Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. Even though it is an ongoing debate, it is proved by the scientists that the planet is warming.
The 29th century is experiencing a continued increase of Earth’s mean atmospheric temperature by about 1.4 degrees F and about two thirds of it occurring since 1980. This is global warming is affecting the nature’s balance and has a huge impact on life like continued heat waves, and sudden occurrence of storms and floods. Don’t we see time to time the epidemics that are devastating to human life and the flooding of the farmlands that puts economy in a deep hole?
Scientific evidence indicates that since 1950, the world’s climate has been warming, primarily as a result of emissions from non -stop burning of fossil fuels and the razing of tropical forests. Since the industrial revolution till this day, there is a constant emission of the carbon into the atmosphere, everything we do we leave carbon footprints. It is a man made cause of the global warming. The global emissions jumped 3 percent in 2011 and are expected to jump another 2.6 percent in 2012, researchers reported.
The greenhouse effect is a process by which the greenhouse gases absorb thermal radiation; these are then reradiated in all directions. But when some of these radiations come back to the surface and lower atmosphere, it causes increase in the average surface temperature leading to global warming.
Global warming Causes
The causes are many of which the main culprit is the increase in the greenhouse gases that is produced by burning fossil fuel and deforestation, thus intensifying the greenhouse effect leading to global warming. The four main contributors of the greenhouse effect are, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone.
Mining for coal and oil releases methane in the atmosphere. More ever the leakage from natural gas fields and landfills are additional source of methane. Excessive cutting down of the trees is another factor causing global warming. When deforestation happens the efficiency by which carbon dioxide is stored and oxygen released by the green plants are decreased to a huge rate in turn causing increased concentration of carbon dioxide that leads to increased greenhouse effect.
The nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes are other factors that cannot be forgotten as the cause of Global Warming.
Another source of methane is methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly.
Ice caps and glaciers reflect sunlight, bouncing high temperature sun -rays back into space away from the Earth. When these icecaps are removed the earth gets warmer as the dark oceans absorb much thermal radiation from the sun.
Some regions may be wet with rain and some areas will suffer drought due to global warming. The climatic changes happen due to global warming. Seasonal changes are unpredictable unexpected thunderstorms might result as mentioned earlier.
The burning of wood (should be reduced to a greater extent) releases oxidizable carbon to the atmosphere whose presence in greater amount causes the elevation of temperature.
There is strong evidence that emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were the major cause of the recent abnormal warming. Like carbon CFC do not trap heat but in the presence of UV rays the chlorine gets detached from CFC, drifts up into the stratosphere and these unattached chlorines catalytically convert Ozone molecules into Oxygen molecules depleting the ozone layer.
Global Warming and its effects:-
The effect of global warming is dangerous to life on earth, both the human and animal existence. Due to the hear agriculture and farming, forestry and fishery are seriously hurt. Water temperature being elevated, the fauna and flora are deprived of their natural habitat that is detrimental to their growth and might lead to distinction of the species there.
Higher level of carbon dioxide causes the acidification of the oceans. According to the report of WWF on coral reefs says that coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification.
The climatic changes are seen worldwide. Exceptional warm summers are another effect of this global warming and Europe and America have already witnessed these changes considerably. The summer of 1998 predicted to be the warmest in the century. Winter of 2003-2004 was the 33rd coldest in the North Eastern America since the records began in 1896.
Scientists are struggling to predict how the heat building in the seas and atmosphere will affect the strength, intensity and occurrence of the cyclones, typhoons and storms. The increase in sea level due to the ice cap melt has caused the receding of the shorelines, which have been recorded by the researchers. According to the researchers the maximum wind speeds of the strongest tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981.
Global warming might cause increased incidence of Lyme disease, dengue fever and malaria because the mosquitoes that are the transmitting agents for these diseases requires winter temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius for their survival.
The increased floods and damages to sewage and water infrastructures further encourage the spread of diseases.
The melting glaciers, polar ice caps, and other frozen grounds are causing and will continue to cause the rise in sea levels. This will result in flooding and displacement of human population worldwide.
The fresh water polar ice caps melting into the salt- water oceans alter the ocean gulf- stream patterns causing major changes on the temperature pattern around the Earth. This changing environment and temperature in polar region will endanger the flora and fauna and imbalance in the ecosystem.
The ozone layer keeps out the ultra violet radiations from the sun that harms lives on the earth. Some human made gases rises into the atmosphere and destroys the ozone layer. Therefore global warming involves the pollution of the atmosphere, which in turn leads to the depletion of the ozone layer.
The global warming will delay the ozone recovery at Arctic regions making these people to be exposed to a ultra-violet dose, which is relatively higher. The penetration of the more ultra-violet radiations from the sun to the earth poses threats to lives like skin cancer.
The affect on the food chain could also be disastrous. Because UV rays kill plankton in the sea, the fish and whales that live off of plankton would eventually starve and disappear. This would then affect the next link in the chain – those creatures that live off of fish – and so it would continue throughout the chain.
The chlorine that gets detached from CFC by UV rays, drifts up into the stratosphere and these unattached chlorines catalytically convert Ozone molecules into Oxygen molecules depleting the ozone layer, which in turn results in cascade of events leading to global warming and associated harms to life.
Prevention and human efforts :-
Global warming has become a major problem as we move on to 21st century and beyond. Like the old say goes, prevention is better than cure. We have done enough damage, knowingly and unknowingly we have contributed to global warming. Our efforts and determined contribution to reduce global warming and spare the ecosystem to recover thereby cautiously working restore the balance of nature is very urgent.
Pollution of the atmosphere has to be checked and anything related to the release of the greenhouse gases should be monitored. Deforestation should be stopped as it causes the concentration of carbon at a greater extent. It has been said that it takes roughly 19 trees to make one ton of paper and that the usage of one ton of recycled paper will save approximately 17 trees.
The burning of wood should be reduced to a greater extent as it releases oxidizable carbon to the atmosphere whose presence in greater amount causes the elevation of temperature. LPG stoves can replace the fire wood burning. Bio gas plants can be encouraged in village units. Composting will help you to dispose of biodegradable waste.
The use of CFCs is a major reason for depletion of the ozone layer causing global warming. The discharges and exhaust from automobiles also causes global warming. We could reduce it by identifying fuel-efficient cars, use bio-fuels, correct the engine design, or using an electric car.
By not wasting energy at home we can avoid to some extent the global warming. This includes shutting down the systems when not in usage and also buying energy efficient equipments. Solar energy, wind energy and hydro-electricity can be used that reduces the pollution of the atmosphere to a greater extent.
Global warming is mainly due to the ignorance of the people and the ‘don’t care attitude’ of few. Even at a younger stage it is wiser to educate the children to be efficient consumers and be responsible users of energy and resources remembering that the global warming is slowly destroying the earth and its natural habitat.
People should be reminded that they share the earth and its resources with the other species that keep the ecosystem balanced, if the balance is gone then the life if every single species is threatened and even humans will not be spared from this.
Media can play a role in educating the people of the phenomenon of global warming that has already taking a huge toll. This won’t disappear overnight. As we thoughtfully practice ways of preventing the causes that causes global warming one day the earth will be restored.
Planting trees is a very good start that can help diluting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
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