PV and Global Warming
This state-of-the-art, 115-kilowatt PV/hybrid energy system at Dangling Rope Marina on Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has replaced diesel generators. The major benefit was a cleaner, quieter source of electric power for the marina.
A by-product of burning fossil fuels is carbon dioxide, perhaps the greatest contributor to global warming. This warming trend is evident in continuing changes in local and regional climates all over the world. PV systems do not cause emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, so using PV energy helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus mitigate global warming.
Recognizing the potential threat of global climate change, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. The IPCC assesses a growing body of peer-reviewed and published scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information relevant to understanding the risk of human-induced climate change. Visit the IPCC Web site for more information on global warming.
The United States also produces periodic "Climate Action Reports" as part of its commitment as one of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The most recent report, published in 2002, is available on the EPA Web site.
The latest information on climate trends is also available from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See the NCDC's "Climate Monitoring" Web page.
Additional global warming information resources
Reports and Sources of Current Data and Research
- "Technology Opportunities to Reduce U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions" (PDF 2.5 MB) Download Adobe Reader
- "U.S. Climate Action Report 2002"
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- IPCC Data Distribution Centre
- NOAA National Climatic Data Center
- NOAA Paleoclimatology Global Warming
- Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change
- DOE Energy Information Administration's Greenhouse Gases Programs
- U.S. Global Change Research Information Office
General U.S. Government and International Web Sites
- EPA Global Warming
- EPA Climate Leaders
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) — Energy Programme
- World Bank's Global Climate Change
Environmental Groups
- Environmental Defense: Climate Change
- Greenpeace Climate Change Campaign
- World Resources Institute: Climate and atmosphere
- World Wildlife Fund: Climate Change Programme
Other Sources
- The Pew Center on Global Climate Change
- Sustainable Minnesota: Playing with Fire
- USA Today: Climate Change Science