The Threat Facing Humans And The Earth In General - Essay Example

The Threat facing Humans and the Earth in general After the onset of industrialization, the activities of human beings, particularly the production of greenhouse gases, have become a threat to his welfare and that of other living species, as well as the environment in general. The threats facing the planet have come in the form of the degradation of the ozone layer, global warming, and the change of the planet’s ecological balance. The adverse impacts of the effects of human activities on human life and other life include that, the ultraviolet rays that reach the earth, due to the degradation of the ozone, cause cancers in humans and problems of fertility in animals. Another impact of the changing ecological and environmental balance is the increase in sea levels, which is triggered by the melting of polar ice caps. The adverse effects of human activities show that, in the long run, they could lead to the extinction of different living things and ecological systems, including human life itself. This problem had been explored before, and the long-term impacts show that it has continued to warrant immediate solution. Through this report, the author will explore the effects of global warming, which is triggered by human activities, threatening the existence of humans and other parts of the environment. Scientists discovered the accumulation of four new man-made gases that pose a threat to the ozone layer. The scientists documented that, like the greenhouse gases discovered before, the four new gases were contributing to the wear out of the ozone layer, and are manmade, since they were not present before the 1960s. The worst information about these new gases is that their accumulation is increasing at an alarming rate, despite the fact that the production of fluorocarbons was restricted since the 1980s, and the full ban took effect in 2010. Unfortunately, the sources of the four gases remained a mystery to scientists. The ozone layer is the protective layer lying between 15 and 30 kilometres above the Earths surface. The ozone layer shields the earth from ultraviolet rays, which cause cancers in humans and reproductive problems in animals. Extensive studies concluded that about 74,000 tonnes of these gases had been ejected, and that the release of two of them was mounting rapidly, which poses a serious threat of ozone depletion. Due to the alarming nature of the impacts, investigating the source of the gases is important, as they are likely to pose a major threat in the future. The situation calls for more vigilance in checking the production and the release of these gases, where the possible solutions include agricultural insecticides. Different studies have highlighted the increasing destruction of the ozone layer, but emphasized that, apart from the destruction caused by the ozone-destroying chemicals released into the atmosphere, weather changes played an important role in ozone depletion. This conclusion was made after the discovery that the ozone hole formed above the Antarctica changed in size year after year. Susan Strahan of NASA’s Goddard space centre gave the information and emphasized that their investigations would check whether the hole was reducing in size. However, she reported that an accurate evaluation of the reducing ozone depletion called for the measurement of the different factors that cause changes in the size of the ozone hole. The corrective measures that stopped the growth of the hole included the international Montreal Protocol that restricted the production of CFCs. Dr. Strahan has added that changes in weather conditions affect the levels of ozone; fluctuations in air temperatures and winds reduced the ozone amounts sitting above the Antarctica, which could be responsible for the yearly changes of size. The NASA team held that weather changes would affect the ozone balance until 2030, but after that, following a reduction in the chemicals in the atmosphere, the ozone layer would begin to recover, possibly during the ten years before or after 2070. Different scientists emphasized that, apart from relying on the restoration of the ecological balance to take place by 2070, nations and organizations could play a role in reducing global warming levels. The evidence that the imposition of restrictions could affect the ecological balance positively was evident from the impacts of the Montreal treaty, which was aimed at protecting the ozone layer. The treaty was regarded very successful in addressing environmental degradation, as it integrated conservative, yet business-friendly policies that allowed it to work successfully for two decades. The treaty was made, following the discovery of the harm caused by fluorocarbons. The discovery was made by two scientists during the 1970s, where emphasis included that skin cancer and crop destruction among other problems were increasing. The discoveries were fought by parties with selfish interests, including chemical companies, but in 1985, the discovery of the ozone hole offered the necessary prove. The current case, noting that the release of harmful gases into the atmosphere was increasing, needed to be subjective to a similar treatment, noting that an unquestionable literature base gave evidence of the potential effects. The effectiveness of the Montreal protocol, above the Kyoto protocol, showed that the policies developed needed to be safer for the environment. Through the careful development of policies, the helplessness of humans in the face of global warming would be reduced. The success of the Montreal treaty, in protecting the ozone from depletion, worked well in countering the effects of climate change. Evaluative accounts maintained the position mentioned before that, the 1987 treaty helped to slow the speed of global warming. It is important to also add that other factors came into play, in reducing levels of global warming, including the slowdown of ozone-depleting gases. Ozone-hole treaty slowed global warming. Estrada, among other colleagues, concluded that greenhouse gases emission levels played a major role in determining global warming levels, especially during the years between 1880 and 2010. The rebound cycle was evident from the industrial slowdown that characterised the years after World War II, as industries were still in the process of recovering from the financial crisis. Similarly, the Montreal treaty of 1987 had a major impact on ozone depletion, as it reduced the production of CFC gases. The success of the Montreal treaty showed that the development of an international agreement that worked well could help to correct the threatening situation. Humans have remained the major contributor to global warming, ever since the 1950s. This position was supported by the UN climate panel’s conclusions that the release of greenhouse gases remained the major contributor of global warming, which was evident from the increasing temperatures of the atmosphere and the ocean; the reduction in icecaps and the rising sea level. The effects of climate have been evident from its impact on land and water resources, which were the primary resources for humans and earth’s ecosystems. Prof. Stocker maintained that the lack of in-depth information about the challenges facing the development of successful solutions, and maintained that the rise in sea levels would increase more rapidly than it has done over the previous 40 years. Towards correcting the situation, the IPCC was developed, with the aim of supplying the world with a scientific view of up-to-date knowledge on climate change, the socioeconomic impacts and the potential environmental effects. The scientists warned that ocean warming was among the major effects of the energy changes in the climate system, over the years between 1971 and 2010. There is a second side to the fight to recover the earth from global warming. The other side is the use of political and social forces to suppress the fight against the rapid impacts of global warming and climate change. The Canadian case has been vibrant in suppressing government scientists and the press from exploring the impacts of global warming, including the depletion of the ozone and the reduction of polar ice. Concerns regarding the suppression of science and the communication of the impacts of global warming have been expressed, and the conflicts had affected different areas like the funding of related programs. The counter efforts showed that the fight against climate change would have to surmount resistance, and also develop corrective measures that compel all agencies and states to participate in the development of solutions. Ever since the beginning of industrialization, the life on the planet has faced the threats arising from global warming, ozone depletion and climate change. The impacts have been and will continue to be felt by the different animal species, ecological systems and humans as well, in the case that the current trend of global warming and climate change are not curbed. Some scientific research studies have maintained that scientists discovered four new harmful gases that could increase the depletion of the ozone layer. Similarly, other studies reported that the release of greenhouse gases was increasing the threat of ozone depletion, but added that weather also played an important role in the depletion of the ozone. Instead of waiting for the ecological system to rebalance itself, states and agencies were supposed to combat global warming, in a manner similar to that of the Montreal treaty. Emphasis needed to be made that maintaining the institution of focused policies could correct the situation, as humans remained the major contributors to the problem of global warming and climate change, and evidence included that developments in the industrial sector triggered further impacts. The other side of the fight against global warming was that some states and interested parties are suppressing the measures adopted to address the problem of global warming. Read More