Global warming is the gradual increase in global temperatures caused by the emission of gases that trap the sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Gases that contribute to global warming include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and halocarbons (the replacements for CFCs). The Earth has warmed by 1.1º F and the Pacific Northwest by 1.5º F within the last 100 years.1 Global warming will have severe repercussions on the Pacific Northwest, perhaps worse than other places. …
