In the ice cores there are little bubbles.

在冰塊裡有一些小氣泡。

And those individual bubbles contain a real sample of the atmosphere through time.

這些氣泡含有穿越時空的真實大氣樣本。

Scientists can then release that air and measure the greenhouse gasses.

科學家能夠釋放氣體以便量測溫室氣體。

It is almost like taking the DNA of the atmosphere.

就像是在檢測大氣的DNA 。

This record of past climate generated by ice core analysis

藉由分析冰塊得出有關過去氣候的紀錄

is essential to the global warming discussion.

對全球暖化的議題來多很重要。

It creates a benchmark for the pattern of natural variability in the climate record.

它為氣候紀錄的自然變化模式提供一種標準。

And thereby, proves the existence of the manmade enhanced greenhouse effect.

並且藉此證明人類活動的影響加劇了溫室效應。

As palio climate scientists are struggling to record as much as they can from the ancient ice,

巴里歐氣候科學家努力由古代冰塊紀錄資訊的同時

they are quickly disappearing.

冰塊正快速地消失。

Nearly all icecaps and glaciers in the world have experienced a net loss

世界上所有的冰冠和冰河過去幾十年幾乎都經歷了

of volume every year for decades.

一定程度的損耗。

Sight light and photographic records show this in great detail.

從光線與衛星照片可以很明顯地看出這個現象。

One of the places where this is most evident is in the arctic ocean

最能見證這個現象的其中一個地方就是北冰洋，

where the arctics sea ice extent is declining dramatically every summer.

北極海冰每年夏季急遽減少。

Snow nearly accesses a mirror reflecting the solor radiation back in the space,

雪就像是鏡子一樣，將來自太陽的輻射反射回太空中，

but when the ice is gone and the sailor radiation hits liquid water instead,

但當冰雪消失，太陽輻射會直接傳到水中，

then most of the energy is absorbed by the ocean, and the ocean heats up.

這樣一來大部分的能量都會被海洋吸收，海洋就會升溫。

This intern then prevents sea ice from forming

這會阻止海冰形成，

and therefore by reenforces the warming trend.

所以增強了暖化的趨勢。

Everywhere the ice grows and then every summer the ice would drops.

每年冰層都會生成，然後在夏季融化。

But in recent years, summer melting has brought the ice much further back than scientists have ever seen before.

但近年來，夏季融化的冰已經導致冰層邊緣往內推進到科學家從未見過的地方。

In September of 2012, the arctic sea ice shrank to its lowest extent ever measured.

2012 年 9 月北極海冰退縮到目前測量過最低的寬度。

Loss of arctic sea ice is profoundly important for the globe,

北極海冰的消失對地球來說非常重要，

for a number of reasons.

原因很多。

First of all, it has a great affect on global weather.

首先，它對全球氣候有很重要的影響。

We have an ocean that used to be covered with a solid surface that is now depleting.

我們有一片曾經表面堅固現在卻消耗中的海洋。

This affects the position of the jet stream, which now extends

這會影響噴射氣流的位置，它現在已經擴展到

further north and further south.

更北以及更南。

Causing blocking patterns to form which increase periods of extreme heat and extreme cold.

導致形成阻塞型，它會增加極度炎熱與寒冷的時間。

It also affects storm tracks, like super storm sand.

噴射氣流也會影響風暴的路徑，像是超級沙塵暴。

The arctic has massive stores of methane in the permafrost and on the arctic seabed.

北極圈的永凍層和北冰洋海床存有大量的甲烷。

As we lose the sea ice we have more heat going into the ocean,

當我們失去海冰從而導致海洋吸收到更多熱時，

that heat will be transported, causing more permafrost thawing, and destabilization of the seabed.

這些熱量會被傳送到海中，導致更多永凍帶融化，從而擾亂海床的平衡。

These processes will increase the overall release of this methane

這些過程將增加甲烷釋放，

which will ultimately contribute to the enhancement of the greenhouse effect and cause a spike in temperature.

最終加強了溫室效應，並導致氣溫遽變。

The effects of the polar icecaps melting will also have a significant affect on the chemistry of the ocean,

兩極冰帽融化同時會對海洋的化學物質產生巨大影響，

more specifically, the composition of the water and the effects it has on living animals.

更準確地說，會影響水的組成以及受水影響的生物。

In the past 20 years, overall land and ocean temperature averages has risen by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

過去 20 年，地面和海洋的整體平均氣溫已上升了華氏 1.5 度。

Animals most at risk are those who live in the arctic, especially polar bears,

生命最受到威脅的動物就是那些生活在北極圈的，尤其是北極熊。

since a lot of the ice that they live on has melted.

由於很多牠們生活的冰層已經融化了。

They face horrid challenges, some of them having to swim for hundreds of miles in hopeless attepmts to find solid ice.

牠們面臨可怕的挑戰，有些北極熊游了好幾百哩卻還是很難找到堅固的冰。

Many are unsuccessful in drowns from exhaustion.

很多北極熊失敗了，因為過度勞累而淹死。

It is probably a process that will happen too quickly for the polar bears to be able to adjust.

可能是因為這個過程發生得太快，北極熊沒辦法調適。

Ergo, we are causing their extinction.

因此，我們導致了北極熊的滅絕。

We chose to research global warming because we thought it

我們選擇研究全球暖化是因為我們認為

was interesting to learn about the effects we as humans have on the planet

了解我們人類對地球的影響很有趣，

and we can perhaps learn to control our increasing need for energy and

而且我們也許可以知道如何控制我們對能源與日俱增的需求

possibly shift our use of fossil fuels to more sustainable sources

並使用其他永續資源取代化石燃料

of energy in order to negate global warming.

來阻止全球暖化。

It is however becoming ever clearer that global warming is changing the planet at an ever increasing pace.

然而很明顯地，全球暖化正前所未有地加速改變地球。

And if we ignore the causes, it will be a very different planet that our decedents will inherent.

如果我們忽視這些導火線，我們的下一代會活在非常不一樣的星球。