Home Work 1

The debate on Global Climate Change

Vishwanath Preetham Kashyap
Global warming a term which is used to describe a gradual increase in the temperature of the
Earths atmosphere and its water bodies, its a slow catastrophe that is believed to be
permanently changing the Earths temperature and climate [1]. Even though global warming is
an ongoing debate, it is proved and surveyed by the scientists that the planet is warming and
there will be a major climate hazards that will affect mankind. Many scientists believe that
production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is a major cause of heating effect on
the atmosphere [1], and this could be very dangerous for human life. This essay will examine the
problem provide evidences for global warming and suggest some ways of solving the problem.
Its in the last 100 years; the world has warmed by approximately 0.75 degree Celsius. Over the
last 25 years the rate of global warming has accelerated, at over 0.18 degree Celsius per decade.
Global climatic change has become a major concern in the present world [2]. Preemptive action
by mankind is the need of the hour. Lack of deliberate effort would lead to catastrophic
degradation of our environment and may result in extinction of human extinction.

Many problems would arise due to global warming and climate changes, one of the major
problems would be rise in the sea level which could affect low lying areas like Egypt,
Netherlands and Bangladesh some of the countries would even disappear if we do not control the
emission of harmful chemicals and carbon monoxide in to the atmosphere [3]. It was in the year
1997 that weather change was something which was talked about as future changes but now its
been taken as present changes. So a serious message has to be passed among the society
educating people about controlling the emission of carbon monoxide contents which would
drastically reduce the temperature of mother earth.

There are some controversies that have been put up saying that people from government and
from the climate department have talked about the global warming but they have not taken
enough actions as to reduce the global warming. Many possible ways can be adapted to stop
global warming such as reduce in the burning of fossil fuel, adapt to any temperature change in
the earth or try to change the earth to reduce the global warming [2].

In the year 2002, grain harvest in India, United States and Canada was reduced by 90 million
tons or 5% below consumption due to record high temperatures and drought. Grain harvests are
lowered by crop withering heat waves. Heat waves also take direct human toll. The heat wave
toll in 2003 across Europe claimed 52000 lives in 9 countries. Also, the insurance companys
profit is reduced due to the weather related damage [2].

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) gathered earths average temperature
from a global network and found the earths average temperature has risen by 0.6 degree Celsius
or 1 degree Fahrenheit [4].

Higher temperatures affect ecosystems in the ways humans cannot predict. Rise in temperature
by 1 degree Celsius will put 30% of species at risk of extinction. We also see a lot of changes in
the ecosystem like spring arriving early, arctic fox extinction, changes in bird migration. The
National Wildfire Federation (NWF) reported that the rise in temperature will heat up the rivers
and salmon, steel head and trout surviving will be impossible [2].




The above image depicts the rise in the temperature of the earth during the last 100 years and
also shows that how the change have also effected the ecosystem and the weather. Even a
Celsius rise in temperature which feeds the earths growing population has become difficult to
bear due to the rise in temperature. We have to find a way to save a lot of trees by going
paperless which would also help in reducing the earths growing temperature.

Several problems continue to taunt researchers in the scientific group. Some of the questions
that arose to the researchers and which is still a topic of interest in the global climate change are
Is the globe really warming? [5] Are the polar caps really melting? [5] How much of the increase
in carbon dioxide is due to man's influence? [5] If man were to attempt to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions would it actually do any good? [5] And finally, are there any other possible
explanations for the apparent global warming? [5] These are not simple questions and it will
require a much longer period of record to be confident in any conclusions.

Just to answer the first two questions, massive amounts of global data must be collected over a
relatively long period of time. Because the effects of global warming are small compared to the
global area, great care must be taken to neglect bias in collection and investigation of the data.
Many loopholes in this process have already taken place which has developed a lack of faith in
the outcomes. The three issues that are always analyzed and monitored are (1) the sea-surface
temperature in the Gulf of Alaska [5],

(2) the frequency of hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic
and Caribbean [5],

and (3) the polar extent of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean [5].

Global warming has become a major issue as we moved in to 21st century and ahead. Like the
old English quote say, prevention is better than cure. Human Kind has done enough damage,
knowingly and unknowingly and we have all contributed to global warming. Our constant efforts
and determined effort to reduce global warming and spare the ecosystem to recover, thereby we
have to cautiously work to restore the balance in nature is very urgent. Pollution in the
atmosphere has to be monitored and something related to the emission of the greenhouse gases
should be monitored. Deforestation should be paused at the soon as it causes the increase of
carbon monoxide at a greater extent. It has been proved that it takes roughly 19 trees to make one
ton of paper and that the usage of one ton of recycled paper will save approximately 17 trees [1].

The use of Carbon Fluoride is a big reason for depletion of the ozone layer resulting in to global
warming. The discharges and emission from automobiles is also a big cause for global warming.
One way to reduce it is by encouraging and innovation of fuel-efficient cars, use bio-fuels,
correct the engine design [1], or using an electric car [1]. We have to stop wasting energy at
home which we can avoid to some extent the global warming. This means shutting down the
systems when not in usage and also buying energy efficient equipments [1]. Solar energy, wind
energy and hydro-electricity can be used which reduces the pollution in the atmosphere to a great
extent.

Global warming is also mainly due to the ignorance of the people and the dont care attitude of
few population in the society. Even at a younger stage it is much wiser to educate the children to
be efficient and be responsible users of energy and resources keeping in mind that the global
warming is slowly destroying the earth and its natural habitat [1]. Media which is a big game
changer in the society today, can play a role in educating the people and the society about the
phenomenon of global warming that has already taking a huge toll. Global warming is something
that wont disappear overnight. It is something that we thoughtfully practice and find out ways of
preventing the causes that cause global warming and hopefully we can one day we can restore
back our mother earth.

We can bring an enormous change in the global climate change by protecting and restoring
forests, conserving and rebuilding soils, regenerating fisheries, protecting plant and animal
diversity, planting trees to sequester carbon. We can also save fresh water by raising water
productivity. We can redesign the cities having ecological environment, transportation, reducing
water use, farming in the city, planting trees and having many state parks. Also we can use
energy efficient appliances and more forward to using renewable energy resources. Use compact
fluorescent light bulb instead of normal light bulbs. We should drive less and drive smart, do car-
pooling to reduce the usage of renewable energy resources. We also need to educate more people
about the environmental issues [2].








References

1. http://thecafetechno.com/tutorials/essay/global-warming-cause-effect-and-prevention.

2. http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming.

3. http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/probsoln/prob_solv_gw2.htm.

4. http://www.nasa.gov/.

5. http://www.icr.org/article/evidence-for-global-warming/.