Effects of Global Warming - Research Paper Example

?Global Warming What is Global Warming? For over two hundred years, the temperature of the earth has increased from 2.5 to 5 degrees Celsius (Gore, 2007). This event is known as global warming. Global warming takes place when the average temperature of the earth near the surface and oceans progressively becomes warmer. As the temperature increases, changes begin to take place on the earth and in the atmosphere. These changes involve the altering of the physical structure of the earth’s surface and radically changing the weather conditions across the globe, which can bring forth many irreversible consequences. As stated, the temperature of the earth’s surface has been slowly but surely rising over the span of a few centuries. This increase in temperature, though assumed to have always been taking place, was first called to attention in the early 1800s. The first Industrial Revolution brought with it coal, railroads, and the cutting down of forests for various projects, all of which prompted the speeding up of greenhouse gas emissions (Weart, 2008). The second Industrial Revolution saw a similar change, and scientists began recording the slightest of changes to the earth’s temperature. However, in the past decade, it has been noted that this increase in temperature has only quickened with time. This is thought to be due to the advancement in technology that has allowed us to create more finite-dependable utilities. Due to global warming, various locations throughout the world are seeing changes to their weather and temperatures that they have never experienced before. While some places are experiencing unfamiliar, and often unbearable, heat, other places are finding themselves bundling up in attempts to withstand the unusual and unseasonal chill. The greatest change in surface temperature can be found in Alaska and Greenland, where the Inuit tribes are discovering for the first time what it means to have a warm day in a land predominantly made of ice. Similarly, the weather conditions throughout the world have changed, bringing rain to places that are otherwise barren and dryer weather to locations that are more used to rain or snow. The cause of global warming takes place on earth, but the effects primarily take place in the atmosphere. When greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation, become trapped in the earth, the greenhouse effect comes as a result. These gases would normally be able to escape from the earth, but when they are unable to they remain close enough to the surface to cause dramatic changes in temperature. Carbon dioxide is the most harmful of these gases as it stays in the atmosphere for an increased amount of time, often exceeding many hundreds of years (Archer, 2007). Even a small buildup of carbon dioxide can cause a significant increase in temperature. The more emissions we allow to enter our atmosphere, the more carbon dioxide that remains. This buildup leads to increased temperatures, and thus global warming. Effects of Global Warming Though global warming is being experienced throughout the world, the most noticeable and drastic changes can be seen in locations where ice caps are great in quantity. As the earth’s temperature increasingly becomes warmer, these ice caps, such as those found in the Arctic, begin to melt. Contrary to popular belief, ice caps melt starting at the bottom, gradually losing size to their bases and slowly moving up as the ice caps become smaller. Approximately eleven percent of all landmass is glacial ice (Houghton, 2009), so the water levels are greatly effected by the melting ice caps. The ramifications of these melting ice caps may not be immediately noticeable, but as they continue to melt, the sea levels continue to rise, which bring forth further problems. As the sea levels rise, the oceans expand. To make room for all of this excess water, the oceans have no choice but to spill over onto our landmasses, which can result in horrific flooding throughout the world. Any landmass that borders the oceans will be effected by the rising levels of the sea; unfortunately, this also means that many inner states will eventually become oceanfront property as the flooding will wipe out all the landmass that it must to continue to expand. Some parts of the Inuit communities have already seen parts of their land go underwater due to the rising sea levels. They have also seen parts of their land melt as a result of global warming. As our earth is made up of seventy percent water, it would not take much for our oceans to cover what little land that actually covers our earth. Yet another effect of global warming is the potential expanding of the deserts. As it becomes too hot, places throughout the world will no longer be able to produce agriculture, plants, or other such shrubbery. The majority of these things will be unable to survive in heat and will end up dying. Without these plants, all that the world will consist of it water and deserts. Furthermore, as the landmasses begin to flood due to the rising sea levels, the water will wipe out many of these plant species. Once the surface of the earth becomes too heated, some of the water may dry up, but the plants will be unable to grow back again. The effects of global warming become a chain reaction with one consequence leading directly to another consequence, which leads straight to the gradual destruction of the human race as we become unable to live on this world with the erratic changes in temperature and weather conditions. When the rising sea levels result in flooding, many people will lose their homes, their property, and many will even lose their lives. The intense heat of the expanding deserts also have the probability of bringing about death. People will be unable to protect themselves from the intense heat, and there will also be an increased amount of hunger-related deaths since agriculture will be unable to grow and people will find it difficult to obtain food as most of it comes from agriculture. Fighting Global Warming There are numerous methods that humans can go about to prevent global warming from speeding up. It is unknown whether or not we can reverse some of the damage that global warming has already caused to our planet. Fortunately, scientists believe that we can implement certain changes and slow down the negative impacts of global warming until we are able to find methods to officially put an end to it (Spencer, 2010). Conserving energy is the most helpful solution to fighting the war against global warming. It is also the easiest solution as many of the methods can be simply done in everyday life. The more energy that is conserved, the less energy that we will need. It also means that less damage will be caused to the atmosphere and our fragile earth. Turning off lights, electronics, and appliances when they are not being used can prove to be beneficial. Even if an electronic is not being used, like a television, the system should still be unplugged from the wall since it is still drawing power from the source. Another method to conserve energy is to change from incandescent lightbulbs to fluorescents, which use less energy and last longer. Finally, changing methods of transportation from cars to bikes, carpools, or even walking will mean that less gas is being used and fewer carbon dioxide emissions are being released to our already fragile atmosphere. Making more use of renewable energy resources will also cut down on our need to use finite resources. For instance, replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric, sun-powered vehicles or the hybrid cars, which use energy from the sun and a small amount of gasoline. Also, depending on solar and wind power as means of obtaining energy, both of which can be turned into electricity, will mean less dependency on traditional methods of obtaining electricity for our homes. Hydroelectricity, which is the generating of electricity by means of falling or flowing water, is becoming more common as people begin to get creative with implementing renewable energy resources into their daily lives. Trees are a vital part to the health of our environment. During photosynthesis, trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, turn it into oxygen, and then release it back into the air. This decreases the amount of carbon dioxide that is in the atmosphere, which has the potential of turning around the current state of global warming (Steinman, 2008). As entire forests are being cut down to make room for stores, schools, and factories, we are depleting our earth of one of the few natural resources that have a positive impact on our environment. Therefore, more trees need to be planted, and less need to be cut down, in order to save what is left of the world as we know it. Parks need to be constructed and forests need to be planted throughout communities. Creating and releasing as much oxygen into the atmosphere is our fighting chance at preventing global warming from becoming even more serious. Conclusion Global warming is not just a threat to our world, but an event that is currently taking place. The more carbon dioxide we allow to be released into our environment, the more at risk we are putting our planet and our lives. Fortunately for us, there are methods that we can implement into our daily lives to slow down the process of the global warming that is slowly deteriorating our planet. By conserving energy, becoming more dependent on renewable energy resources more than infinite resources, and planting more trees to increase the amount of oxygen going into the atmosphere, we have the ability to protect our planet and our lives. If we do not pay attention to the obvious threats of a collapsing world, we are only asking for the destruction of a planet and an entire race. Works Cited Archer, D., 2007, Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast, Blackwell Publications, Malden, MA, 212 p. Gore, A., 2007, An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming, Viking, New York, 192 p. Houghton, J.T., 2009, Global Warming, Cambridge University Press, New York, 347 p. Spencer, R.W., 2010, The Great Global Warming Blunder. Encounter Books, New York, 180 p. Steinman, D., 2008, 50 Simple Steps to Save the Earth from Global Warming, The Freedom Press, Inc., Los Angeles, 160 p. Weart, S.R., 2008, The Discovery of Global Warming, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 240 p. Read More