Global Warming: Global Warning

Global warming, greenhouse effects… terms I first encountered in my elementary days but never gave so much attention to it. Today, these words are making the world leaders’ jittery and creating world debate. Global Warming has become a world issue sadly, many people are not aware of the existing problem.

Global Warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface. Since 1800’s, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F and many experts estimated that the average temperature rise an additional 2.5 to 10.4 degrees F. Human activities, according to experts, have contributed much to the global warming by enhancing the Earths’ natural greenhouse effect. Greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy from the sun. These gases, like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, are referred as greenhouse gases.

Climatologists have concluded that human activities are responsible for the warming. Corollary, recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have reported that human activities have contributed much to the quick warming of the Earth’s surface. The IPCC is a group of scientist from different part of the world, sponsored by the United Nations, whose tasks is to study all about Global Warming.

The main human activities that contributed and are continuously contributing to global warming are population growth the fossil fuel burning and clearing of land. Fossil Fuels are any of a class of materials of biological origin occurring within the Earth’s crust that can be used as a source of energy. It includes coal, petroleum, natural gas, tar sands, and methane. Burning of fossil fuels occurs in factories, automobiles, electric power plant, and even at home. When burning fossil fuels, carbon dioxide (CO2) is created. Eventually, the CO2 goes up into the atmosphere and slows down the escape of heat in the outer space. Clearing of land happens when the rate at which greenhouse gas (CO2) are removed from the atmosphere or by the decomposition of dead vegetation. Trees and other green plants absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and give in oxygen that humans and animals breathe in. In other words, when trees and plants are cut down, like illegal logging, and when these plants die and decompose, the rate at which carbon dioxide are absorb is reduced and the building up of CO2 is intensified. When the dead plants are buried into the earth, their remains, after a million of years are turned into coil and oil, also known as fossil fuels.

Climate change may alter the worlds’ habitat and ecosystems. These places depend on a delicate balance of rainfall, temperature, and soil type. A rapid change in climate could upset this balance and seriously endanger many living things. Widespread shift on natural habitat will occur. Species extinction is likely to happen.

Plants may have difficulty to bloom and bear fruit due to insufficient cold weather. Many trees and flower may never be seen again because of intolerable heat. Crops may yield. Shortage on food especially vegetable and rice may come.

Polar bears and other mammals living in the arctic place will be forced to evacuate. Finding a colder place would be a difficulty.

The sea level will rise higher. Glaciers, polar ice may melt due to global warming and would add water to the ocean. Warmer temperature may make water in the ocean expand taking up more space and sea level rise. As a result, many coastal areas would experience flooding, erosion, loss of wetland, and entry of sea water to the fresh water areas. Many coastal cities, small island and nations would be expected to submerged and lost in the map. Those areas that are usually flooded during rainy season might vanish. Farmers will be mostly affected by the high tide.

Through global warming, the surface of the oceans could become warmer increasing the stress on the ocean ecosystem, such as coral reefs.

Global warming would affect the weather pattern, which may lead to flooding, drought, stronger hurricanes and tropical storms. In fact, the storms that caused flood and the hurricanes that swept some part of the world, according to climatologists, are the effects of the climate change.

Through global warming, many disease like malaria, dengue, heat stress and other hear related diseases may spread in larger regions and may speed up mortality rate may speed up.

To sum up, global warming is a phenomenon that affects everything that lives in the biosphere. Nobody is exempted.

Worried? Scared?

The good thing is, global warming is evitable or can be minimized.

In June 1997, delegates from different nations drafted the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol, which was named after Kyoto, Japan where the delegates met, is an agreement that calls for the decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases between the 160 rich nations. The protocol came into effect only on 2005. Member countries have started already their programs combating global warming. This big step against global warming would have a greater impact if every individual will do his part.

Saving energy from watching tv, playing video games, riding a car, using appliances such as stereo, hair dryer, washing machine, air conditioner or microwave will reduce the quantity of greenhouse gases that goes into the air.
Proper waste management, application of the 3R’s (Reduce, Re-use and Recycle), waste segregation will lessen the trash thrown into the landfill. The lesser the trash to be burned the lesser METHANE we create.
Taking a bus, riding a bicycle or walking instead of riding your own car would save energy and minimize the pollutants and greenhouse gases.
Planting a tree will help in the absorption of the carbon dioxide from the air and adds up oxygen for other living things.
Conserving energy will reduce climate change. When purchasing look for the products that bears a logo energy star®. These products are environment friendly.
Sharing facts you know about global warming to family members, friends, co- workers, will fast tract the information drive and encouraging them to participate will strengthen our battle against global warming.

These little things that everyone is capable of doing can be a great leap forward against global warming.