Global Warming

Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate.

Causes of Global Warming:

Burning fossil fuels:

The major cause of global warming is the release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. into the atmosphere. The major source of carbon dioxide is the power plants and burning of fossil fuels like coal, gas, etc. These power plants emit large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from the burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation.

Deforestation & Tree-Clearing

Another cause of global warming is deforestation that is caused by cutting and burning of forests for the purpose of residence and industrialization. Plants and trees play an important role in regulating the climate because they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back into it. Forests and grasslands act as carbon sinks and are a valuable means of keeping global warming to 1.5°C.

But there is cutting of trees for farming, urban and infrastructure development or to sell tree products such as timber. Up to one-fifth of global greenhouse gas pollution comes from deforestation and forest degradation.

Agriculture & Farming

Animals, live stocks, cattle produce methane, a greenhouse gas. When livestock grazed at a large scale, the amount of methane produced is a big contributor to global warming. 

Effects of Global warming:

Increase in average temperatures and temperature extremes:

One of the most immediate and obvious effects of global warming is the increase in temperatures around the world. The average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100.

Ice Melt:

One of the primary manifestations of climate change so far is ice melt. North America, Europe, and Asia have all seen a trend toward less snow cover between 1960 and 2015. One of the most dramatic effects of global warming is the reduction in Arctic sea ice. There is a rapid retreat of glaciers due to climate change. Some glaciers retreated up to 15 times as much as they would have without global warming.

Rising Sea Levels:

Global warming impacts rising sea levels. In general, as ice melts, sea levels rise. In 2014, the World Meteorological Organization reported that sea-level rise accelerated 0.12 inches (3 millimeters) per year on average worldwide. This is around double the average annual rise of 0.07 in. (1.6 mm) in the 20th century. Melting polar ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, coupled with melting ice sheets and glaciers across Greenland, North America, South America, Europe and Asia, are expected to raise sea levels significantly.

Average sea level around the world rose about 8 inches (20 cm) in the past 100 years; climate scientists expect it to rise more and more rapidly in the next 100 years as part of climate change impacts. A large number of cities located in coastal areas will submerge in the sea. Besides, many island countries will ultimately “lose their existence and will be washed away from the surface of the earth. The damage of rising sea levels is diverse. Buildings and roads close to the water could be flooded and they could suffer damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. Experts believe that global warming could increase the intensity of hurricanes by over 50 percent. In addition, as the sea rises, beach erosion takes place, particularly on steep banks. Wetlands are lost as the level rises.

Extinction of Plants and animals:

The effects of global warming on the Earth’s ecosystems are expected to be profound and widespread. The global warming is expected to cause irreversible changes in the ecosystem and the behaviour of animals.  According to a report from the National Academy of Sciences, many species of plants and animals are already moving their range northward or to higher altitudes as a result of increase in temperatures. They are not just moving north, they are moving from the equator toward the poles. They are following the range of comfortable temperatures, which is migrating to the poles as the global average temperature increases. Because of this, many animals may not be able to compete in the new climate regime and may go extinct. Migratory birds and insects are now arriving in their summer feeding and nesting grounds several days or weeks earlier than they did in the 20th century. Increase in temperatures will also expand the range of many disease-causing pathogens that were once confined to tropical and subtropical areas, killing off plant and animal species that formerly were protected from disease.

Social effects:

Agricultural systems will likely be dealt a crippling blow. The combined impacts of drought, severe weather, lack of accumulated snowmelt, greater number and diversity of pests, lower groundwater tables and a loss of arable land could cause severe crop failures and livestock shortages worldwide. It will hamper food security, which may spark food riots, political instability and civil unrest worldwide.

Effects on Human Health:

Rise in atmospheric temperature will lead to the outbreak of air-borne and water-borne diseases. It would also contribute to the rise in death caused by heat.   The American Medical Association has reported an increase in mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever, as well as a rise in cases of chronic conditions like asthma, most likely as a direct result of global warming. The 2016 outbreak of Zica virus, a mosquito-borne illness, highlighted the dangers of climate change. The disease causes devastating birth defects in fetuses when pregnant women are infected.

Precautions and Remedies:

The growing concerns over global temperatures have led to the nations, states, corporations and individuals to draw out a plan of action to avert the situation. As a result the world’s primary international agreement on combating global warming was reached in Kyoto in 1997 which came to be known as Kyoto Protocol. 

1. Planting more trees and reducing timber cuts worldwide will help restore the imbalance.
2. Following the environmental policy of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle, i.e. promoting the reuse of anything.
3. Using of fuel-efficient vehicles as these vehicles have lower emissions of harmful gases.
4. Increasing awareness among all citizen of the importance of the protecting environment.
5. Promoting and using eco- friendly technologies.
6. Running a public awareness campaign.
7. Reducing the amount of electricity generated from coal and gas and increasing the amount of electricity from clean, renewable energy sources like solar and wind
8. Planting more trees through reforestation and afforestation.