We won’t save the planet unless we persuade ourselves & other people to become aware of the environmental problems we have started facing today. To start with, one should first understand what is 'Global Warming'....
What is Global Warming:
A potential increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere caused by the greenhouse effect is termed as 'Global Warming'. The meaning of greenhouse effect is the trapping of the sun's warmth in the lower atmosphere caused by high levels of Carbon dioxide & other greenhouse gases more transparent to incoming solar radiation than to reflected infrared radiation. The most abundant greenhouse gases ranked in the order of their contribution to the greenhouse effect are water vapour (36 - 70 %), carbon dioxide (9 - 26 %), methane (4 - 9 %) and ozone (3 - 7 %). Even clouds absorb & emit infrared radiation and thus contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Many climate scientists are studying about Global Warming for years & years. According to their study on the past climate variations, they say that the 21 st century might experience a temperature rise of about 3 to 8 degrees, drastic climate & weather shifts, icy areas contracting, rise in the sea levels, fatal calamities & most importantly & widely visible would be 'Danger to our blue planet'.
Causes of Global Warming:
- The following are some of the main causes of Global Warming:
- Carbon dioxide: The first and the abundant cause of Global Warming is the emission of Carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants, cars, airplanes, buildings, etc...Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of 2 oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single Carbon atom. Carbon dioxide is considered to be the principal gas of Global Warming.
- Methane: The second most important contributor of Global Warming is Methane (CH4). Methane is the simplest alkane and the principal component of natural gas. Methane is 21 times as effective as Carbon dioxide on Global Warming. The prime sources of Methane are livestock, petroleum drilling, coal mining, solid-waste landfills, rice paddies and wetlands.
- Water Vapor: The Third one is Water Vapor which is a factor that amplifies the greenhouse effect and thus very very important & to be seriously taken. Water Vapor is the gas state of water and can be produced by evaporation or boiling of a liquid and also by sublimation of ice. As the atmospheric temperature rises and the amount of water vapor increases, the greenhouse effect is enhanced, further increasing temperature.
- Nitrous Oxide: The next greenhouse gas is Nitrous Oxide which is also known as Laughing Gas or Happy Gas having chemical formula N2O. Nitrous oxide accounts for 9 percent of all greenhouse gases, yet is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2). As a result its longevity in the atmosphere provides a potentially more damaging legacy than CO2. The sources of NO2 are using nitrogen based fertilizers, disposing of human & animal waste in sewage treatment plants, automobiles and many other sources which are still to be identified.
- Ozone: The triatomic molecule Ozone or Trioxygen (O3), at ground level, is an air pollutant with harmful effects on the respiratory systems of animals. This ground level ozone is formed by the reaction of sunlight on air containing hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides that react to form ozone directly at the source of the pollution or many kilometers down wind. Ozone acts as a greenhouse gas in the upper level of the atmosphere, i.e. the troposphere, where it absorbs some of the infrared energy emitted by the earth and thus contributes to the greenhouse effect.
- Chlorofluorocarbons: Some haloalkanes such as those containing chlorine & bromine, have negative and dangerous effects on the environment such as Ozone depletion. The most widely known haloalkanes within this group are the Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). When such ozone-depleting chemicals reach the stratosphere, they are dissociated by ultraviolet light to release chlorine atoms. The chlorine atoms act as a catalyst, and each can break down tens of thousands of ozone molecules before being removed from the stratosphere. This is how the ozone layer is getting depleted and is creating the so called Ozone Hole.
Effects/Impacts of Global Warming:
The following are some of the effects of Global Warming on Earth (taken as well as about to take place) & are quite noticeable:
- Melting of Permafrost: The permafrost or permafrost soil is a soil at or below the freezing point of water (0 degree celcius). Most of the Arctic area is covered by the permafrost. And this permafrost is seeming to be melting which would dramatically worsen the global warming effect by releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases thereby enhancing the greenhouse effect.
- Bangladesh under Water: The Catastrophe in Bangladesh has begun. Due to great rises in the sea levels, Bangladesh's One-Third part is under Water.
- Along with these hot temperatures, Australia has consequently experienced some if its driest months and severest drought.
- In 2007, Northern England experienced a whole months worth of rain in just a few hours in many places.
- Southwest Pakistan was hit by monsoon floods affecting 800,000 and Indonesia experienced intense storms which left more than 340,000 homeless.
- Ukraine experienced their worst drought in a century, which cut crop yields by 60% and resulted in a rapid increase in food crops.
- Tokyo (the capital of Japan) had never gone so late without snow in the winter season according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
- As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with them.
- As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes.
- Hurricanes cause do billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these.
- With a two degree increase Greenland will tip into irreversible melt (accelerating sea-level rise and threatening coastal cities around the world).
- Polar Bears and other species that require a stable ice platform for survival will become extinct in the Arctic.
- A three degree increase will result in Perth, Sydney and other parts of Australia experiencing water shortages, the world will experience a net food deficit, the Amazonian ecosystem will collapse and glacial retreat in the Himalayas means the Indus River will run dry and millions of environmental refugees will flee Pakistan.
- A four degree increase in temperature will lead to a third of Bangladesh being threatened by rising seas and millions will become climate refugees.
- All glaciers will disappear in the Alps.
- A five degree increase means the earth will become hotter than any other time in 55 million years and methane hydrate will be released from underneath oceans resulting in tsunamis in coastal regions.
- Finally, a six degree increase will lead to the mass extinction of species including Humans.
Solution to Stop Global Warming:
One just has to follow the key steps mentioned in this website for various categories. Once you complete at least 40 % of the key steps, you will notice a considerable positive change in the prevention of Global Warming. Further, you will see the Earth Happy & Smiling & Blue.
In short, Global warming is affecting many parts of the world. Global warming makes the sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands. This is a big problem for many of the plants, animals, and people on islands. The water covers the plants and causes some of them to die. When they die, the animals lose a source of food, along with their habitat. Although animals have a better ability to adapt to what happens than plants do, they may die also. When the plants and animals die, people lose two sources of food, plant food and animal food. They may also lose their homes. As a result, they would also have to leave the area or die. This would be called a break in the food chain, or a chain reaction, one thing happening that leads to another and so on.
The oceans are affected by global warming in other ways, as well. Many things that are happening to the ocean are linked to global warming. One thing that is happening is warm water, caused from global warming, is harming and killing algae in the ocean.
Algae is a producer that you can see floating on the top of the water. (A producer is something that makes food for other animals through photosynthesis, like grass.) This floating green algae is the food to many consumers in the ocean. (A consumer is something that eats the producers.) One kind of a consumer is small fish. There are many others like crabs, some whales, and many other animals. Fewer algae is a problem because there is less food for us and many animals in the sea.
Global warming is doing many things to people as well as animals and plants. It is killing algae, but it is also destroying many huge forests. The pollution that causes global warming is linked to acid rain. Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches. Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out whole forests. This happens because global warming can make the earth very hot. In forests, some plants and trees leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire.
Global Warming
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