TMS - Global Warming: Global Thre
by Michael B. McElroy 


Format: MP3
Bitrate: 32 Kbps


The issue of global warming has captured the attention of people worldwide over the past 20 years. Scientists studying the effects of human activities on the global environment today believe we are changing the climate of the planet on a global basis. We are warming the Earth, but are we risking the health of our planet? What are the negative consequences of these actions?

This course will discuss the complex interdependent systems that regulate the environment of Earth. Also, this course offers listeners a comprehensive overview of the essential environmental issues of our time.

Some of the issues discussed include: air pollution, acid rain, depletion of the stratospheric ozone, destruction of tropical forests, and impending climate changes. We will learn how greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and industrial chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have all played a significant role in what is happening to our world.

At the end of this course, listeners will better understand the overwhelming impact of industrial pollutants on the planet. 

Michael B. McElroy received his Ph.D. from QueenΓΓé¼Γäós University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1970, he was named Abbott Lawrence Rotch Professor of Atmospheric Sciences. McElroyΓΓé¼Γäós research interests range from studies on the origin and evolution of the planets to, more recently, an emphasis on the effects of human activity on the global environment of the Earth. He is the author of more than 200 technical papers.


14 Lectures
35 minutes/lecture


1  Perspective on Earth History
2  Man as a Global Influence
3  Industrial Revolution and Fossil Fuels
4  The Greenhouse Effect
5  The Efficiency of the Greenhouse Effect
6  Carbon Dioxide Changes in Atmosphere
7  Carbon Dioxide Continued
8  Methane, Nitrous Oxide and other Greenhouse Gases
9  Total Climate System
10 The Role of the Ocean
11 Past Climate Changes
12 Contemporary Climate Changes
13 Policy and Climate Changes
14 Summary