The current cycle of global warming is changing the rhythms of
climate that all living things have come to rely upon. What will
we do to slow this warming? How will we cope with the changes
we've already set into motion? While we struggle to figure it
all out, the face of the Earth as we know it—coasts, forests,
farms, and snowcapped mountains—hangs in the balance. More About
Global Warming See National Geographic's full coverage of the
2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill: pictures, news reports, and
first-person accounts. Burning fossil fuels, humans pump CO2
into the atmosphere. Fortunately, plants and ocean waters gather
it in. But what if this great recycling system went awry? See
the effects global warming has had on Antarctic glaciers and the
wildlife that depends on them. Learn more about these
underground reservoirs of steam and hot water that can be tapped
to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly.
@NatGeoGreen on Twitter The Great Energy Challenge An initiative
to help you understand