Global Warming

Global warming refers to the permanent alteration of the earth's climate through the slow but constant rise in the planet's average temperature as well as its water bodies like oceans, lakes seas and rivers. There is a high probability that these observed changes are due to the greenhouse effect.  This greenhouse effect is in turn, largely attributed to the human activities that have persistently led to the higher levels of pollution in the environment. The earth is currently believed to be undergoing a global warming. However, this is not the first time that such an occurrence is occurring. Over many millions of years ago, there have been numerous such episodes of global warming.

There are various projected long lasting effects of the current global warming. According to Maslin (2002), these effects are poised to greatly impact on the stability of the global environment as we know it and they include; subsequent rise in the levels of the sea, frequent flooding as well as flash floods,  higher rates of melting of the ice caps at the poles and glaciers. Additionally, there will be an observed fluctuation in the global temperatures and the levels of annual rainfalls recorded in different parts of the planet. Subsequently, other poised effects brought by global warming to the planet in the future include heightened levels of occurrence of the devastating El Niño's as well as La Niña. Furthermore, prolonged periods of drought and famine will further be observed in the drier parts of the planet, especially Africa and Middle East. Heat waves and forest fires will become a common occurrence in these areas affected by the drought and famine. Researchers believe that the current global warming began in 1950s and has been on a rise ever since.

Causes of global warming:

The following are some of the causes of global warming;

High levels of carbon dioxide emissions Electricity production Plants.

Since industrialization age began on the planet, high levels of carbon dioxide have been emitted to the environment. The human beings have been increasing the addiction levels to the electricity which produces cheaply from burning coal at the power plant. Therefore, these coal power plants have highly contributed to the ever increasing levels of emissions of greenhouse gasses to the environment. Recently the leading countries in these emissions include China and the United States of America. Basically, the former has just undertaken the later in terms of the emission levels of carbon dioxide in the environment. Subsequently, it is estimated that over 40% of the United States carbon dioxide emission comes from electricity production via the electricity producing firms.

High Emissions of Carbon Dioxide from the transport fuels.

Motor Vehicles require fossil fuels in order to run their engines. Burning of these fossil fuels by the engines of the motor vehicles to produce energy for transportation, subsequently leads to the emission of carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The global population is growing. Therefore, people joining the middle-income class are also rising as well. These middle-income earners demand more and more cars so as to increase their efficiency in the performance of the daily chores. This rise in demand for cars means a rise in the use of fossil fuels which eventually contribute to the rising levels of the carbon dioxide emissions to the environment.

Emission of Methane gas by plants and Animals.

Apart from carbon dioxide, Methane comes in second as a greenhouse gas that drives the rise in global warming levels. For instance, in rice ripples, methane gas is produced during the decomposition process especially when the oxygen levels are at the minimum and thus leading to the release of this gas to the atmosphere. Additionally, methane gas is produced by the herbivorous animals due to the reactions taking place in their intestines. Therefore, an increase in the number of animals in the planet leads to the increase in the level of methane gas production. Ultimately, methane gas is also released to the environment by the Methane Clathrate, a compound that has trapped methane in ice crystals.

The rise in Global Deforestation Levels.

As the human population explodes in the planet, there is a need for land for settlement and cultivation. This leads o the clearance of forested land areas for the human settlement. Further, trees are cut down to be used in charcoal production and as building materials. It should be noted that most of these hardwood trees being felled down took years to grow. A tree plays a crucial role in the reduction of carbon dioxide levels in the planet in that it absorbs, stores and utilizes the carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis hence releasing oxygen as a byproduct. Clearing the forests results in higher levels of carbon dioxide especially from the charcoal burning, and also the fewer the trees, the lower the levels of carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere.

Increased levels of use of Chemical Fertilizers.

There is an observed dramatic rise in the levels of use of chemical fertilizers so as to increase the yield of crops per land area.  Increased use of fertilizers that is  rich in higher nitrogen levels has subsequently led to the higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. This is because the fertilizer has tremendous effects on the heat storage on cropland as well as the run-off of the fertilizer access to the oceans hence creating the ‘Dead-Zones' on the ocean beds.

The Effects of Global Warming:

There are various effects of global warming on the environment which are discussed below.

Worldwide Rise in the Sea Levels.

The heating of the planets leads to the gradual rise in the levels of water in the oceans and seas. This is mainly because, as the planet warms, the polar ice and glaciers tend to melt. Therefore, the water from the molten glacier and ice flows through rivers to the oceans. This leads to increased annual volumes of the water in the oceans. Additionally, the rise in water levels is more common during the hot seasons like summer (Casper 2010).

While the rise in oceans levels is not a threat in itself, the effects of this rise can be deadliest. Consequently, this rise leads to the possible displacement of people living nearer to the low-lying coastlines as the water territory expands.

Catastrophic Storms.

Increasing heat levels lead to the unpredicted weather outcomes, which can at times be deadlier. The global warming destabilizes normal currents and hence leading to supper wind which can trigger storms especially in near coastal areas. Scientist has an evidence that the wind speeds and tropical cyclones have tremendously risen in the past 30 years as a result of the global warming levels( Goldstein, 2009).

Failing Crops.

As the heat levels rise, the rainfall levels drop in various parts of the planet. Additionally, unpredictability in rainfall patterns results in lower yields of crops. One of the effects of global warming is the drought and famine. Therefore, many parts o the planets that used to be highly crop productive areas turns to failed crop areas as a result of the persistence of drought. Global warming has a severe effect on the regular water supplies. Therefore, the shortage of these water supplies will continually affect the production of food.

Species Extinction

Global warming means changing environmental conditions. Consequently, most animals won’t be able to quickly adapt to the environmental changes hence lowering their chances of survival. For instance, plants and animals well adapted to polar climatic conditions are severely affected by the global warming in that they are not used to living in climatic conditions that are warmer. Therefore, these animals and plants are at a higher threat of extinction if the climatic conditions further worsen. Polar Bears, for example, will not be able to regularly find food if the polar ice continues to melt and shrink (Zedilo, 2008).

Coral reefs Disappearance

Rising temperatures at the ocean brings non-conducive environment for the survival of the coral reefs. This is because the coral reefs are not adapted to prosper in high temperatures. Furthermore, the rise in acidification levels of the ocean dangerously harms the coral reefs hence raising the stakes of its extinction.

Ways of Minimizing the Global Warming.

Recycling:

By recycling products, it will mean the reduction of the fossil fuel use in their production hence minimizing the levels of emission greenhouse gas to the environment.  Furthermore, it is better to go for reusable products instead of the disposable ones. By doing this, reduction of waste products will be achieved. By recycling, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is significantly reduced.

Minimizing use of Air Conditioners and Electric Heating Machines.

Natural air-conditioning and heating is necessary for reducing the use of electricity. Reduction of electricity use means reduction of use of coal in the production of electricity, hence greatly minimizing the levels of carbon dioxide emissions.

Using energy saving light bulbs in the houses.

Non-energy saving light bulbs consumes a lot of electricity. On the other hand, fluorescent lighting uses significantly lesser electricity levels. If everybody was utilizing the energy saving fluorescent tubes, the electricity consumption will be reduced hence global warming.

Using Public Means of Transport:

Use of public means of transport will significantly reduce the number of cars on the road. As a result, the burning of fossil fuels for energy will be reduced as well. Therefore, greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere will subsequently reduce.

Planting Trees.

Planting of trees will have a greater effect in the minimization of global warming. The trees form an integral part of exchanging the air in the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Generally, the trees will naturally reduce the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere hence restoring the stability of the global temperature levels.

Environmental Awareness Creation.

People should be made aware of the effects that their activities contribute to the rise in the global temperature. Additionally, they should be taught ways in which they can help to stabilize the global climate. The governments should enact policies that encourage an environment in which the citizens are encouraged to do activities that lead to the environmental conservation, for instance, planting trees and reducing the deforestation activities. Furthermore, environmental conservation lessons should be integrated to the school syllabuses so that the learners can be able to have the knowledge of the role that the environment plays in their daily lives, and how to conserve it (Houghton, 2004).

Replacing Non Renewable Energy with Replaceable Energy:

            There are various sources of green energy. Solar energy, wind energy and gas are  just some of the renewable forms of energy which can easily be utilized as an alternative of fossil fuels and coal. This energy does not emit fossil fuels and thus does not contribute to the global warming effects observed in the planet today.  Additionally, these green energy sources are cheaper and will never run out, unlike the non-renewable forms of energy.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, global warming has brought significant effect to the planet. In fact, most plant and animal species are under threat of extinction. Generally, human activities are the major cause of the global warming. Ironically, the global warming has brought deadly effects to the humans including tornadoes, earthquakes, typhoons, super hurricanes and also draft and famine. It is projected that the trend will significantly rise in the future unless the human population find the means and ways of reversing this.  Some measures that have been proposed to curb the trend are a use of renewable energy and conservation of the environment.

References

Casper, J. K. (2010). Changing Ecosystems: Effects of Global Warming. New York: Infobase Pub.

Goldstein, N. (2009). Global warming. New York: Facts On File.

Houghton, J. T. (2004). Global warming: The complete briefing. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University.

Maslin, M. (2002). Global warming. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press.

Zedillo, P. L. E. (2008). Global warming: Looking beyond Kyoto. New Haven, Conn: Center for the Study of Globalization, Yale University.