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The effect of global warming

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THE EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING

“Global warming will be the greatest environmental challenge in the 21

century.”

- Vice President, Albert Gore.

One of the most current and widely discussed factors which could lead to the ultimate end of

existence of earth and man is global warming and its devastating effects. It has been a global

concern. Scientists have asked how fast the earth is heating up, and how the warming effects on

earth may affect crops and climatic conditions and ultimately to the very existence of mankind.

Several current trends clearly demonstrate that global warming is directly impacting on; rising

sea levels, the melting of icecaps, and significant worldwide climatic changes.

It is important to understand and discuss the significance of global warming. Global warming is

also known as the “Greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse earth is surrounded by a shield of

atmospheric gases, rather than a glass or a plastic cover. The air that makes up our atmosphere

consists primarily of nitrogen and oxygen molecules (N2 at 78% and O2 at 21%). A large

number of trace gases make up remaining of air’s composition. Many of these, including carbon

dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the so called greenhouse gases. If one has ever felt the

piercing cold of the clear winter night sky and wondered why you feel warmer on a cloudy

winter night, one have experienced the atmospheric greenhouse effect in the first hand.

The earth is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degree Celsius) warmer than it would be if it did

not have the atmospheric blanket of greenhouse gases and clouds around it. Clouds and

greenhouse gases keep the earth warm. Once warmed, their molecules then radiate a portion of

this heat energy back to earth, creating more warming on the surface of our planet. It is this

radiation which causes atmospheric gases to move back to earth that scientists call the

“Greenhouse effect”.

On Friday, February 2, 2007, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental panel on climate change

(IPCC) – the leading international group of climate scientists – published a 20 page summary of

a much longer scientific report, The physical basis of climate change, which conforms global

warming is now unequivocal and states with more than 90 percent certainty that “human

activity” very likely has been the primary cause of rising temperature worldwide since 1950.

The intellectual powers that we enjoy has enabled us to make effective use of technology and

thereby changed the environment. Technology is partly responsible for explosive population

growth and for the resulting damage to earth’s resources. The industrial revolution caused a rapid

increase in the population growth, as oil and gas fuel were exploited for our use. There is a clear

link between the problems of global warming and overpopulation, as increases in CO2 levels

follows growth in population. The report summary also says that global warming is likely to

continue for centuries, and that it is already too late to stop some of the serious consequences it

will bring even if mankind could somehow hold the line on greenhouse gas emissions worldwide

today.

Carbon dioxide gas generated by man’s burning of fossil fuels and the forests is responsible for

about half the greenhouse gas warming. Other gases (CFCs, methane, nitrous oxide) are

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responsible for the rest. Increases in all these gases are due to mankind’s explosive population

growth over the last century, and increased industrial expansion. These petroleum based energy

sources first came into use with the burning of coal since 1945, since then petroleum

consumption has increased dramatically, due in large part to increased usage of automobiles

worldwide and the substitution of mechanized farm machinery for animal power.

Much debate in the last five years about the greenhouse effect has centered on interpreting

temperature numbers generated at weather stations all over the world. The data from these

thermometers are averaged and plotted in attempts to determine just how fast the earth has

heated up since the measurement began. There is now no doubt the world is getting warmer. The

thermometers show that the world is warmer now than at any time since the measurement

started. The year 1990 was the hottest year in the last century. Together with 1991, the years of

1983, 1987, 1988 and 1989 have been measured to be the warmest 6 years in the last hundred

years.

Global warming has great effect on crops and weather conditions around the world. When many

people think of global warming, their first concern is the possible rise of sea levels. With a large

number of the world’s cities in coastal areas, this is a significant problem. There are two major

causes of rising sea levels. First, extra water is produced when ice melts. Secondly, the natural

expansion of sea water as it becomes warmer. The range of sea ice around both poles continues

to shrink, as it melts. Even with the level of greenhouse gases present today, the earth may warm

enough in the next 50 years or so to completely melt the sea ice located on the poles.

Damage from rising seas is very diverse. Building and roads close to the water could be flooded

and they could suffer damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. There are good physical

reasons to suggest that more intense storms could result from global warming. Warmer oceans

cause more intense storms.

In 1992, a report was published by the United Nations, which proposes that if CO2 and other

greenhouse gas emissions continue with present trends (which are the case), the coastal plains of

Bangladesh and the Netherlands will flood by the year 2100. Furthermore, the islands of the

Maldives would completely disappear. This would happen if only a two foot increase in sea level

occurred.

Certain scientists believe that global warming is not a threat and the planet is essentially cooling

off. They argue that the factors causing the phenomenon and the measurements are not fully

understood, and that it is impossible to draw any conclusions whether the warming of the earth is

a purely natural occurrence. These people believe that the trend is a false alarm and that it is not

a sign of a fore coming global disaster.

Some researchers believe that smoke from the burning of tropical forests and grasslands causes a

strong cooling force on the climate. This cooling effect could nearly equal the warming power

built by greenhouse gases created by the fires.

First, decrease the use of your car. If you can’t afford to buy a new fuel-efficient car in the next

few years, consider selling or junking your gas demanding car and buying a smaller, efficient

used car. Besides saving money on gas, oil, tires, parts, and repairs, you can help reduce

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THE EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING "Global warming will be the greatest environmental challenge in the 21st century." Vice President, Albert Gore. One of the most current and widely discussed factors which could lead to the ultimate end of existence of earth and man is global warming and its devastating effects. It has been a global concern. Scientists have asked how fast the earth is heating up, and how the warming effects on earth may affect crops and climatic conditions and ultimately to the very existence of mankind. Several current trends clearly demonstrate that global warming is directly impacting on; rising sea levels, the melting of icecaps, and significant worldwide climatic changes. It is important to understand and discuss the significance of global warming. Global warming is also known as the "Greenhouse effect". The greenhouse earth is surrounded by a shield of atmospheric gases, ...
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