Tacloban City (November 20) -- In line with the observance of the Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week on November 19 to 25, 2009, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has enjoined all agencies and local government units to conduct appropriate activities in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

President Arroyo called on the agencies and LGUs to assist in the nationwide information campaign on effects of global warming and climate change.

Included in the activities is the display of climate change and global warming consciousness week banner, the template of which could be requested from PIA Region 8 though the Office of the Regional Director or DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Region 8 through Ms. Maribel Munsayac.

The whole world is facing the threats of the effects that global warming and climate change bring.

The main causes of global warming and climate change are the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the use of fossil fuels for vehicles, electric plants or factories. About 76% of the greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide.

Another cause of greenhouse gases are Methane from the decaying garbage and several processes like mining, transport of coal, natural gas and crude oil.

Another is Nitrous Oxide from the farming and industrial processes including burning of fossil fuels and garbage. This remains in the atmosphere for 200 years.

Halocarbons like chloroflourocarbons, hydroflourocarbons and perflourocarbons, synthetic gases that are used in various industries like in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, refrigerants, foam plastics, foam rubbers, solvents, cleaners, coolants and other kinds of plastic products.

As time flies, the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere thickened and because of that, the heat from the earth cannot go out of the atmosphere, causing too much warming and climate change.

With the industrialization, urbanization and increase in agricultural production, came the increase in the use of fossil fuels in the last 200 years.

If nothing is done, it is feared that the earth will reach the tipping point in 2050, where the whole world will experience irreversible climate change.

When the tipping point is reached, iceberg as thick as 4 miles like the one enveloping Greenland, will break and melt, resulting to the rising of seawater up to seven meters and the sinking of many places in the world.