Internet Technology, E-commerce, and the Causes of Global Warming

The Internet: Connectivity and Commerce

The Internet is essentially a network of networks where any computer can link up to information stored within it. It is accessed by a telecommunications line and a modulator-demodulator (MODEM), which converts analog telephone signals into digital computer signals for display on your computer screen.

Key Advantages of the Internet

The Internet offers numerous benefits, particularly in communication and business:

• Enhanced Global Communication: Communication is made very easy. Two people on opposite sides of the world may communicate with each other via tools such as videoconferences.
• Cost Savings: This ease of communication saves money on flights and travel, allowing professionals to hold meetings remotely from their own offices.
• Business Advertising and E-commerce: The Internet is an excellent platform for advertising companies. Businesses can build their own websites and secure memorable .com domains to explain their company and the services they offer.
• Convenience and Accessibility: Some businesses offer home delivery directly through the Internet via home shopping services. This makes life very easy for disabled people or those with busy lives who lack time for physical shopping.

Understanding Global Warming and Climate Change

The Mechanism of Global Warming

Global warming refers to the warming near the Earth's surface that results when the Earth's atmosphere traps the sun's heat. The Earth is getting warmer. The changes are small so far, but they are expected to grow and accelerate. Within the next 50 to 100 years, the Earth may be hotter than it has been in the past million years.

Projected Impacts of a Warmer Earth

The consequences of this warming trend are widespread and severe:

• Coastal flooding as oceans warm and glaciers melt.
• Widespread forest death and failure of food crops due to heat and drought.
• Alterations to weather patterns affecting plants, animals, and human populations globally.

Human Activities Driving Climate Change

Humans are warming the Earth's atmosphere by releasing certain heat-trapping gases into the air through several activities:

1. Fossil Fuel Combustion: A major cause is the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). These fuels were formed from the remains of plant material deposited during the Earth's Carboniferous period. While we have known for only a few thousand years that these fuels can be burned to provide energy, this process releases significant carbon dioxide.
2. Deforestation: Burning fossil fuels is not the only activity increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. In many parts of the world today, forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate, reducing the planet's natural carbon absorption capacity.