The other main cause of Global Warming - Essay Example

The other main cause of global warming The term global warming and its effects on the earth’s surface are notnew, especially in a world where the impact is devastating. In fact, Global warming has greatest threat to worldwide economic and social systems. Global warming can be termed as the increase of the Earth’s average surface temperature due to effect of green house gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels (Haldar 1). Global warming has in effect taken the center stage in the scientists struggle to reverse the endangering effects of climate change and replenish the environment. However, one astonishing fact is the increasing concentration by scientist to monitor carbon dioxide emission as the major cause of global warming on the earth’s surface. It is thus important to control almost every human activity as it is the main drivers to the causes of global warming. Agriculture, mining, manufacturing activities among others are the most listed alternative causes of global warming when carbon dioxide is exempted. Other causes of global warming that have been given central attention in efforts to save our environment include among others natural causes. Natural causes are created and affected by nature without human’s contribution. One of the most known natural causes of global warming is the spontaneous release of methane gas in wetlands and tundra forests, mainly found in the Arctic region (Haldar 5). Methane gas is one of the most effective greenhouses gases that have since it contributed to immeasurable rate of global warming. Stern, Young, Druckman et al report that just like other gases, methane accumulates in the upper atmosphere thus trapping and preventing terrestrial radiation from escaping from the earth’s atmosphere (206). Apart from emission of methane gas by natural vegetations; tundra and wetlands, human activities like mining of coal and oil provides the underground trapped methane gas to escape into the earth’s atmosphere. Some other human activities like agriculture involving rearing of livestock, whose dung releases methane gases are known to contribute to high concentration of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, causing global warming. The situation is worsened by the fact that man has destroyed the most valuable controller of carbon dioxide emissions; trees and vegetation. Trees and vegetation has a natural process of photosynthesis which absorb carbon dioxide. Worst still is that the effect off deforestation is felt in two dimensions. One is where the trees are cut down thus unable to trap carbon dioxide and the other is that the same trees are used as a source of energy which also contributes to carbon emission. Global warming becomes a serious and complex issue because the surface of the earth does not cool primarily by means of radiation but rather cools by evaporation and convention. This is contributed by the changing of temperature. With the increasing atmospheric temperature, the rate of evaporation is also escalating leading to increase in the volume of water vapor in the earth’s atmosphere. As described by Maslin, increased water vapor in the atmosphere has effects of compacting to form a natural blanket that finally traps and hinders terrestrial radiation from escaping from the earth’s atmosphere (12). Due to increase in global temperatures, the precipitation patterns change causing alteration of natural processes and the arrangement and function of the ecological unit. This significantly contributes to global warming. In addition, increased use of inorganic fertilizers such as nitrogenous fertilizers has largely contributed to global warming (Maslin 10). Nitrogenous fertilizers are reacting in the soil and produce nitrogen oxide and nitric acid, which are catalysts to the process of global warming. Fertilizers and carbon dioxide are two major items to improve crop yield, so control global warming will influence the crop yield more or less. The increasingly populace around the world has created a need to manufacture more goods and services that will be able to sustain the population. This has led to increase in new discoveries and technology. It’s through technology that global warming issue comes in. for example; technological devices and machines like television sets, fridges and mobile phones are mentioned to contribute to the release of greenhouse gases (Stern, Young, and Druckman et al. 208). The devices are manufactured by use of minerals such as rubidium and uranium, which reacts to releases radiations that are unhealthy to the ozone layer. Pollution caused by human activities majorly poor decomposition of synthetic compounds like plastics have additional effects to the development of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are other catalysts of global warming. Another major contributor of carbon emission involves industrial wastes and the automotive industry. The ever increasing production of more automobiles poses a major threat to the environment especially due to the amount of carbon emissions. CFCs are greenhouse gaseous compounds that have extreme effects on the erosion and corrosion of the ozone layer known to protect the earth’s surface from ultraviolet radiation. Corrosion of the ozone layer gives ways for excess sun ‘s rays to enter the surface of the earth, thus leading to the melting of the earth’s ice and snow that eventually lead to swelling of oceans and seas. Conclusion Global warming has been very detrimental to the efforts to conserve environment. Unlike the much touted scientific notion that carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming, there is other minute but effective components that accelerate global warming. To start with, methane gases are accounted to have almost similar effects to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide as far as global warming is concerned. Methane results from human activities like mining, agriculture among others. Technological advancement including manufacturing of electric devices by use of reactive minerals like uranium is another significant contributor to global warming. Finally, it is not easy for human beings to get out of the problems caused by global warming. This is because most of the causes of global warming are results of activities and materials basic for human survival on the earth’s surface. However, some measures can be applied to lessen global warming. For example, one of the major preventive methods in the effects of green technologies could be reducing and or controlling population. This would ensure that human activities that contribute to emission of carbon gases will be reduced. Work cited Haldar, Ishtar. Global Warming: The Causes and Consequences. New Delhi: Mind Melodies Publisher, 2011. Print. Maslin, Mark. Global Warming: Causes, Effects, and the Future. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company, 2007. Print. Stern, Paul, Young Oran, and Druckman Daniel et al. Global environmental change: Understanding the human dimensions. Washington D.C: National Academic Press, 1992. Print. Read More