Global Warming

Global Warming

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. 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.

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.

Effects

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.

Prevention

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.

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.

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.