Analysis of Globel Warming - Essay Example

?Global Warming The industrial revolution was the initiator of natural and ecological imbalances. Starting the late 19th Century the boom of the Western world in industrial and technological areas resulted in an exponential growth of manufacturing factories, industrial plants and several types of industrial units all over the globe. The sudden mushrooming of hundreds of thousands of industries all around the globe have had a devastating effect on the ozone layer which has been a burning issue in the latter half of the 20th century. Green House gasses are gasses containing chemicals that cause green house effect. It forms an invisible umbrella that reflects back radiation onto the earth instead of radiating it out into space. This causes gradual warming of the planet, as the consequence ‘green house warming’ or ‘global warming’ indicates. Starting the late 19th century, this journey towards increasing climatic crises and ecological imbalances started. The average temperature of the planet has increased. Sea levels have increased due to arctic glacier melting. Every year the sea level rises by millimetres and the trend seems exponential, posing a threat to all coastal cities. The chief cause of behind the menace of green house gasses is the compound ‘chlorofluorocarbon’. This is the compound used for cooling purposes in domestic and industrial refrigerators and massive coolers. It is used in most of the cooling solutions like cold storages, ACs etc. These gasses break up the ozone layer. Similarly other agents like vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide contribute to green house effect. The causes of rise in green house gases is due to industrialisation, agriculture, deforestation, incineration of several materials including waste and natural decomposition. Since the industrial revolution in the early 1900s, the rate of industrialisation increased 40 fold and with it multiplied the emission of green house gasses. These gasses, caused the natural process of keeping the earth’s atmosphere warm, to spiral out of control into what is today known as ‘Global Warming’. The effect is known as anthropogenic (human caused) climate change. The effects climate changes has already had around the globe are: increase in average temperature of earth, rise in sea level due to glacial melting and ozone hole What effect is predicted if green house gas levels continue to increase at the present rate? If green house gas levels are allowed to increase at their present rate it might initiate several natural catastrophes. The most fatal consequences for earth and all forms of life on it would be increase of sea levels, flooding of islands and coastal destinations. A dramatic effect could be submersion of entire coastal cities. The argument that Al Gore makes in the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is not substantial and I completely disagree with i. He says that the increase in green houses gas levels in the atmosphere due to increase in carbon dioxide level is behind rise in surface temperature of the earth. This is causing abnormal glacier melting every year, resulting in disintegration of polar habitats of animals like polar bear, arctic seal, penguins, sea-lions, walruses etc. The truth however is that this is a natural cycle of warming up and cooling down of the earth’s temperature. The earth’s temperature, in truth is ever changing, always dynamic and either going up or down in a span of weeks, months or years. The very base of Al Gore’s argument that the earth’s surface temperature changing is detrimental to the environment and ecology is faulty. The world has witnessed an Ice Age when temperature was below freezing point. Green house gasses have nothing to do or a very small role to play in what we perceive as global warming. The earth is going through a warming up phase. For an instance Green Land was in its prime green phase in pre-history and its name sounds quite inappropriate in the present day. The poles used to have palm trees, whereas now they have nearly no vegetation except for arctic life. Hence the basic assumption that the earth’s temperature is constant and a slight change can be detrimental to life, is wrong. In Bill McKibben’s writing, “Tilling a New World”, it is stated that the United States will be producing almost 20 % more green house gasses in 2020 than it did in 2012. (Tilling a new world 1)He states through his observation the consumerist attitude that the world has shown in the last 50 to 70 years has driven the want for more. This constant want for more amenities, better living, more facilities, higher standards of life and a constant urge for more material has been the main cause behind the rise in CO2. CO2 has been the major environmental contaminant for which no evidence of decrease with betterment of living standards has been recorded. The cause of increase in CO2 levels has been fuelled by dependency on machines, increased pollution due to commercial vehicles such as trucks, trains, ships, and personal vehicles like cars, bikes, industrial machines and industries in general.( Tilling a new world 1) The solution to a rapidly increasing level of CO2 is reducing machine dependency, simplifying life and learning to live without excesses. It requires a reformation in thinking, taking a stride down to the market, instead of driving down, buying and using less gadgets/ machines which have a larger carbon footprint. The positives from this proposal are a sure and a certain way of implementing a cut in rise in CO2 levels. The negative aspect of this approach is that it is contrary to growth and progress. Such an approach is anti-industrial or anti-consumerist. As a result of practising a lifestyle driven by smaller needs and more modest ways, industries might be thrown out of business and growth and development would be stalled. I agree to the first part of McKibben’s argument that the economic growth and “want for more” is responsible for increased levels of CO2. However I feel there are better ways to bring down CO2 levels instead of completely stopping CO2 emission. However I feel there are better ways to bring down CO2 levels instead of completely stopping CO2 emission. This can be done through lesser deforestation, minimal usage of paper, sapling plantation drives, stoppage on incineration of wastage, car pooling, power saving and reducing CFC emission by using power friendly and eco friendly electrical and electronic appliances. References: 1. Bill McKibben. “Tilling a new world”. Los Angeles Times. 21 Mar. 2007. Web. 30 Oct. 2012 2. AL Gore, “An Inconvenient Truth”. Web 30 Oct. 2012. Read More