As a result of fossil fuel usage, global warming is becoming dangerous to human life and environment. Identify two manmade causes of global warming and evaluate three possible solutions to reduce the impact.
Global warming is the increase in temperature caused mostly by humans through emission of various greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels in power plants. Increase in normal temperature is the resultant of global warming.
Most of the scientists are of the same opinion that the current global warming condition is caused due to human activities. It is found that gases such as nitrous oxide, methane, etc., trap the sun’s heat radiating through the earth towards space.
On earth, human expansions are responsible for changing the natural greenhouse. In the last few decades, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased to a great extent as a result of burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This happens because in the process of burning coal and oil, carbon gets combined with oxygen in the atmosphere forming carbon dioxide (CO2).
Figure 1: Melting of Ice because of global warming (Source: https://go3project.com/network2/index.php/blogs/4092/509/global-warming-causing-polar-bear-extinction)
It is difficult to predict the consequences of altering the usual atmospheric greenhouse, but certain effects are likely to happen:
This will warm the atmosphere of the earth which is accepted in certain regions of the world but others may not.
The warmer temperature will lead excessive evaporation and rainfall. But this will make the climate of individual regions totally different. Some will become wetter while the other becomes dryer.
The water level in the sea will rise as the increase in temperature will result in melting of glaciers and ice caps in the Frigid Zone.
The green house gases such as carbon dioxoide allow the short wavelengths solar radiation to pass through them, thus converting them into long wavelengths. The long wavelengths solar radiations which are thus formed remain in the atmosphere as they do not escape away through such gases because of which the temperature raises day by day (Carlin, 2011). Global warming is a great problem due to which the current temperature has increased much higher than before.
Though human activities are the main reason behind global warming, there are also certain natural factors that causes rise in temperature such as forest fires, permafrost, sunspots, water vapor, etc.
During the 20th century, the upsurge of green houses gases in the atmosphere is the resultant of growing use of fossil fuels and development of global economy. Industrial activities grew 40-fold, and the emission of harmful gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) grew 10-fold (Fang, 2011).
Any types of pollution whether it is because of vehicle, electricity or industries are the key contributor to the global warming. Each and every day billions of motor vehicles releases various types of gases are opened to the atmosphere. This causes increase in average temperature and warms the earth. Electricity also causes pollution in a lot of ways. The contribution of fossil fuel in the production of electricity is more than 75%. When fossil fuels are burnt, it releases many gases such as methane and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
In producing electricity, fossil fuel like coal is burnt. It is the most important fuel that is burnt to produce energy (Folland, 2011).
It is apparent that the consumption of energy by the humans is increasing day by day as it is from our first memories. In U.S. approximately 40% carbon dioxide produced is because of the consumption of fossil fuels like gasoline (MacAvaney, 2009).
On the other hand industries are responsible for emitting a variety of gases to the water bodies and the atmosphere. Some of the major green house gases are nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, methane, etc. Each type of gas has its own capability to trap the heat. Few gases traps more heat as compared to carbon dioxide. When we compare the gases, it can be analyzed that methane gas is the most effective one when it comes to trap the heat. We are releasing a large amount of carbon dioxide by driving cars, using electricity which is produced by power plants which warms our homes.
Figure 3: The pattern of temperature anomalies around the globe in January 2016. (Source: NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies)
Cutting down of plants and trees in order to continue the developmental activities are known as deforestation. Taking out a complete forest by Mother Nature is totally different from destroying it by humans for the sake of fuel, cultivation of crops and for fulfilling other consumption. Fuels which are used, such charcoal and wood, is only an addition to the polluted gases in the blanket of air, i.e., atmosphere. Chain reaction is the resultant of the loss of our forests where excessive carbon is emitted into the atmosphere with not enough oxygen to combat it (Florides, 2012).
Therefore, in order to live and breathe, it is necessary for us to protect our forests and thereby stops the greenhouse effect. Cutting of trees is held responsible for the increase in the green house gases in the atmosphere either by cutting or burning trees and plants. Global warming is increasing tremendously because of fulfilling the demands of humans, new developmental projects, requirement of land for factories and homes, need for wood, requirement for agriculture, etc (Akerlof, 2012).
Beside these, there are various other factors which are causing the global warming and because of which the normal average temperature is increasing day by day. Some of those are landfills, over population, mining, fertilizer, meat consumption, etc.
With the rise in temperature, the concern towards the global warming is increasing tremendously. The present level of carbon dioxide in the air is much higher when compared to any record of the past. As per the report of NASA, the increase in temperature is moving at a quicker rate than any point in the last 1300 years (King, 2004). Most of the scientific organizations such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA have agreed that human activities and behaviors are the major cause of the present warming trend. Thus it is important for us to control this increasing trend.
Global warming is something which cannot be eliminated completely, rather only the effect of it can be reduced (Still, 2010). There are various methods to reduce the effect of global warming which needs to be followed sincerely so that we can create a good environment for our coming generation. Some of the methods which can be followed are as follows:
When somebody talks about eating consuming local products, people thinks of doing their own farming and consuming only in the warm seasons (Prentice, 2013). This can be done other way; rather people can buy eggs, dairy and meat locally year round.
Around the globe, the neighborhood supermarkets are full of the organic products but one should consider the amount of fuel that will be used to bring it to the particular town. Secondly, what can be done is that when we move to a food store to buy products we must read the label of the products to know that from where these products are originated (Allen, 2014). It will be better if we choose the product that are originated from the same area where we are located, rather than choosing the product which are coming across the country.
Particularly, car travel is held responsible for global warming. Nearly 25% of the energy which is used in U.S., according to EPA, is utilized in motor vehicles. The best way to reduce emission is to change our driving habits (Hansen, 2015). This can be done by preferring public transportations, walk or riding a bike. Car should be kept well maintained so that it will run efficiently. Abrupt acceleration and driving at a high speed burns the fuel. Thus driving at a very high speed must be avoided so as to reduce the emission of harmful gases.
Cutting of trees is the most vital factor for the global warming. It is considered as the major contributor towards increase in average temperature. Deforestation releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere in large quantities (Meehl, 2012). As receive carbon dioxide from the air. Cutting down of forests leads to increase in atmospheric temperature and the level of carbon dioxide will rise even further. In order to control global warming, we are required to reduce the cutting down of tress and forests. Paper should be recycled.
Some other precautions which can be taken care of are as follows:
By reducing the use of conventional source of energy.
Replacing the use of fertilizers with biotic manure.
Minimizing the use of fossil fuel with complete combustion.
By encouraging plantation
By enforcing a control over the cutting down of the forests.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that the global warming imposes a major challenge to the society. There is clear evidence that in the upcoming century, there will be a huge change in the climate throughout the world. We shouldn’t wait for the global politics to look after the issue, rather we as an individual should take the responsibility to reduce the effect of global warming. If we start today, there is a great chance that we could manage the cost and damage made by the change in climate.
References
Akerlof, K 2012, ‘Communication of Climate Projections in US Media Amid Politicization of Model Science’, Nature Climate Change, vol. 2, pp. 648-654.
Carlin, A 2011, ‘A Multi-disciplinary, Science-Based Approach to the Economics of Climate Change’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 8, pp. 985-1031.
Fang, H 2011, ‘Global warming, Human-Induced Carbon Emissions, and their Uncertainties’, Science China Earth Sciences, vol. 54, pp. 1458-1468.
Florides, A 2012, Global Warming: CO2 vs Sun, Department of Engineering and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, viewed on 27 March 2016 https://ruralsoft.com.au/clim_temp/co2_vs_sun.pdf.
Folland, C 2011, Observed Climate Variability and Change, The Scientific Basis. New York: Cambridge University Press, New York.
MacAvaney, B 2009, Model Evaluation, The Scientific Basis, New York: Cambridge University Press, New York.
Prentice, I 2013, The Carbon Cycle and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Still, C 2010, Simulating the effects of climate change on tropical montane cloud forests, Elsevier, Sydney.
King, D 2004, Climate change science: Adapt, mitigate, or ignore? , Adelaide University, Australia.
Allen, M 2014, The blame game: Who will pay for the damaging consequences of climate change? , Elsevier, Sydney.
Hansen, J 2015, ‘Earth’s energy imbalance: Confirmation and implications’, International Journal of Science, vol. 8, pp. 1431–1435.
Meehl, G 2012, How much more global warming and sea level rise?, International Journal of Science, vo. 7, pp. 1769-1772.
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