Causes and Effects of Global Warming - Essay Example

THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING" In the recent years with the modernization of this world, new and grave problems are arising for the people living in this world. With the help of modern science different types of troubles are being discovered in the globe on a daily basis. These troubles include some man-made problems like Wars, terrorism, pollution etc which are devastating not only for our life but for the atmosphere. Most of the problems being found in the world are related to the environmental factors. One such environmental problem which has created a political spark all over the world is ‘Global Warming’. Global Warming can be defined as, the increase of the overall temperature prevailing in this world. However the word can be said to possess a broader meaning as it is directly or indirectly related to the whole atmosphere of this world. ”Climate change is a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism” Sir David King, the chief scientific adviser of UK Government declared (BBC, 2004). Green house gases are the direct source of the problem identified as Global Warming. Carbon Dioxide and Methane form a larger part of these greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases further lead to an effect known as the greenhouse effect which causes the whole atmosphere in this world to lower down (Global Warming in 21st Century Causes Effects & Future, 2008). Greenhouse effect has an impact on the whole system of Global Warming and is considered an important ingredient which works towards this problem. This essay would further describe the causes and effects of Global Warming in detail. "All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, its here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster" (Barak Obama). Global Warming is usually denoted to be the cause of the actions committed by the human beings themselves. However there are opposing viewpoints on this notion as according to the critics, nature also plays a role towards the problem of global warming (Abrahamson, 1989). Carbon emissions can be specified as the major cause of the problem of Global Warming. The factories which are using the fossil fuels during their manufacturing process are giving out a great amount of carbon and this leads to a great change in the temperature of this world (CBO, 1990). The trees planted in the world are considered to be of immense importance in stopping the problem of global warming to expand. A tree’s intake during its growing process is carbon dioxide and this helps it to reduce carbon dioxide from the environment. However after a tree dies or the wood in it decomposes, carbon dioxide is given off in the environment. This has been seen as a major cause of the alarming high rates of carbon dioxide in the air these days. In the present years many forests have been burnt by the people or have been burnt naturally due to some accident. These factors have caused the trees to die and release carbon dioxide in the air. In the recent years fires have erupted in the major forests of this world. The fires which erupted in Amazon during the years of 2000 and 2005 can be viewed as a major setback for the people of this world. It destroyed an area of 132000 square kilometers of the Amazon forest. This area is estimated to be the size of the whole Greece. This released a huge amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. And it is estimated that the amount of CO2 released during these fires is in billions (Chemical & Engineering News, 2005). Deforestation, Climate changes and forest fires have been the main cause of the release of CO2 in the world. Similarly the number of cars emitting green house gases has also increased in the recent years. It is estimated that the number of cars running in America emitted 314 million metric tons in 2004 only. Furthermore it is estimated that the greenhouse gases given out by the cars are more than the electrical utilities. This shows that vehicles play a major role in influencing the temperature of the world. However nowadays new regulations are being made in accordance to reduce the harmful emissions given off by these cars (Desonie, 2008). Similarly the aviation industry also plays a role in increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the environment. It is said that aviation accounts for 3.5 % of global warming in U.S. Methane given in by the rice industries is also considered to be an important cause of Global Warming. The fertilizers being used for the crops all over the world release Nitrogen Oxide which is also a harmful greenhouse gas. Permafrost is a structure which holds carbon and other green house gases. It helps to store and not release them to harm the environment. However in the recent years it is found that the Permafrost is not acting like it used to and is releasing the harmful gases in the environment (Tesar, 1991). All these causes have a great effect on the whole infrastructure of this world. It not only has raised several questions about the stability of this world but has also made the concerned authorities realize the importance to tackle the problem of Global Warming. The effects of Global Warming are profound and alarming. The greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere have stored the rays given off by the sun. These stored rays are the cause of the increasing temperature through out the world. The melting of glaciers, floods, droughts, corrosion are the major effects of Global Warming. Global Warming has increased the amount of glaciers melting through out the world in the recent years. The greenhouse gases scatter the heat given off by the sun and increases the atmospheric pressure. According to Baliunas this leads the temperature of this world to increase by approximately 2 degrees (Cooper, 1996). And as the temperature rises the ice in the glacier melts increasingly. For e.g. Clemmitt affirms that the Montana Glacier Park had a total of 150 glaciers in 1910. However the number of glaciers has since dropped to 30. Such a huge difference in the number of glaciers clearly illustrates that the weather conditions through out the world are causing the glaciers to melt. Furthermore Mount Kilimanjaro has melted a huge amount since 1912 and it is expected that it would totally vanish by the 2020s. The melting of glaciers and polar ice can have an effect on the whole structure of the world. The sea levels will be increased with the melting of the ice of these glaciers. And due to this many small islands could be wiped out from the map of this world. Wigley states that in the end of the century the level of the ocean can rise up to 39 inches and the temperature of this earth can rise by 7 Fahrenheit (Cooper, 2001). If such a situation occurs coastal flooding would get common through out the world. Due to this many coastal hazards have occurred in South Louisiana and Florida. It is not only limited to coastal hazards as the rising sea levels have a direct effect on the forests also. Clemmitt discovered that the sea levels in the country of Bermuda have caused many Mangrove forests to die. This has leaded the issue of Global Warming to rise. It has created an atmospheric belt over the whole world which scatters the heat given off by the sun. This scattering is the cause of the increasing temperature through out the world. The climatic conditions prevailing in the world can be term as ‘in stabilized’. This unstable climatic condition through out the world has sparked out new diseases. The floods caused by global warming can lead to an increase in the disease of malaria. The harming effect of the changing climatic conditions in the world can be clearly evidenced by the increasing number of floods through out the world. In 1998 the number of countries which received flood was 55 (Chargava, 2004). The heat waves through out the world have increased since the 1950s and have killed a billion people. In 2003 a heat wave that hit Europe killed around 35000 people. Similarly coral reefs form an important part of the environment but recently they also have been affected by the climatic conditions. In March 2006 it was found that a whole colony of Caribbean corals was lost. This shows how lethal the effect of Global Warming can get. Similarly the strong winds prevailing on the surface of the sea surface have caused dead zones to arise. These dead zones consist of a low oxygen area. And this dead zone can be lethal for the marine life. Global Warming is an issue which is harming the lives of all the living things. The effects of Global Warming have also spread to the marine life and it is expected that the effects will further worsen in the recent years. The issue of Global Warming is of great consequence to the whole world. It is said that Global Warming has just started to affect the lives of the people and it is expected that the effect would get worse in the near future. The authorities concerned with Global Warming have not yet taken grave measures to lower down the problem. A research done by scientists of the World Health Organization (WHO) observed that 154,000 inhabitants expire each year from the effects of global warming, from malaria to undernourishment, kids in developing states apparently the most susceptible. These statistics could approximately twice by 2020. Bibliography: BBC (2004) Global warming ‘biggest threat’. [Internet], Available from: COOPER, M. H. (1996). Global warming. CQ researcher, v. 6, no. 41. Washington, D.C., CQ Press. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1996110100. COOPER, M. H. (2001). Global warming treaty. CQ researcher, v. 11, no. 3. Washington, D.C., CQ Press. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2001012600. (2005). GLOBAL WARMING Effects of rising CO2~ emissions match predictive models; researchers call for action. CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS. 83, 47-48. UNITED STATES. (1990). Carbon charges as a response to global warming: the effects of taxing fossil fuels. A CBO study. 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