Super Eco

Photo credit: runrunrun, SXC

So you thought global warming was created by burping cows and from fleets of freeway-bound Hummers and from the deforestation of the planet. And yeah, you'd be right. All those things, plus others like coal-fired power plants and transport emissions and industry in general, create greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. But so does the Earth itself.

Scientists in Israel are observing a crack in the Earth's surface that appears to be expelling air that contains various gases and water vapor. Water vapor is known to trap heat from the sun, contributing to overall warming.

The Earth is breathing hot air.

These cracks occur in more places than just dry deserts, and are known to occur in wet areas as well, also potentially expelling gases that contribute to overall warming. Scientists don't know yet the extent of the problem nor how much the cracks actually contribute to global warming.

So what can we do about it?

Just our part. Cut back on what we can, like eating meat, buying things we don't need, driving, and using energy in general—all the things that we know contribute to greenhouses gases and that we actually have some control over. Making our footprint smaller. And once we've done what we can to take care of the Earth, we'll let the Earth take care of itself.