Effects of Global Warming - Essay Example

INSTITUTION: NAME: DATE: GLOBAL WARMING Global warming is going in hand with climatic changes. The climatic changes are getting worse day in day out with the technology advancement and the technical enhancement in both second world and third world countries. Increased air pollution has heightened the climatic changes. Rising from seas, storms that are rampant, increasing heat, frequent fires outbreak, changing precipitation, severe droughts in several countries and large floods are indicative of climatic change (Rogejl et al., 2013 pp 248-253). INTRODUCTION Climatic change has brought changes into the economies, national securities, health and communities. Reliable sources indicate that climate changes will get more rampant if not capped before it gets to worse. As a result, several world organisations have come up to help in controlling global warming and climatic changes. Among the organisations are Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), NASA, Department of defence in U.S, National Science Foundation among others (Leiserowitz et al 2013 n,p). The climatic change occurs as a result of air pollution which leads to building up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. At the atmosphere, the build-up causes a zone that makes up Ozone gases. This is like a blanket which covers the earth and trapping sunlight around it. It results to increased raise of temperatures at the earth surface. Increasing carbon dioxide The carbon dioxide gases have been raised from air pollution. During the operations of industries, a large amount of carbon dioxide gases is released as industrial effluents which are directed to the atmosphere. Few industries are taking the action of purifying their effluents before releasing them to the air. The process of inserting HEPER filters into the chimneys from this industries is expensive hence making it costly for smaller industries to install them. Due to human beings negligence and ignorance, they rarely care about what they release from their factories and industries (Shakun et al.,2013pp 49-54). Carbon dioxide gases have also increased from other sources like from motor vehicles exhausts. A Large number of vehicles in the world operate on diesel and petrol to release the energy they use to locomote. The burning of the petroleum products results to the accumulation of the carbon dioxides into the air. Vehicles that do not rely on petroleum products are few and very expensive to purchase. Other sources of carbon dioxides are from burning of the hydrocarbon compounds like polyethene bags, plastics and rubbers. These products are manufactured from carbon hence when they are burnt the carbon in them mixes with the air to form carbon dioxide and carbon monoxides. Manufacture of agrochemicals has also led to an increase in the carbon dioxide. The chemicals when sprayed they volatilize due to scorching effect of the sun. The gases vapourises into the air in the form of carbon dioxide which later accumulates into the atmosphere, collecting at the ozone layer. Carbon dioxide gases have also been erupting from volcanic mountains and hot springs from the underground. This gases erupt depending on the size of the craters and amount of the gases accumulated underground. The gas pressure forces this gases to make their way through the craters and they are released to the atmospheres where they add to the amount of carbon dioxide accumulate . Other gases which are causing Ozone gases are sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide gases. Sulphur dioxide release The gases emanate from human activities and natural sources. Burning of coals and petroleum products apart from releasing carbon dioxides, this product when burnt also releases sulphur dioxide gases as waste. This gas once it is released it rises to the atmosphere where it accumulates and build up forming the Ozone layer gases. Volcanic mountains and hot springs eruptions are also sources of sulphur dioxide gases. During eruptions, there is a combination of gases that are released, and sulphur dioxide is among them. There is no control measure so far has been undertaken to control the gases from volcanic eruptions. Thus, proving global warming a world threat at large. Sulphur dioxide gases are also released from burning of forest and bushes. The wildfires are caused by human beings activities like burning charcoal, smoking and bush clearing during land reclamation. The smokes have combination of gases and sulphur dioxide is among them. The gas is released into the atmosphere where it adds to the level of toxic gases. The gases are also released from aerosols which are used in body make-ups and making sprays. Sulphur is a chief component in making most of the chemicals like sprays, agrochemicals, acaricides, pesticides, herbicides among others. The chemicals usually volatilize especially after sun burning and they evaporate into the atmosphere inform of gases. The gases has the high amount of sulphur dioxide which rises to the atmosphere leading to greenhouse effects. Sulphur dioxide gases apart from affecting the ozone layer, the sulphates reacts with the moisture in the atmosphere forming sulphuric acid. The acid results to acidic rain which is detrimental to human beings, crops and animals. Acidic rain clog metals that it get into contact with leading to quick wear and tear. The acid rain once it falls on plants which after absorbing, the acid interrupt with the physiological activities of the crops. This result to slow growth rate, low-quality production and low quantity production, causing losses to the agricultural farmers who are depending on the crops. Most of the developing countries have extensive industries which release a lot of effluents into the air. These industries have contributed heavily to greenhouse effects due to the toxic gases. These countries have neglected their responsibility of taking care of the produced poisonous gases and strict measures should be taken against such nations (Dai. A, 2011 pp 45-65). Nuclear fuels This is materials that are burned through nuclear fission where they release nuclear energy. The energy is produced at controlled rate but during formation of nuclear weapons, the energy is produced at the uncontrolled rate. The most common nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium. These compounds produce the nuclear power through radioactive decay. Burning of this fuels produces high amount of carbon monoxide. Though they provide a large amount of power per unit, nuclear fuels increase the carbon dioxide than any other sources of energy. The high energy production is parallel to high pollution the system causes to the environment. Use of nuclear weapons in world war 2, posed a great threat to the environment. The nuclear effects were still active even after ten years of the nuclear weapon. A lot of effects was visible in Hiroshima and Nagasaki where children were being born with physical defects like being lame, blind, stunted growth and with reduced plain capacities, all as a result of the nuclear weapon deployed. This indicates that the nuclear fuels are very detrimental and have a long lasting effect. Several recognisedorganisations and world super powers have prohibited use of nuclear fuels as the source of energy or as the weapon. They clearly understand the environmental threat posed by this form of products (Peters et al.,2013pp 4-6). EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING • Causes are rising of water levels in seas and oceans. • Lead to frequent storms and tornadoes especially on the oceans, which are very strong. • Global warming have led to abnormal raise in temperatures around the world. • Causes frequent fire out-breaks especially in dry areas due the extremely high temperatures. • It has changed seasons and precipitations. • Has led to desertification in most place of the world. • Has resulted in large floods that are hard to forecast thus causing heavy damages and deaths. Rising of sea levels and those of oceans; Global warming has led to raising in temperature in most places in the world. The temperature rise has resulted in the melting of ice on the mountains and in arctic zones of the world. The water formed are flowing to the seas and oceans around the world causing the rise of the water level. The rise of the water level of the seas and oceans has led to the change of the water table which is resulting in the displacement of people and animals. In some places, it has led to the death of people and the reduction of the occupied land has led to the dense population of the areas cross to this water masses. Frequent storms and Tornadoes; High storms have been experienced along seas and oceans. The storms are as result of strong waves forcing water to move in big masses. The storms and tornadoes have interrupted with human activities around the shores of the lakes, seas and oceans. They lead to destruction of houses, crops, resources and they also lead to death due to their heavy weights. Attempts to calm down the storms are turning futile as every day they come with different densities. Hence, are tricky to stop them. Raise in temperatures Global warming due to the gases mentioned cause formation of a blanket-like cover around the earth. The cover concentrates the heats on the earth surface and any heat lost to the atmosphere is reflected back to earth. The cover act as the green house hence the name greenhouse effects. High temperatures have changed seasons as weather scientists cannot forecasts the periods and seasons. The high temperatures have brought discomfort especially low altitude areas due to high heat accumulation. On the high altitude areas, they have resulted in changes like melting of the ice on mountains and arctic zones of the world. Fire out-breaks There are common fire out-breaks especially in dry areas and on the mountains. The out-breaks are as a result of temperature rise which has resulted to drying of vegetation. Hence, any source of fire is capable of causing the fire to the bush. Dry areas have become drier, agitating the fire. Hot eruptions also have been putting on fire in the areas they erupt. Changing seasons and precipitation Due to global warming, periods and seasons have drastically changed making it difficult for the scientists and meteorologists to forecast the seasons. Change of seasons has made it hard to target periods of farming or when to target the rains. High precipitations have also resulted. The raise in temperature have resulted to increase in the rate of evaporation and transpiration. This results to heavy rains and increased precipitations like mist and fogs. The heavy and unexpected rains have resulted in flooding, destruction of growing crops, destruction of infrastructure and in some cases, they have led in the loss of lives when they cause flood around the homesteads. Desertification Global warming has led the increase of the dry areas; that is the expansion of the arid and semi-arid areas. The increase of the deserts is as a result of the change of raining patterns with some areas experience long periods without rains. The areas are turned to dry areas even if they were productive initially. The increase in temperatures has also led to drying of vegetations in different areas across the world. The increase of deserts has been clearly proved by the increase of Sahara desert in Africa, which is expanding to eastern, central and western countries that were not experiencing deserts. Floods Heavy rains that are unexpected lead to floods. People are not ready for the downfalls hence, they are caught unaware. Due to poor drainage and lack of water ways lead to stagnation of water that causes the floods. The floods are detrimental as they can result in death as they caught people unaware. They also cause displacement and destruction of the homesteads. Governments have enacted policies to help in protecting their people against the floods (Koven et al.,2011 pp14769-14774). SOLVING GLOBAL WARMING CRISIS Global warming can be controlled through; • Having policies and laws to protect against air pollution • Government organisations and non-governmental organisations co-operating in trying to purify the polluted air. • Using of environmentally friendly sources of energy. • Recycling of by-product • Purification of wastes before releasing to the environment. Policies and laws to protect against air pollution Laws should be passed to safe guard the environment from being polluted. The laws should be an agreement between a company reorganization intending to start an industry or a factory. The breaking of those laws should be penalized with harsh penalties. There should also be policies controlling and giving instructions on how the industries should be structured in an effort of reducing high environmental pollution. Strengthening of world environmental organization should also be under taken, to give the organization powers they need to protect the environment (Cherubini et al., 2011 pp 413-426). Purification of the polluted air Efforts should be made in trying to purify the polluted air. Treatment should be made in those areas that are highly inhabited with industries. The treatment should try to remove the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and amount of sulphur dioxide. This is the gases that cause global warming and reduction in their concentration in the atmosphere will protect the world from global warming. Using environmental friendly sources of energy Other sources of energy should be deployed instead of using coal and petroleum products as the only source of energy. Use of solar energy have proved to be a reliable source of power. Solar energy as an alternative power source has no effluents like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide gases. Hence, proving as an environmentally friendly power source. Recycling of by-product The waste products should be recycled instead of damping them to the environment. This waste materials can be used to form other useful by-products. The carbon dioxide can be recycled and used in other plants that require using the gas. Carbon dioxide has proved to be a reliable fire extinguisher tool. Hence, more of the gas should be deployed into this plant. Sulphur dioxide should also be used in those factories that use the gas for beneficial activities. The gas has been used in manufacture of chemicals like herbicides, pesticides among others. Recycling of by-products will protect the atmosphere and the world from global warming crisis (Kumar et al., 2011 pp 4945-4953). Purification of wastes before release Industries and factories that are rampant in releasing harmful gases into the air should purify the effluents before release. They should have treatment plants that detoxify the effluents before their disposal. Use of HEPER filters in chimneys and exhaust pipes is a method that is helping in controlling environmental pollution. The filters detoxify the toxic gases like sulphur dioxide before they are released to the air(Kumar et al., 2011 pp 4945-4953). . Similarly, the transport sector is causing the high level of pollution to the environment. It is as a result of a large number of vehicles that are operating today. The vehicles and automotive should be reduced especially the private vehicles which should be replaced with public vehicles and this will reduce the level of pollution. RECOMMENDATION Global warming is a world- wide crisis and it is everyone’s responsibility to work together in protecting our environments. Through cooperation, the level of pollution will be minimized. Human being should become sensitive to their environment and avoid being ignorant of the petty issues that cause pollution. World super powers should at the front line in fighting against pollution in the effort to stop global warming. Environmental conservation should be carried throughout the world, planting of trees will also help to conserve the environment. CONCLUSION Global warming has proved to be a real threat to the world. Destruction of the environment at this rate is causing the poor environment for the existence of the man-kind, animals and plants on the planet. The effects of global warming are so severe that they are getting more worse with time and if they are not controlled at this point, will be a great threat in future. REFERENCES Dai, A., 2011. Drought under global warming: a review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2(1), pp.45-65. Peters, G.P., Andrew, R.M., Boden, T., Canadell, J.G., Ciais, P., Le Quéré, C., Marland, G., Raupach, M.R. and Wilson, C., 2013. The challenge to keep global warming below 2 C. Nature Climate Change, 3(1), pp.4-6. Kumar, K., Dasgupta, C.N., Nayak, B., Lindblad, P. and Das, D., 2011. Development of suitable photobioreactors for CO 2 sequestration addressing global warming using green algae and cyanobacteria. Bioresource technology, 102(8), pp.4945-4953. Shakun, J.D., Clark, P.U., He, F., Marcott, S.A., Mix, A.C., Liu, Z., Otto-Bliesner, B., Schmittner, A. and Bard, E., 2012. Global warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation. Nature, 484(7392), pp.49-54. Rogelj, J., Meinshausen, M. and Knutti, R., 2012. Global warming under old and new scenarios using IPCC climate sensitivity range estimates. Nature climate change, 2(4), pp.248-253. Koven, C.D., Ringeval, B., Friedlingstein, P., Ciais, P., Cadule, P., Khvorostyanov, D., Krinner, G. and Tarnocai, C., 2011. Permafrost carbon-climate feedbacks accelerate global warming. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(36), pp.14769-14774. Cherubini, F., Peters, G.P., Berntsen, T., STRØMMAN, A.H. and Hertwich, E., 2011. CO2 emissions from biomass combustion for bioenergy: atmospheric decay and contribution to global warming. GCB Bioenergy, 3(5), pp.413-426. Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E.W., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G. and Howe, P., 2013. Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans' Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in April 2013. Available at SSRN 2298705. Read More