GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is an alarming phenomenon and this article is about its harmful effects which could threaten the very existence of the planet if proper measures are not taken.

Global warming is defined as the steady rise in earth’s temperature and surface over a time. The heating up of earth leads to rise in temperature globally, hence, it is called Global warming.

Global warming is the burning issue in today’s generation and certainly the biggest and most serious problem the world is facing today and it was first noticed way back in late 1950s. There are various reasons associated for it’s cause such as excess emission of green house gases from human activities.

Causes for Global warming:

Combustion of Fossil fuels:  Fossil fuels on combustion produce “green house gases” which are highly harmful that include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide and these are highly stable in our atmosphere. As these gases are naturally very good absorbers of Ultra violet radiations, they absorb and then reflect back to the earth’s ground surface. The UV rays possess high energy which gets converted to heat energy and the same results in global rise in temperature.

The primary sources of these gases are industries, automobiles, power plants, refrigerator and thermal power station. In fact these gases are highly stable in the atmosphere that makes them stay longer that means the temperatures go rising till these gases are present in the atmosphere.

Depletion of Ozone layer: Ozone layer plays a vital role in Global warming. Ozone is a chemical substance (Co3) with three atoms of oxygen. This layer protects the earth from the harmful ultra violet radiations and safeguards us from the harmful effects caused by UV rays and that’s the prime reason why earth supports life. The ‘Chloro-flouro-carbons’ react with the ozone and reduce it to oxygen gas. This oxygen gas then moves down to the atmosphere and gets mixed with the atmospheric gases which results in gap in the continuous ozone layer of the earth. This is the basic prince behind hole in the ozone layer.  

The harmful effects have already made a strong impact and rapid increase in skin cancer cases in Central America in the past decade is in indication. So it’s already here and we need to act quickly and take measures before it gets worse.

Consequences of Global Warming: There are numerous bad effects and the most noticeable one is the rise in Ocean levels, according to a survey, the water levels in the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans had risen up to 50 feet over the past decade.

Extinction of Coral reefs: The coral reefs, which are the earth’s unique marine life forms, are on the verge of extinction. This is a direct consequence for the Global warming. A report says that major part of the coral reefs has already begun to disintegrate and get extinct in the next 30 years.  This is a serious threat to the diversity of the earth.

Melting of Glaciers: The glaciers have begun melting at a greater velocity due to rise in temperatures and that’s leading to rise in the ocean levels  and the most essential ice caps may soon be disappeared. A recent research says that Greenland is now losing 20% more mass as a result of melting away of its Norse lands than it receives from the snow fall annually and if it happens to continue, we can no longer see the Greenland in our world map.

In the recent past, we have witnessed flash floods, droughts, hurricanes and their frequency have gone up and have started to occur at regular intervals with increasing intensity and this is a direct consequence of Global warming.

Deforestation: Trees play a significant role in global carbon cycle and are the largest land-based mechanism for reduction of carbon dioxide from the air. Deforestation is responsible for 25% of all carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Every day over 5500 acres of rainforest are getting destroyed. As a consequence of massive loss of forests, global CO, levels rise approximately 0.4 per cent each year, the levels not experienced on this planet for millions of years. As we know the forests are the great absorbers of carbon monoxide.

It will lead to melting of glaciers, changes in rainfall patterns, increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather. As per the latest survey report the rate of melting of glaciers has seen sharp increase in recent times. Even those glaciers are affected from global warming which have been considered permanent. The shrinking of glaciers is going to pose a major problem of drinking water.

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

Remedies:  

Planting trees:  The trees absorb over a ton of greenhouses gases over its life time. They reduce the soil erosion, water pollution and provide habitat for wild life and many birds. Everyone should take initiative to plant a tree near their surroundings.

Reduction of fuel burn:  By reducing fuel consumption, recycling can reduce the impact of green house gases.

Use Green Power: Green power is generated from renewable energy sources Sun and wind which helps in reducing green house gases emission.

Recycle: Recycling of paper, beverage containers, batteries, electronic equipment and other recyclable goods can reduce the emission of green house gases.

Global warming is a serious issue not limited to countries and safety and stability of every nation is in jeopardy, the very existence of our planet is in question. It’s that we get together and combat this thread effectively for our own security and our next generations existence.