myth. For people familiar with the facts, it is no myth. itIt is hard truth that demands hard answers. Over the past 50 years or so, automobiles, factories, and power plants have poured many thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is what’s called a Greenhouse Gas. It traps the SunsSun's radiation, and increases the global temperature. During the past two decades, we have seen the hottest summers ever recorded. Also, the hottest summers have happened in the past five years. Unusual weather patterns have soaked some parts of the unitedUnited States with rain. Meanwhile the western states are fighting over water, as lakes and rivers are drying up. mostMost shocking of all is the steady melting of the arcticArctic ice cap. iceIce depths that were 300 feet are now closer to 100 feet, and ice has retreated northward into the Arctic sea for hundreds of miles.

What can we conclude from all thisthis? The answer seems to depend on your point of view. Senator Mike Blevins was quoted as saying, global"Global warming is an unproved theory. We can’t afford environmental regulations that hurt the economy." Expressing a different opinion, senatorSenator Morton Giles commented, "We’ve made a bargain with Satan; we’re trading short-term profits for the misery of future generations."

As arguments rage over the reality of global warming, most scientists agree on the following: Global temperatures are rising, ocean temperatures are increasing, and climate patterns have been altered. Many scientists also feel there’s a real threat of sea levels rising, as the Polar ice caps melt. What can we do to control global warmingwarming? Proposals include the following: improveImprove automobile mileage, develop alternative energy sources, and reduce American dependence on foreign oil.