Global Warming: Causes And Remedies

Global warming is a burning issue. It has gained in popularity in the recent past. We see people talking about it many times. Infact I have seen many threads in the forums section as well. I am writing this article to put out a student's view on this issue which has shaken the very foundations of the mighty developed nations.

global warming

Global warming is an alarming issue today. We have reached the threshold of global warming and will very soon be subjected to its practical harms. Hence it becomes important that we educate people about this issue and also tell them how to reduce the effects of the same. It is the single greatest threat that our planet as a whole is facing these days. It has remained a significant threat for quite sometime now. It is high time we took measures to stop this menace and save this earth for our future generations.

what is Global warming?

Global warming can be defined as the steady rise in overall temperature of the earth and its surface with the passage of time. This is mainly caused by the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere along with some more green house gases. The heating up of earth resulting in a global rise in temperature is also called as global warming.

causes of Global warming

The first and the major cause of global warming is directly a result of our development technically and industrially. Yes, the major culprit is the
combustion of fossil fuels. fossil fuels, on combustion, produce/evolve harmful gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide etc. These gases are also commonly called as the green house gases. Now these gases are highly stable in our atmosphere. This makes them stay longer in their natives states. These gases are very good absorbers of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Infact they absorb and then reflect it back to the earth's ground surface. These UV rays have high energy which is converted into heat energy which is the reason for the global rise in temperature. The source of this is the industries directly, also the automobiles we use, the refrigerator, power plants, thermal power station. The fact that these gases are highly stable in the atmosphere makes them stay longer. This means we will continuously get rising temperatures as long as these gases are present in the atmosphere. It is also a true fact that the carbon dioxide evolved in the 1960's still stays in the atmosphere. The gases we emit now will even still be there in the 2050's as well. So this is why we need to start reducing the carbon emission from now itself so the future generations to come will live peacefully. A recent survey says that we need to cut our carbon emissions by 70% in order to maintain the current temperature globally. This is indeed a difficult task as many nations are in the developing phase and hence need the industry support. Hence the developed countries should provide support by reducing their own carbon emissions.

Another major cause of global warming is the depletion of the ozone layer. Ozone is a chemical substance which has 3 atoms of oxygen attached. This substance is impervious to UV radiation from sun. This is the reason why Earth can support life. It acts as a blanket and shields the life on earth from the very dangerous UV radiation of sun. This is nature's best creation indeed. What we are doing is producing chemical substances which create holes in this layer. The mechanism here is that Ozone gets reduced to oxygen by some particles called as Cholo-fluro-carbons. These are commonly called as freons or CFC's. These CFC's react with the ozone present in the ozone layer and reduce it to oxygen gas. This oxygen gas then moves down to the atmosphere and gets mixed with the atmospheric gases. This leaves a gap in the continuous ozone layer of the earth. This is the basic principle behind the holes in the ozone layer. The regions directly below these holes have already started to experience the harmful effects of the sun's UV radiation. The number of skin cancer cases in Central America has gone up in the past decade and this is due to the fact that the biggest ozone layer hole is situated right above this part of the globe. So it is already here and we need to act quickly.

consequences of Global warming

There are numerous bad effects of this alarming phenomenon called Global warming. Its effects are very harmful and will soon threaten the very existence of life on this mother Earth.

  • The most noticeable one is the rise in the ocean levels. The water level in the oceans like Atlantic, Pacific has risen by many feet in the past decade. Infact the level has risen more than 50 feet at some parts of the world.

  • The coral reefs, which are the Earth's unique marine life forms, have started dying. They will soon be extinct. This is a direct consequence of the phenomenon called Global warming. A report says that a major part of the coral reefs in the Ocenia region has already begun to disintegrate and will soon be extinct in as many as 30 years. This is a very alarming notice and is a threat to the diversity of Earth.

  • Glaciers are melting. The glaciers from the frozen parts of the Earth have started to melt into water. These are slow moving rivers. But now their average velocity has increased dramatically due to the rise in the temperature which is ideal for melting of these glaciers. This is one of the major reason for the rise in ocean levels. Also we are losing our essential polar ice caps and they would soon disappear thanks to this Global warming.

  • This is a very very alarming fact. Recent research shows that Greenland, a northern country, is now losing 20% more mass as a result of melting away of its Norse lands than it receives from snow fall annually. This might increase more if the planet continues to rise in temperature. We might soon have no Greenland on our world map which would be very pitiful.

  • Extreme weather patterns have emerged in the recent past. We have seen flash floods, heat waves, droughts, hurricanes. These natural phenomena have gone up in frequency and have started to occur very regularly with increasing intensity. This is a direct consequence of Global warming.

  • The coastal regions would soon submerge due to the drastic rise in the sea level by as much as 20 feet!

  • A recent study revealed that catastrophic wild fires would double in number if the temperature keeps on rising at the current rate.

  • remedies- What can you do?

    It has become important through the above facts that we need to take important immediate measures to tackle this phenomenon and reduce the carbon emission. WE need to do it ourselves. We need to show the others that we are concerned about our planet. This will then inspire others to join us. So let's start.
  • Electricity should be produced by using new techniques and technology as the current method of thermal power plants is one of the major reasons of Global warming.

  • Farmers should practice what is called Green Farming. This is an eco-friendly way of farming.These days farmers have become habituated to use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers which needs to be stopped. They should till land less frequently. Conserving crops that can be used in generating bio-fuels etc.

  • To fix the issue of transportation in an eco-friendly way, we need to research to improve the fuel efficiency. We should use vehicles less often and try to use transport like cycle more often as it is a good exercise as well. Move away from the current fossil fuel combustion and gasoline usage to other alternate energy sources like solar, wind etc.

  • Use fuel cells for electricity to be produced. In these cells no green house gas emitted. Only water is the result which can be reused for energy generation.

  • Car pooling, using energy efficient sources of light will all help in this endeavor against Global warming.

  • a Conclusion

    No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, developed or developing, modern or ancient, can escape the impact of this ravage. The effects are going to be disastrous and it is a fact. Each of us is hence left with a choice to make: a choice that will impact not only us, but also our future generations. The choice here is whether we choose to continue our daily routine of emitting tons and tons of green house gases helping the Earth heat up or do we take the measures NOW to avoid a catastrophe. It is no doubt a big challenge but certainly not impossible. We know that our planet's future depends on the global commitment in this regard. We need to work towards this initiative. We need to push our government for a global consensus regarding the issue. We need to tell the government to reduce carbon emission because ultimately, it is we, the people, who will be effected. The safety and stability of every nation is in jeopardy thanks to this ravaging issue globally. Our health is in danger. We need to reverse this tide now and right now. We cannot be late anymore. It is better late than never. Also we need to realize that there is no silver lucky charm which can reverse all these catastrophic efforts in a jiffy. We need to work towards. We need to join our hands and cooperate and co-exist. This Earth is not ours for the taking. We are the makers of our own destiny. It lies in our own hands. We shall not subject ourselves to doom and destruction. As John F Kennedy once said, Our problems are man-made, therefore it is only the same man who can solve these. It is high time now that we join our hands together and combat this global thread effectively keeping in view our own security and our future generations' existence.

    Related Articles

    Measures To Control Global Warming

    In this resource I am giving some information about global warming. Also I am sharing few ways to stop global warming. I hope my article will certainly create some awareness in all the readers about global warming.

    Global warming and its ill effects

    You must have come across the information on media that the polar ice caps are melting. You may have also heard about the holes in the ozone layer. Also you may have seen reports of increasing earthquakes and tsunamis on TV. After being bombarded by news like this one naturally asks why this is occurring on the Earth. This is primarily the fault of man. Global warming is an ugly truth. In this article I will talk about the real dangers our planet is facing.

    Global Warming

    Global warming is today's serious problem and let us see here how it is caused and its effects.

    Bad Effects Of Global Warming

    Earth has warmed and cooled time and again, Throughout its long history. Climate has changed when the planet received more or less sunlight due to subtle shifts in its orbit, as the atmosphere or surface changed, or when the Sun’s energy varied. But in the past century, another force has started to influence Earth’s climate: humanity

    More articles: Global warming


    Author: Nivedita kandpal05 Feb 2012 Member Level: Silver   Points : 0

    I would request not to make such comments on any ones query. If you are bored then no one has compelled you to answer it. And kindly read the entire question before you reply.

  • Name: