Recovering from Global Warming - Essay Example

of lecturer: Introduction The current environmental problems have come as a result of industrialization, urbanization and population increase. The incidence of environmental problems such as greenhouse gasses emission, soil erosion and petroleum spillage, gas flare up, acidification of land and surface water bodies as well as floods has increased globally. This has resulted in emission of green house gases in to the atmosphere, clearing of forests for cultivation and release of toxic waste from industries as well as urban sewerage systems in to the environment. The green house gases such as Carbon Dioxide and Methane destroy the Ozone layer exposing the earth to harmful radiation from the sun. This has caused the problem of global warming that has become an issue of major concern internationally. The consequences of global warming have adversely affected human life. It has caused immense changes in rainfall and temperature resulting in more water and food stress. The ice sheets of West Antarctic as well as Greenland have melted permanently. Oceans have become acidified and the global temperature circulation has been affected. Desertification is extending to regions that were previously habitable (Robertson 2006 pp.112-117). Pollution is a very serious problem for the environment, but there are many green and healthy ways to reduce CO2 emissions and create a more sustainable world to live in. Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions Trees play a significant role in reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while they use it in photosynthesis (carbon sequestration). In the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is absorbed by the leaves from the atmosphere and converted in to molecules of carbon which combine with water to produce energy for growth. Oxygen molecules are released in to the environment. This continuous process is significant in ensuring that the free carbon dioxide released in to the atmosphere through anthropogenic processes does not have adverse impacts on the Ozone layer. It is one of the simplest methods of reducing the carbon dioxide in the environment. Research indicates that the tons of carbon dioxide from anthropogenic sources amount to more than 6 billion per year. It has also been established that the current tree biomass is capable of absorbing more than 30 percent of this carbon dioxide (Josphat 2003 pp. 46-51). Earthworks, (1990) established that “A single tree can clear out green house gases produced by a car over a distance of 11,000 kilometers in one year”. This is an indication of how planting more trees can be beneficial in reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hence providing a solution to the global warming phenomenon. The world’s population can significantly contribute to tree planting, thereby increasing the tree biomass. Households need to be encouraged to plant trees, which is an easy task since trees do not involve so many activities after planting. Instead of building shades in the homestead, trees can be planted to serve this purpose, while on the other hand absorbing carbon dioxide. The main issue in regard to reducing carbon dioxide reduction in the atmosphere lies in sensitization of house holds on the dangers associated with global warming, and how they contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. With this information, people can look for alternative sources of building materials in order to reduce pressure on the current tree biomass that is not sufficient compared to the levels of emissions released in to the atmosphere each day (DeCicco and John. 1990 pp 98-102). One of the major factors that have been noted to contribute significantly to the current pressure being exerted on forests is poverty. Due to people’s failure to satisfy their basic needs especially in the developing economies, many of them turn towards destroying the forests in order to extract the free products. Even with efforts of tree planting, it would be difficult to establish the required forest cover capable of sequestering large amounts of carbon. This could only be accomplished through ensuring that the factors that lead people to destroy the forests are suppressed. This can be done through supporting community tree planting projects in the less developed countries in order to prevent them from causing further destruction. Through these projects, poverty can be eradicated within these communities; hence forests can be maintained to continue acting as Carbon sinks (Robert and Williams 2007 p. 66). . Harvesting trees to be used in paper production reduces the capacity of forests in carbon sequestration in the atmosphere hence increasing the amount of carbon that reaches the Ozone layer. A lot of papers are wasted after being used. Most of it comes from newspapers that are published on a daily basis and once read are burned, used to wrap other items or simply thrown away in garbage pits. Research shows that newspapers equivalent to 30,000 hectares of trees each year (Earthworks Group, 1990 pp. 4-9). The group also established that, “In one year, an acre of trees takes away five tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere” p. 7. Students in learning institutions also contribute to the heaps of paper that get into the garbage pits day in day out. This is normally a threat to the environment especially if the papers are left to be blown away by wind which spreads them all over the land. On the other hand, disposal by burning contributes to the carbon dioxide that accumulates in the atmosphere. Destroying paper creates a vacuum that must be filled through manufacturing more paper from trees. Paper recycling helps in reducing the number of trees harvested yearly hence a reduction in the effect of carbon dioxide. People can also contribute to reduction of CO2 in the environment through minimizing the amount of garbage emanating from packaged goods, especially with non biodegradable material. These usually remain on the surface after use and the means that people usually go for involve burning which ends up contributing to CO2 in the atmosphere. Discouraging the purchase of these polythene packaged products helps in reduction of land fills and incinerators, which are a major source of Carbon dioxide that emanates from decomposition of paper (Michael 1991 p. 12). Reduction of land fills through paper recycling is important in reducing these emissions in to the atmosphere. Recycling of paper reduces green house gases emission by reducing the emissions that occur in the process of virgin paper production. This is because the industrial processes use energy obtained from burning of fossil fuels such as petroleum products and coal. These produce green house gases that end up into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2007). Reusing paper is also important in reducing the amount of papers to be dumped in landfills. House holds need to be sensitized on the importance of using the polythene bags several times if they must use them, instead of purchasing new ones each time the shop. More over, production of the non reusable polythene needs to be discouraged in industries. These are the thin plastics that once used tear, necessitating their disposal (Envirocycle, 2008 p. 26). This can be facilitated through government policy, which helps in setting standards of the polythene bags that should be produced. Another major source of CO2 in the atmosphere is through the burning of fossil fuels. These include petroleum products, coal, and natural gas amongst others. In developed countries, a lot of green house gases are produced by motor vehicle driving. People need to be encouraged to use other means apart from driving. The use of bicycles can help in controlling the amount of CO2 getting in to the atmosphere from burning of fossil fuels. People can also be encouraged to walk in case of short distances instead of using motor vehicles. In case of longer distances, they can use mass transport. This can significantly reduce the number of vehicles on the road per day. Research indicates that every liter of gasoline saved prevents the emission of 10 kilograms of Carbon dioxide emissions (DeCicco and John. 1990 p 78). This means that a vehicle consuming 5 liters of per day will emit 50 kilograms, which translates to 18.3 tons of Carbon in to the atmosphere per year. 500 vehicles will emit 9,150 tons in one year. If 200 vehicles could be used for mass transport, the carbon emissions would reduce by 5,490 tons per year. This is a significant reduction that would be achieved while people are not inconvenienced in traveling. It should also be noted that thousands of vehicles are used on a daily basis over long and short distances globally, particularly in the developed countries. People need purchase vehicles that consume less fuel per mile in order to help in solving the problem of global warming. Other sources of carbon from motor vehicles that can be easily avoided include the air conditioning systems that use coolants. It has been established that in the United States alone, emissions emanating from automatic air conditioners of a single motor vehicle can contribute more than 2 tons of CO2 per year (Sarah 1991 p. 98). It might seem little when viewed as a single source, but considering the large number of vehicles that could be emitting these small amounts of carbon per year necessitates motor vehicle owners to ensure that their automatic air conditioners are serviced more often and that the coolants are recycled. This would cost less than the long term impacts of CO2 in contributing to global warming. Apart from motor vehicles, burning of other fossil fuels such as coal contributes a significant amount of Carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. The carbon stored in trees is released in the atmosphere once burned thereby undermining the overall objective of planting trees. People need to be encouraged to convert the dead trees in to renewable products that continue withholding the carbon (Newman 1994 p. 27). Electricity is one of the major contributors of global carbon emissions. This mainly originates from its generation. The occurrence of acid rain in areas where electricity generation takes place is common. This problem is accelerated due to the fact that it is the major source of energy for industries. There are plants that generate electricity through the use of fossil fuels which are significant contributors of Carbon emissions. There is need for users of electrical appliances to be conscious of the amount of energy they consume, necessitating production of more and more, thereby contributing to global warming. Energy conservation can begin from as low as the level of house holds. They need to adopt practices such as insulation that helps in preventing the loss of energy. The appliances that they use also need to be certified by experts in order to ensure that energy loss is minimized through the use of substandard equipment (DeCicco and John. 1990 pp. 48-51). Reduction of power loss and minimizing its use in the home is the simplest way through which households can participate in the reduction of Carbon emissions. This is because the use of lesser energy reduces the demand for fossil fuels used to generate it. It has been proved that insulations in the house contribute to a reduction of bills for heating by more than 20%, leading to an annual reduction in Carbon emissions by 5.5 tons (Robertson 2006 p. 34). It is important for people to know that some appliances in the home are high energy consumers, and they need to be used only when it is absolutely necessary. Estimates for several households indicated that 20% of the electrical energy consumption is due to the refrigerator. Many of them forget to turn the energy saver on, thereby contributing to this high energy consumption. Other appliances such as garment washers need to be regulated in order to maintain temperatures that are not energy consuming. Water heaters and dish washers need to be kept under control in order to ensure that they do not consume energy unnecessarily. It is also important to use energy saving bulbs such as fluorescent bulbs for the lights that are constantly used. Incandescent ones are high energy consumers, while the useful energy for lighting is usually 10% 0f the energy consumed by the bulb. 90% is usually dissipated as heat which may not be the objective of using electricity. A fluorescent bulb reduces the annual CO2 by 120 kilograms (Sarah 1991 p. 93). The use of solar power can also help in reducing the amount of electrical energy needed by households. Apart from lighting, solar energy can be used for cooking and heating. Other sources of energy such as rechargeable batteries can also help in reducing the amount of energy needed for household use. Industries can also reduce their electricity consumption through the use of solar energy. Managers in the work place need to ensure that conservation of energy is maximized in order to reduce wastage. They need to train employees on responsible utilization of energy. Machines need to be switched off while they are not being used as well as using natural lighting where possible. Switching off lights during the day can significantly contribute to reduction of energy consumption in industries. The government can play a significant role in offering subsidies for such industries that have measures in place to reduce energy consumption in order to motivate them to maintain the practice (Robert and Williams 2007 p. 81). Electrical power plants can engage in electrical generating techniques that reduce Carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is usually a by product of heat dissipating reactions whereby CO2 undergoes incomplete combustion. This means that the effectiveness of an industry in terms of burning fossil fuels determines the amount of Carbon dioxide emitted in to the atmosphere. The management therefore needs to be keen on improving and maintaining the effectiveness of the combustion chambers. The government needs to develop policies aimed at compelling the industries to minimize their Carbon dioxide emissions (Robertson 2006 p.66). Since the plants can not avoid burning of fossil fuels, it is only important for them to ensure that every unit of energy is produced with a reduced amount of fuel through enhancing complete combustion. The plants that use coal need to adopt technologies that ensure efficient use of the product. Gasification of coal has been identified as one of the significant ways of reducing excessive use in firing the power plant. It is estimated to have a potential of raising the level of efficiency by 15% (Johnzactruba 2009). The use of renewable energy for power can significantly assist in reducing the use of fossil fuels, thereby leading to a reduction in the Carbon dioxide emissions. This energy includes; wind and nuclear energy. In order for plants to succeed in reduction of Carbon dioxide emissions, it is necessary that they engage in corporate social responsibility, and focus on investments that can help in reducing Carbon dioxide emissions. These investments include trapping of Carbon dioxide emitted from the industry and confining it instead of letting it free in the atmosphere. The Carbon dioxide can be reacted with other gases to form compounds that are not harmful to the environment. Other industries confine the gas and direct it under sea or in storage holes dug underground. However, this is a new technique and therefore it has not yet been adopted by many industries (Earthworks Group 1990 p. 6). Conclusion Global warming is a phenomenon that has endangered the existence of living things on earth. If it is not checked, it may cause detrimental impacts on human and animal life. It is mainly caused by Carbon dioxide amongst other green house gases, and therefore control of carbon emissions in to the atmosphere can greatly help the world population from this menace. Trees form significant Carbon sinks, hence forests need to be maintained, and more trees produced. Recycling paper can significantly reduce the number of trees harvested for paper production. This as well as reduction of electricity consumption and motor vehicle use to reduce burning of fossil fuels can significantly help in reducing carbon emissions globally. Bibliography 1. Earthworks Group. The Recycler’s Handbook. Berkeley, CA: Earthwork Press, 1990. pp. 4-9 2. Envirocycle. Environmental Protection: Benefits of using Recycled and Organic Paper Products. Dallas, TX: Author, 2008. 3. DeCicco and John. CO2 Diet for a Greenhouse Planet: A Citizens Guide for Slowing Global Warming , New York: National Audubon Society, 1990. 4. Johnzactruba. How to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Power Plants, Apr 23, 2009 viewed on 14th May 2009, at, 5. Josphat B. Climate Change: Measures for Determination in Contemporary Global Change, 11th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2003. 6. Michael H. “Throwing Money into Garbage Pits.” Newsweek 27 Nov. 1991. p. 12 7. Newman J. Facts about Fossil Fuels. New York: Wilson, 1994. p. 27 8. Robertson J. Political Economy, Natural Resources and Society, 4th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2006. 9. Robert O. and Williams M. Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics 2nd Edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2007. 10. Sarah L. C. Fight Global Warming: 29 Things you can do, New York: Consumer Reports Books in association with Environmental Defense Fund, 1991. Read More