Global Warming: Cause and Mitigation - Coursework Example

Global Warming: Causes and Mitigation Global Warming: Causes and Mitigation INTRODUCTION Global warming is one ofthe most challenging issues that have struck earth and mankind. It can also be accounted as the most dangerous scientific problems the world is facing. The core issue is that global warming does not only raise scientific concerns but also the politics, economics and lifestyles of a specific area. Global warming is caused by a misbalance of the greenhouse gases which are present on earth. These greenhouse gases are normally present on the surface of earth. Increased industrialization has led to increased quantity of burning fossil fuels. These burning fossil fuels release gases such as carbon dioxide which increase the percentage of greenhouse gases. Scientists believe that the unnatural increase in greenhouse gases is causing the temperature of Earth. Reports suggest that the temperature of Earth has increased by 0.75 degrees centigrade and sea level has also increased due to global warming. The misbalance in greenhouse gases will lead to unpredictable weather forecast and adverse climate events are bound to increase. Global warming has adverse effects such as changes in economy, health, agriculture, water sources and climate. Global warming if not taken care of it has the power to destroy earth (Maslin, 2004). Global warming is taking place in the world and the protective blanket has been dented. Climatologists have carried various studies which summarize that the increases in greenhouse gases lead to an increase in temperature of Earth. The elevated temperatures will cause deterioration of the world’s climate (Fisher and Narain, 2003). GREENHOUSE EFFECT The atmosphere of Earth is like a sheet on the earth. The gases present in the atmosphere make an imaginary blanket on Earth and it traps heat from solar rays. Average temperature on the surface of earth is 15 degrees but if the protective mechanism had not been present the temperature would have been -19 degrees. This protective mechanism of Earth is called greenhouse effect. This effect is an amazing thing because it protects life on the surface of Earth. This protective blanket is made by gases that include carbon dioxide as well as water vapor. The function of these gases is to absorb and trap heat from the sun. Water vapor and carbon dioxide are responsible for absorbing large portions of the longer wavelength of solar rays. The rays are reflected back to earth and some to outer space. A natural equilibrium is necessary between the reflected and absorbed rays. A shift in the natural equilibrium is occurring due the increase in carbon dioxide (Halmann and Steinberg, 1999). NATURAL VERSUS ANTHROPOGENIC CLIMATE CHANGES During the past few years, the numbers of anthropogenic climate changes are increasing in number compared to natural climate changes. The carbon dioxide that is labelled as anthropogenic is basically the carbon dioxide that is present in the environment owing to its production due to activities of human beings. These activities include the combustion of fossils including coal and gas. Global warming that is caused after human activities is known as anthropogenic climate changes. Recent researches have portrayed that in recent times more climate changes are occurring due to anthropogenic changes. Anthropogenic climate changes include increase in carbon dioxide due to increased burning of fossil fuels. The rise in carbon dioxide has led to global warming whereas natural climate changes occur naturally and include volcanic eruptions, solar irradiance, Antarctic warming and earthquakes (Mathez and Smerdon, 2009). MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR GLOBAL WARMING Mitigation or reduction of severity of global warming can be done by various measures such carbon sequestration, carbon taxing, lowering the cost of non-fossil fuels and improving the efficiency of existing fossil fuel technology (Rubin et al, 1992). Two of the strategies can be discussed in detail such as carbon sequestration and carbon taxing. Carbon sequestration or deposition of carbon dioxide involves the capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is not only occurring due to burning of fossil fuels but also due to deforestation, burning of biomass and soil cultivation. Conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural has resulted in emission carbon from the soil. Carbon sequestration or deposition occurs by chemical enduring in soil, and then the carbon is transferred to oceans as bicarbonate, and is stored as calcium carbonates in marine carbonates. So it can be stated that limestone and marine carbonates are the major pool of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, as a means to balance greenhouse gas increasing carbon sequestration in soil has become an important and helpful strategy (Monger et al 2001). Carbon taxing is another mitigation procedure by which global warming can decrease. Studies depict that economically an appropriate policy can reduce global warming. The economic reforms can be brought about if it is proved that global warming causes damage, if damage is reversible, costs of controlling greenhouse gas emission is low and if greenhouse gas control brings benefits to the quantity of global warming (Pearce, 1991). POLICIES TO STABILIZE GLOBAL CLIMATE Global climate can be stabilized by few policies and their implementation. Changes in global climate such as global warming are a discouraging problem for scientists and economists (Nordhaus, 1994). The following policies can be made that would decrease global warming. Government can intervene and control the global emissions of greenhouse gases. Short term policies can be made by pricing of fossil fuels. Long term policies can be made by increasing research and development of new technologies. Information programs and government purchases could make a contribution to stabilization of global climate. Regulatory programs could be necessary if pricing strategies are not effective and if they are not producing good results. Policies at state and local levels can be took which include waste management, transportation planning, forestry and utility regulation. Private efforts by individuals to reduce emission of greenhouse gases are bound to play a vital role in stabilization of global climate (Lashof and Tirpak, 1989). International climate stabilization policies need to portray the affects that greenhouse gases have on the environment. The warming of the climate on Earth is mainly due to the release of carbon dioxide and this release is not temporary and has persisted for a very long time. The temperature around the globe can only be stabilized over the period of thousands of years by controlling the release of carbon dioxide and making it minimal. This explains the fact that preventing the warming of the anthropogenic climate in the coming years is not possible through policies that limit the emissions of carbon dioxide but rather policies are needed that totally eliminate the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Matthews and Caldeira, 2008). SUMMARY The surface of Earth has many protective mechanisms that certify the possibility of life on Earth. The greenhouse gases make a protective covering or blanket over the Earth and assist in temperature regulation on Earth. Carbon dioxide and the water vapor are the main greenhouse gases. A natural equilibrium is present which is being dented due the insult by manmade measures. Anthropogenic climatic changes are occurring more than natural climatic changes which depict that increased industrialization and deforestation have increased global warming. Burning of fossil fuels in industries is the core problem which has caused a shift in the equilibrium. Mitigation processes are necessary to counter the issue of global warming. Carbon taxing, carbon sequestration, managing fossil fuels and lowering the cost of non-fossil fuels will help in eradication of this problem. Policies need to be made to address the continuing issue of global warming. Policies at government, local and individual levels need to be made to counter global warming. Policies need to be made and implemented against further chances of anthropogenic climatic changes. Halting global warming will not solve the problem but eradicating it completely will. If correct policies are made and followed, this issue can be solved. References Fisher, A. C., & Narain, U. (2003). Global warming, endogenous risk, and irreversibility. Environmental and Resource Economics, 25(4), 395-416. Halmann, M. M., & Steinberg, M. (1999). Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide mitigation: Science and technology. Boca Raton, Fla: Lewis Publishers. Lashof, D. A., Tirpak, D. A., & United States. (1989). Policy options for stabilizing global climate: Draft, report to Congress. Washington, D.C.?: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation. Maslin, M. (2004). Global warming: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mathez, E. A., & Smerdon, J. E. (2009). Climate change: The science of global warming and our energy future. New York: Columbia University Press. Matthews, H. D., & Caldeira, K. (2008). Stabilizing climate requires near‐zero emissions. Geophysical research letters, 35(4). Monger, H. C., Martinez-Rios, J. J., & Gallegos, R. A. (2001). Carbon sequestration and global warming. MC Manlio Enrique Ramírez Ramírez, 1. Nordhaus, W. D. (1994). Managing the global commons: the economics of climate change (Vol. 31). Cambridge, MA: MIT press. Pearce, D. (1991). The role of carbon taxes in adjusting to global warming. The economic journal, 938-948. Rubin, E. S., Cooper, R. N., Frosch, R. A., Lee, T. H., Marland, G., Rosenfeld, A. H., & Stine, D. D. (1992). Realistic mitigation options for global warming.Science, 257(5067), 148-149. Read More