Earth in Peril

Global Warming, 2003
Climatologists blame air pollution from carbon dioxide and other fossil fuel emissions for global warming, as the buildup of these gases in the air acts like a blanket, trapping heat close to Earth. They predict that over the next 100 years, surface temperatures will increase up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit worldwide. In arid regions, this could result in a sharp reduction in the amount of rivers and lake water. In cooler regions, intense thaws could cause severe flooding. Agricultural zones would shift radically, and hundreds of plant and animal species would face extinction. In 2003, as shown above, most places in the world were warmer than normal.