global warmingGlobal warming is the overall increase of the average global temperature of earth's surface. Carbon dioxide is an important factor in global warming because it makes the atmospheric temperature higher. It has been particularly devastating to Alaska (including Denali) because the usual temperature is close to the melting point of ice. That means that most rises in temperature could hurt ecosystems substantially and create significant climate change. This situation could also get much worse because there is more carbon dioxide being put into the air, causing higher temperatures in the first place. The Denali tundra has been dramatically affected by this, and now the plants there have been blooming much earlier because of the drier summers and colder winters.
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Another negative affect of global warming is that snow is now melting about one month earlier than it historically has. Animals at risk from these changes include caribou, black and brown bears, moose, wolves, and doll sheep. The animal at most risk is the caribou because they only give birth at certain times and in certain places, and the changes are disturbing their normal patterns. Another major problem is the permafrost temperatures and subsequent melting. Permafrost has become a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions (about 8% of what humans give off). Since 1980, temperatures have risen about 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius. The detrimental effects of these rising temperatures include forest damage, roads and buildings sinking, and erosion. But most of all, the glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. Studies show that there has been about a 10 meter (30 feet) reduction of ice thickness overall.
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