Category: Global Warming

Introduction

Global warming is considered to be one of the most serious problems in the world. Many scientists tackle these problems regarding the results of this ecologic phenomenon but not its causes. Therefore, it is necessary to pursue how the development of human activities and industry allocation influence the environmental pollution in different areas thus causing acid rains and the greenhouse effect. In particular, the main reasons for global warming are human activities revealing gas production. Those gases hamper the Suns heat within the atmosphere and one of such gases is carbon dioxide. Our purpose is to track the climate changes in the different zones on the planet with the help of geographic information. Further, it is necessary to define the role of GIS for problem-solving.

Main Body

Literature Review

For the GIS project, it is necessary to study the main aspects and problems of global warming and the way it affects the geographic presentation of the planet. In particular, it is possible to investigate the figures of temperature degree and sea level. The study by Chris Oxlade allows us to understand the complicated process of climate chain leading to specific changes in the atmospheric layers and lessening the glacier zone in different periods (217).

The study by Longley provides significant data about geographic information systems, their definition, and their role in analyzing different problems of everyday life. The book proves that both regional and global problems can be predicted if using different map data. The book also discusses the importance of GIS for society in political, cultural, economical terms (Longley 4).

Methods of Global Warming Analysis

The analysis of the database involves the comparison of different maps designs and their layers depicted on the maps. Hence, in our GIS project, we will perform a spatial interpolation analysis to investigate the temperature characteristics and see level parameters. After maps analysis, we will conduct an overlay analysis to identify the link between the sea level rise and temperature changes.

Planned Analysis

Global warming is revealed through the dramatic growth of the temperature on the Earth within specific temporal periods. In this regard, the consideration of two different maps will show the percentage temperature growth.

According to the map, the rise of temperature is concentrated in the Southern regions of the planet. Therefore, it is possible to predict that the glaciers in the South will become thinner.

To pursue the climate shifts and see the differences in sea level, it is necessary to analyze the maps and GIS data with different temporal and spatial characteristics. In particular, temporal characteristics can be seen when analyzing the see level on different maps. Sea level shifts can be analyzed according to the most identification of the most vulnerable land areas.

The map shows the land height above the sea. In this way, we will analyze what territories are under the threat of thinking.

Findings and Results

The investigation of temperature rise reveals that the most rigid changes take place in the South part of the planet. This can be explained by numerous reasons. The heat trapped within the atmosphere destroys the ozone layer in the South leading to the penetration of radiated rays. In its turn, thinner ozone level contributes to the rise of temperature. Viewing the map in comparison, one can notice that the most vulnerable land areas are located in the South, which is explained by glacier melting. As it can be viewed, the GIS data can greatly promote the understanding of the problem and foster its solving.

Works Cited

Longley, Paul. Geographic information systems and science. US: John Wiley and Sons, 2005.

Oxlade, Chris. Global Warming. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2006.

Thesis

Global warming is the increase in the earths atmospheric temperatures due to a corresponding increase in the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), for example carbon dioxide (CO₂) and chlorofluorocarbons, which creates a greenhouse effect: the retention of solar energy in the atmosphere due to the prevention of its escape by the ceiling created by GHGs (Climate Research Board, 78).

The increase of the temperatures is one of the major causes of climate change. This can be observed by the high frequency by which heat waves occur; rainfall quantities have become more intense; and an increase in the intensity of severe climate incidents.

This paper seeks to illustrate how human activities like the burning of large capacities of fossil energy have caused an increase in the GHGs that subsequently accelerate the negative effects to the environment and consequently the health of the earths flora and fauna (Climate Research Board, 99).

Causes of global warming

An increase in the emission of GHGs is the main cause of global warming; this paper will discuss how specific gases contribute to the total effect and which natural phenomena and human activities produce these gases.

This paper will discuss the major GHGs and aerosols:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
• Methane (CH₄)
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Aerosols

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

The burning of coal and oil are the major producers of carbon dioxide emissions.

The United States is one of the major emitters of carbon dioxide. This is due to the use of power plants that burn coal to produce energy. The United States emitted 24 percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions in 1998.

Emerging nations like China and India are also increasingly emitting more carbon dioxide due to the use of coal.

Methane (CH₄)

Methane emission sources include seepages from pipelines used to transport natural gas, the burning of biomass, seepages from the processes of mining for fossil energy, the decay caused by bacteria in sewages and dumpsites.

Methane is also emitted naturally by the decomposition of organic materials in wetlands.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

CFCs are compounds that contain fluorine, carbon and chlorine. They are industrially manufactured and have no naturally occurring sources. CFCs are mainly used as refrigerants. CFCs contribute to global warming by bringing about the ozone layer breakdown, thus exposing the earth to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

CFCs do not dissolve in water and are inert. This causes to have a long span of life, thus their effects on the atmosphere can to up to several hundred years.

Aerosols

Aerosols refer to minute solid elements or liquid globules that are suspended in a gas. Smog and the air pollutants are examples of aerosols. Albeit aerosols are not GHGs, they contribute to the effects of global warming because the particles in an aerosol reduce the reflectivity of the aerosol (Mank, 2).

This causes a reduction of atmospheric cover (since aerosols are major component of clouds), thus increasing warming.

Conclusion

Human activities are the some of the major contributors to greenhouse gases, which in turn cause an increase in the earths temperatures. Albeit some of the temperature increases may be obscured by the increasingly unpredictable climatic changes, if the emissions of these gases continues at current rates the impact of global warming will become even more pronounced and severe (Mank, 7).

This paper concludes that unless measures are taken to control the greenhouse gases emissions, the average temperature of the earth may reach levels that never been experienced before.

Works Cited

Climate Research Board, Carbon Dioxide and Climate: Scientific Assessment, National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC, 1979.

Mank, Bradford, Standing and Global Warming: Is Injury to All Injury to None? Environmental Law 35:1-10, 2005.

Introduction

Global warming is a climate change issue that has captured global attention, thus the worldwide debates by individuals, political leaders, business-related firms and international organizations especially the environmental activists.

It is arguably the leading concern compared to other environmental issues. Researchers concerns are connecting different but conflicting views, which make it difficult, understand the global warming issue, particularly the possible causes and solutions to the matter.

Thesis Statement

This essay presents a critical analysis concerning the challenges of global warming. It provides an investigation of possible causes of the occurrence and particularly forms a critical view of the effects of population growth to global warming.

Is future population growth a major and potential consequence to the issue? The essay also forms a substantive argument in relation to researched solutions over the issue of global warming.

Some of the analyzed solutions include population growth, the possibility of reducing the emission rates through reduction of consumption rate, enhanced campaigns to inform people on the need for commitments to controlled population growth rate, and reduced pollution rates. The first part of the easy will form a general investigation of the possible causes and solutions to the problem thus elucidate facts from confusions and discussions that are not sustentative.

Challenges

Various human activities such as excessive production of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are the root causes of global warming. The gases form part of the atmosphere and traps heat that would normally escape to the outer space. Natural occurring greenhouse gases assist in maintaining global warmth to adequate amounts that are able to support life.

Increase of greenhouse gases causes alteration of weather patterns and thus influences duration of seasons, leads to existence of severe storms such as El Nino and coastal-related floods. Use of fossil fuels also causes excessive production of carbon gases. Another significant source of global warming is the human act of deforestation. When the environment has few trees, there is production of more carbon dioxide than it is used.

Concerning the discussions concerning the effects of global warming researcher, scientists and activists often fail to incorporate the issues of population growth. According to Weiss (p.A-8), scientist have qualitative analysis concerning measures of reducing global warming effects such as floods, droughts or other climate catastrophes.

This is achievable through reduction of enormous carbon gas emissions. However, he raises a main concern over neglect of the issue of global growth rate (p.A-8). There is need to undertake an examination on effects of slowed population increase on global warming.

How the Global Population Growth Causes Severe Environmental Crisis

As commonly known, the green groups seem to lack considerable discussions concerning the issue of human population increase. Nevertheless, various suggestions as indicated by Lyon and Barnston (p.18), shows that, a collective demand on population growth reduction would be the biggest way to confront the issues and gain higher environmental development.

In accordance with Weisss article (p.A-8), if people would be in a position to put into practice a growth rate control and have a less than one billion population change by mid-century as opposed to the expected two billion, then this would translate to approximately 29% emission reduction. Current scientific research predicts that 29% emission reduction rate is the requirements by 2050.

Developed Vs. Developing Countries

Is there a difference between the impacts of growth rate in third world countries against the developed countries like United States? The emission rates are higher in developed countries due to higher consumptions and consequently there is obvious excessive waste production. There are remarks from developed countries that place blame on poor agricultural practices such as horticulture in developing countries.

The U.S. has greatest influence due to the amount of emission in comparison to other countries. An average U.S. resident emits four times as much carbon dioxide as a resident in China and twenty&times more than& an African (Weiss, p.A-8). However, In relation to Weisss article (p.A-8), the population size is not the only major concern. People must change how and where they live.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (p.1), current population of people, sharing finite resources such as water and food is 6.6 billion, with an expected growth to nine billion by 2050. These environmentalists show that most, if not all environmental problems are due to worsened population growth rates.

Leaders on the other hand fail to either note this factor, or ignore it due to the heated debate it may turn out. 194 nations met to discuss the environmental agreements and establish an accord at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 7 to18, 2009 (Athanasiou, 1).

Each country agreed to set emission targets for 2020. According to Athanasiou of The Cornell Daily Sun (1), United States submitted its goals to United Nations on January 28, 2010 when President Barack Obamas commitment indicated a cut of green house emissions by four percent. These human induced emissions affect evaporation and consequently precipitation.

In relation to scientific results, unless all the other global countries follow the same style, then there is an urgent need to consider other fact such as the reduction of human population growth as a major way to reduction of resources reduction as well as excessive emission of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere (Lyon and Barnston, p.18).

Other Related Problems Brought About By the Adverse Population Growth

The adverse population growth is the main cause of increased emission of greenhouse gases as well as deforestation that lead to loss of the wildlife and thousands of plant spices. Adverse growth is also responsible of the current land developments or commercialization of more than half the earths land surface.

The population growth rate is a simple indication that in a couple of decades, scarcity of water due to high consumption demands will have distressing effects to more than half of the worlds population. The ecosystem imbalance is due to lack of proper measures to address top environmental issues such as population growth (Lyon and Barnston, p.18).

Status of Population Growth Rates and Possible Solutions

The developing countries lack proper family planning campaigns or mechanisms to enhance control over population expansion rates. They either lack access to control methods or suffer from traditional-related practices.

The leaders fail to tackle the issue straight on, since people are not enlightened and thus stick to cultural practices and traditional religious believes (Weiss, p.A-8). This is one of the main sources of the rapid population increase in such countries for instance, those across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. They lack access to clean water, food and adequate shelter.

Contrary in the developed countries such as the United States or Germany, the population rate is currently diminishing or levelling, but the consumption rates are high and thus a great drain of the available resources. For instance, Americans are only four per cent of the global population but consume approximately 25% of the international resources.

Developed countries are highly industrialized and are thus heavy contributors to climate and ozone depletion, compared to developing nations. The issue of immigration to developed countries is a contributor to population increase in developed countries. When the residents migrate, they also emulate the heavy-consumption and emission lifestyles. According to Weiss (p.A-8), an estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates a population increment of 129 million-growth expectation by 2050, mostly resulting from immigration.

Policies that can assist to Control Global Population Growth

The current relationship between the environmental problems especially global warming and population increase requires urgent redressing. Most people wish for changes on the consumption as well as emission levels in developed countries, while there is need for reduction of population growth rate in developing countries.

Environmentalist and human right activists consider support for family planning as the most efficient way of controlling escalating human population to relieve environmental pressures as opposed to endorsement of legal clauses in support of abortion.

Conclusion

Main cause of global warming include human-related activities that cause excessive emissions of greenhouse gases, the use of fossil fuels and deforestation in the aim of attaining better development levels. One of the main concerns on the issue of global warming is ignorance by government, individuals and activists over effects of high population growth rates. Some of the common effects of global warming include distorted weather patterns, climate related catastrophes such as coastal hurricanes, floods and droughts.

The most important strategy is to project future effects of global warming from present. Current effect of global warming impact on most human aspects, spanning from human health issues to biodiversity. Immediate action may diminish the possibility of worse projected effects of global warming.

Reducing and eventually overcoming the effects of global warming requires a combination of factors such as personal commitment or implementation of viable policies by governments. Individuals have the greatest influence over factors affecting the environment such as global warming. Most important solutions to the issue include reduction of carbon gases emissions especially in developed countries, deduction of the global growth rates and control of carbon emissions.

Works Cited

Athanasiou, Katerina. Copenhagen: Sustainable of Superficial? The Cornell Daily Sun. 2010. Web.

Lyon, Bradfield. & Barnston, Anthony. International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI). 2005. New Jersey, NJ: Palisades. Print.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Climate Forecasting. 2010. Web.

Weiss, Kenneth. Ideas to ease global warming by taming global population. LA Times Journal. 12 October 2010.Print.

Introduction

Global warming is considered to be one of the most burning issues for consideration during a long period of time in many countries. This very phenomenon is characterized by considerable increasing of temperature that is caused by the use of fossil fuels and developing industrialization. Lots of scientists offer more and more own predictions as for global warming, the major reason that will influence this warming development, and the steps, which have to be taken to save our Earth.

Some of them believe that recycling and anti-smoking programs can be helpful, and some scientists predict that even if people stop emitting smokes and other harmful gases, the climate will hardly stabilize. There are so many factors, which influence global warming, and human activities are one of them. People use cars, buses, airplanes in order to move from one place to another. They truly believe that the point that they save time by such means will be justified.

They do not take into consideration that this air pollution, smoking, and any kind of garbage destroy our atmosphere and put human lives under a serious threat. Global warming will be always a captivating topic to discuss in order to prevent Earths destruction; there are always many problems, which cause global warming, and it is necessary to analyze each of them to achieve positive results and prevent dangers.

Discussion

Global Warming as It Is

Global warming is characterized by considerable increasing of temperature within the Earth surface and oceans. One of the first signs of global warming is changes, noticeable to ordinary people: winters become milder and milder, lots of glaciers start melting, and the level of seas starts rising (Silverstein et al, 2003, 6). The summer temperature changes as well, it becomes hotter, and it becomes hard for people to breathe.

Some people cannot still comprehend that their activities are crucially important for global warming and may bring it closer and closer. Greenhouse gases and numerous holes in the ozone layers are not the most dangerous problems, which people have to comprehend. This is why it is better to focus their attention on personal activities and on the harm, they do every day. People think about the ways of how to create one more plant or factory, how to buy a new car, or how to be saved from such heat and use a conditioner. Before take any step to achieve one of the above-mentioned purposes, it is necessary to realize how harmful they are in real.

Burning of coal and oil gives a birth to carbon dioxide (CO2), and this is a greenhouse gas that prevents heat escaping into space. Of course, trees and many other plants aim at removing all that greenhouse gas by means of photosynthesis, but still, one day, it may be not enough. Clearing of land causes reducing the movements of gas from our atmosphere and promote the spreading of CO2.

One of the biggest mistakes made by people is the idea that fires in forests may cause global warming. In fact, everything is quite the contrary. The writers from Science admit that global warming may certainly cause wildfires, but fires will hardly reinforce global warming (Science, 2006).

The more summer temperature is, the more causes for fires to disturb people more frequently. Some people may truly believe that water pollution is one more reason of global warming. It is wrong as well. Water pollution and global warming are connected to each other as two different types of threat for people. Each of them has no influence to each other: Pollution of drinking water has its negative influence on peoples health, the lack of water may cause the destructions of forests and other greenery of our planet.

However, these issues cannot influence global warming. However, there is one thing that may be a serious threat that may lead to global warming, and it is smoking. There are so many people, who smoke. More than 72% of people, who live in America, smoke cigarettes at a certain period of their lives. Even more 47% of men and 59% of women do not want to give up smoking or just fear because they may gain weight if they do give up (Logue, 255). They cannot even imagine that such mistake of them may lead to global warming and the destruction of our Earth.

History of Global Warming and Geological Perspective

The climate of the Earth changes day by day: certain changes within Earth coverage and temperature attract the attention of many scientists. In fact, the history of global warming is quite long, this is why it deserves attention, and numerous ideas of predictors have to be taken into consideration as well. Lots of scientists admit that great ice sheets covered our planet during a long period of time that was known as Ice Age; however, when the temperature increased considerably, this era came to its logical end (Kennedy, 47).

However, the climate did not change considerably till the middle of the 14^th century: extreme cold was inherent to Iceland, Alaska, and Alps. In the middle of the 1980s, Jean Baptist Joseph Fourier noticed that the temperature of the Earth increased slowly, and offered the ideas of solar radiation to the public. He was also one of the first scientists, who described the greenhouse effect and told that it would keep this Earth warmer (Silverstein et al, 2009, 18).

Another significant scientists, who offered own ideas as for global warming and the danger of greenhouse effect, was Guy Stewart Callendar. He examined the role of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the climate warming experienced during the early decades of the twentieth century (Fleming, 114).

This person was ready to prove that the greenhouse effect would negatively influence the atmosphere and bring negative outcomes for people. His ideas made other scientists started analyzing the issues, which may influence global temperature; and one of the first conclusions all the scientists came to was that human activity was considered to be the major cause of global warming.

Global warming may be also regarded as a natural geological process, this is why the geological perspective should be also taken into consideration while analyzing changes in climate and the increasing of the temperature. Such discipline as geology deals with the significant periods of time in order to analyze the changes within earths natural processes.

So, some geologists still believe that global warming is just another random fluctuation of climate. These geologists explain their positions by one simple fact  carbon dioxide cannot cause global warming. Actually, everything is quite opposite: because of the temperatures increasing at the global level, the level of carbon dioxide also increases. Human activities cannot create so huge level of carbon dioxide, this is why global warming is a pure geological process, caused by natural changes, and, so that cannot be prevented.

Global Warming: The Ideas of How People Can Prevent It

Even taking into consideration the ideas that global warming cannot be caused by human activities, these very activities remain one of the most discussed issues. In fact, people have all chances to prevent global warming, however, the vast majority of them is just unaware of the necessary steps to take.

Actually, there are so many ways to stop all those harmful actions, which may cause global warming. First of all, people should think about recycling in order to clean up the planet they live on. Recycling is all about the processing of different used materials into new ones. Some people do not even guess how many products may be recycled: glass, plastic, and paper. By means of recycling, people provide themselves with one more chance to use good and reliable material and prevent Earths pollution.

It is not just one more strategy to make use of the already existed materials, it turns out to be more significant on the global level: industrial production has less negative effects on environment, and global warming has less reasons to develop. Waste, people do not care about, has rather considerable impact on the environment, and this impact is negative.

This is why when people recycle waste, they help their own environment and even save energy. There are also much more advantages of recycling: the prices on numerous goods may be decreased because they will be made of old, reused material; people should not spend too much time in order to produce the same material but spend it on inventing something new and more useful; and, finally, places for damage may be used to build new houses and other appropriate for living building so that less people can spend the nights outside.

People should know that they have so many chances to save own planet and prevent global warming independently. Of course, the steps, they have to take are rather serious and requires peoples time, desire, and patience. First of all, global warming may be caused by the use of fossil fuels. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine our live without cars: people prefer to save their time, travel, and use fast cars to entertain.

This is why the use of fuel increases day by day. Unfortunately, people cannot even guess how much fuel pollutes our Earth and causes global warming. Of course, it is impossible to ask all people stop using cars and other means of travel and start walking. This is why lots of scientists from different countries start thinking about the use of solar power to run cars. It takes certain time and energy, however, electric cars and the cars, which use solar power, may become a real way out for people. Nowadays, people get a wonderful chance to change fuel into solar power. Another trouble of our society is smoking.

As it was mentioned above, there are so many people, who smoke and cannot give up this habit. Some people, teenagers especially, admit that smoking has no effect on global warming. This is why it is necessary to underline the outcomes of smoking, which are perfectly noticeable and may be rather harmful for people and good for those, who are dreaming to see global warming. First, all those cigarette butts serve as the major reason of global warming, which are hard to recycle, this is why they usually disappear somewhere in the ground and start destroying the earth.

Secondly, it is hard to imagine how harmful smoke is, and how many people are smoking at the same period of time, and how they pollute our atmosphere. These two huge reasons should be taken into consideration, and those who do care about global warming and want to prevent it should think about the ways of how to help the others stop smoking.

Industrial revolution and technological development play a significant role in the life of every person. Plants, mines, and factories create new modern technologies for people; however, their work considerably pollutes the earth and air and also creates numerous factors for global warming.

Conclusion

In this paper, the major aspects of global warming have been discussed. This phenomenon is closely connected to temperature increasing and creates much danger for people. This is why people should think about the possible ways to prevent this process and save our earth. Such steps as recycling and reusing prevent pollution of the earth and help to concentrate on the ideas how it is possible to use the same material one again and think about the creation of numerous innovations to improve this world.

Human bad habits have negative impact as well both for people and for nature, this is why global warming may be postponed if people try to give up smoking. If people do not start taking into consideration what may cause global warming, they approach it much more sooner than it is expected.

Works Cited

Forests Fires and Global Warming. Science, 2006. 314 (5892), 1045.

Fleming, James, R. Historical Perspectives on Climate Change. Oxford University Press US, 2005.

Kennedy, Barbara, A. Inventing the Earth: Ideas on Landscape Development Since 1740. Wiley-Blackwell, 2006.

Logue, Alexandra, W. The Psychology of Eating and Drinking. Routledge, 2004.

Silverstein, Alvin, Silverstein, Virginia, B., and Nunn, Laura, S. Global Warming. Twenty-First Century Books, 2003.

Silverstein, Alvin, Silverstein, Virginia, B., and Nunn, Laura, S. Global Warming. Twenty-First Century Books, 2009.

Weart, Spencer, R. The Discovery of Global Warming. Harvard University Press, 2004.

One of the biggest climatologic concerns that are capturing the minds of not only scientists but also general public is global warming. As such, global warming is a dramatic increase in the average temperature of our planets near-surface air and ocean waters. This increase has been especially observed within the twentieth century, when the average temperature rose by almost one degree (Oxlade 4).

The most worrying thing is that according to the climate projections, scientists expect the warming to continue further, which may have dramatic effects on the planets climate and on the life on the earth in general.

The key reason for emergence of global warming is envisioned by scientists in the so-called greenhouse effect. This effect emerges due to high concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth atmosphere, with the major gases being water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide (Soon 3).

Despite their small concentration in the earth atmosphere (they make up less than 0.1 percent of the atmosphere), those gases play a crucial role in regulating the planets temperature balance (Oxlade 10). Greenhouse gases possess the property of absorbing some of the energy that would otherwise, in their absence, escape into the atmosphere. Some of greenhouse gases, like water vapor, occur naturally; others result to a large extent from human activities.

With respect to global warming, one of the biggest concerns of scientists has been carbon dioxide. Although it is crucial for the plants and animals to live (Faust 5), carbon dioxide is considered one of the major gases causing greenhouse effect. In normal carbon cycle, carbon dioxide moves between plants, animals, oceans, and the atmosphere, which it constantly leaves and enters. This is a normal state of things; however, after the Industrial Revolution of the mid-eighteenth century, the carbon balance has been upset by human activities that added disproportionately big amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

By burning enormous amounts of such fossil fuels as coal, gasoline, and oil in car engines, power stations and factories, carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere. Another misbalancing factor is deforestation, cutting out the worlds green belts: burning out vast massifs of rainforests for farming purposes releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; in addition, diminishing the amount of trees on the forests makes it impossible for the remaining trees to take in the extra carbon dioxide.

As a result of modern human activities, scientists predict the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to rise by 2100 to a rate three times as big as before the Industrial Revolution (Oxlade 13).

In addition to carbon dioxide, the atmosphere is overfilled with other greenhouse gases. Within the twentieth century, extensive cattle raising and rice growing has resulted in more than doubling the amount of methane in the atmosphere. Supernormal activities in the spheres of agriculture and chemical industries have led to increase in nitrous oxide.

A new type of gases, called chlorofluorocarbons, initially widely used in sprays, air conditioners, and refrigerators, also add to the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect, first described in 1827 by the French scientist Jean-Baptist Fourier, bases on the notion that the earth atmosphere acts like the glass roof of the greenhouse, trapping the heat inside (Silverstein, Silverstein, and Silverstein Nunn 15).

As the sun energy gets through the atmosphere to the plants, the ground, and the oceans, they become heated and produce infrared radiation which is directed back to space. But trapped in greenhouse gases, some of the infrared radiation remains in the atmosphere; and the more greenhouse gases there are, the more energy remains and heats up the planet.

Confirming the onset of the global warming are the multiple facts of climate change identified by meteorologists. Recording ocean temperatures and currents, the areas of snow cover, the amount of ice at the poles, the length of glaciers and the changing vegetation patterns, climatologists report sufficient alterations. Since the global warming alarm sounded already in the mid-nineteenth century, over the last hundred and fifteen years temperature has been measured by thermometers on land and on sea.

Placed in various locations all over the world, those thermometers have shown that the temperature at the surface of earth has been rising. In addition to this fact, the data drawn from mountain glaciers, tree-growth rings, coral layers, and other biological and geological indicators sensitive to temperature change, confirms that the twentieth century has witnessed a major temperature change. (Soon 3).

Global warming triggers further effects on the earth condition: water that comes from the melting ice caps raises the sea levels; approach of the sea endangers people settlements located nearby the shores; as a result, the number of refugees increases dramatically. Contradicting those negative effects are certain positive effects of climate change.

The increase in plant growth triggered by the global warming stimulates reduction of carbon dioxide and thus decreases the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. From this discrepancy emerges the debate among the climatologists, the policy makers, and the general public about what  if something  should be done in order to adequately respond to global warming.

The issues to consider in connection with the global warming problem are numerous. Implementation of alternative energy sources and new technology for capturing carbon; assigning responsibility for reducing global warming; the share of developed and developing countries in reducing emissions and bearing the burden of responsibility for the majority of greenhouse gases; international and national laws concerning global warming; personal responsibilities of people,  those are but a few ideas considered by modern society in respect to global warming.

But perhaps the most burning questions asked are if global warming could be stopped at all or if it is a natural irreversible process. Many scientists hold the opinion that it is already too late to restore the damage caused to the planet by global warming. The major way out of the situation is envisaged in cutting down the emissions of greenhouse gases so that their levels in the atmosphere are stabilized.

But even then it will take the earth no less than several decades to cool down (Farrar 8889). In any case, it has been agreed that joint effort is taken by the international community to follow the greenhouse gases reduction strategy, and to legalize this decision Kyoto protocol has been ratified by over 160 countries of the world covering fifty-five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Human activities have had a devastating effect on the planet. Not only have people exhausted the natural resources, but they have also created conditions that have led to accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and to the resulting from it global warming.

This, in its turn, is having dramatic effects on the climate of the planet and may end tragically for all life on earth, unless urgent actions are taken to hamper and prevent the global catastrophe. Therefore, the world community should unite in the joint effort to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emission and save our planet from the climatic catastrophe that impends over it.

Works Cited

Farrar, Amy. Global Warming. Edina, MN: ABDO Publishing Company, 2008. Print.

The author discusses the controversial viewpoints regarding global warming.

Faust, Daniel R. Global Warming: Greenhouse Gases and the Ozone Layer. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2009. Print.

The author discusses the ozone layer, the effect of ultraviolet radiation on living things, and the causes and effects of global warming.

Oxlade, Chris. Global Warming. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2003. Print.

The author explains what global warming is, the factors that cause it, how it affects the environment, and what is being done to prevent it.

Silverstein, Alvin, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein Nunn. Global Warming. Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century Books, 2003. Print.

The authors examine global warming and the greenhouse effect, changes in earths climate since its formation, the effects of these changes, and whether anything can be done to reverse them.

Soon, Willie, Sallie L. Baliunas, Arthur B. Robinson, and Zachary W. Robinson. Global Warming: A Guide to the Science. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 2001. Print.

The authors review scientific literature concerning the environmental consequences of increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and come to the conclusion that increases during the twentieth century have produced no deleterious effects upon global climate or temperature.

About the Author and the Publisher

This article was picked from the book Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn`t Worry about Global Warming which was written by Thomas Gale Moore and published in 1998 by Cato Institute. The book mainly talks about global warming and the effects it will have on the various aspects of man`s life like the economy, food security, industrialization and health.

Gale has written a lot of articles concerning global warming most of which have been published in the World Climate Report. He is a senior professor at the Hoover Institution and teaches economics, environmental studies and privatization^[1].

Cato institute is actively involved in issues affecting the public. In every year it publishes an average of a dozen books and a wide range of studies concerning taxation, privatization, the environment and other government related matters which affects the general population^[2].

Health Effects of Global Warming

It has been predicted that global warming will have devastating effects in the human health during the 21^st century and beyond. This can be attributed to the ever rising global temperatures. Climate change is expected to cause a wide range of human diseases which will increase the rate of mortality in the human population.

However, the leading cause of death currently has been chronic diseases which accounted for around 24 million deaths in 1996. The main cause of these deaths was cancer, malaria, cholera, dysentery, mental disorders and chronic musculoskeletal disorders none of which was related to climate change or global warming.

The notion that global warming and climate change will cause an upsurge in disease and early mortality has been exaggerated by scientists and medical experts so as to have a reason to reduce green house emissions into the atmosphere. These predictions have a little basis thus cannot be relied on entirely thus they should only be treated as speculations.

Studies which have been conducted in the United States about the effects of global warming on human health and mortality have mainly concentrated on either the rise in days with extremely hot weather or the effects of increase in temperature on diseases which are caused by vectors such as mosquitoes and snails.

Despite the strong efforts which have been put in place for these studies, the researches normally complain of lack of adequate data to strengthen the findings of their studies.

There might be a rise or fall in diseases as a result of temperature change. This is because diseases or the stimulus causing them also flourish within a narrow range of environmental conditions thus they may be affected positively or negatively by climate change.Over the years the weather during summer has become warmer and much drier.

Several cases of death among the old and the poor have been reported as a result of summers reaching torrid levels and it is believed that the scenario will become even worse in the 21^st century.

Evidence on the other hand goes against this statement. Despite there being records of increased mortality due to heat waves in major cities, the death toll did not exceed the death rates which have been recorded for those cities. Furthermore, rise in temperatures will reduce the devastating effects of cold winters^[3].

Sudden increase in temperature can cause deaths of individuals. However if the condition is experienced for an extended period of time, people tend to adapt to the conditions hence the rate of mortality is reduced. That is why so many cases of mortality are reported in the first days when high temperatures were recorded but the toll reduced as time goes by. Therefore, increase in temperature due to global warming will continue for a long time hence people will get used to the condition and adapt to it.

Scholars have been speculating that there will be a rise in the diseases which are caused by insects due to climate change. In Africa, mosquitoes carrying malaria and dengue have been found on higher altitudes than they used to be found before. In the United States, only the tip of Florida provides a serine environment for the survival of malaria carrying mosquitoes^[4].

However, with the gradual increase in temperature the whole of the country could become more vulnerable to malaria. After the Second World War, the malaria cases in the United States declined drastically with only a few cases being reported annually. Most of the reported cases are for immigrants and people who travelled to infected countries.

On the other hand dengue and yellow fever were quite common in the United States during the 19^th and early 20^th century when the country was relatively cooler. During these times numerous cases of these two diseases were reported.

However, as the country started to become warm the number of cases reported annually started to decline thus the rise in temperature checked the occurrence and spread of these diseases and the chances of them returning back is very slim. Climate might be a factor which has led to the decline of these diseases but the efforts played by man to reduce their spread should be credited.

The use of DDT and other insecticides, proper sanitation and vaccinations have reduced the prevalence of these diseases.

Cholera, water borne disease has caused a lot of deaths since it was first reported in Calcutta, India. From there it spread to Asia, North Africa, Europe and finally it reached America.

The bacterium causing the disease thrives well in relatively warm water thus a warm climate can favor the disease. Purifying and chlorinating water stops the disease. Fortunately temperature does not affect this success.

Cholera is affiliated with overcrowding, poor sanitation and poverty and that is why it is mainly common in developing countries. A warmer climate will not increase its effects or spread in developed countries. Third world countries therefore need to improve their standards of sanitation so as to curb the spread of the disease.

The rise in temperatures therefore will be beneficial to the people of the United States especially in terms of health. This is because it will reduce the spread of harmful diseases which would have otherwise lead to the death of individuals within the population.

However, these effects will only be helpful if the temperature rises by a maximum of 4.5pF above which negative health effects will be expected. This is not likely to occur since the expected rise in temperature is less than 4.5pF thus global warming will have positive impacts in the health of Americans.

Other Resources about the Topic

Global warming as it has been seen has lead to the decline of diseases in the world. Moreover, global warming will also lead to increase in biodiversity since new species will arise as a result of changes in the climate and other physical conditions. It will also lead to exposure of environments which could not be easily accessed by man like Antarctica where further development and expansion can take place.

References

Cato Institute, Publications, Cato Institute, 2011 .

Moore, T.G. Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn`t Worry about Global Warming, Cato Institute. Web.

Moore, T.G. Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn`t Worry about Global warming, Cato Institute, Massachusetts, 1998.

Footnotes

1. Thomas Gale Moore, Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn`t Worry about Global Warming, Cato Institute.
2. Cato Institute, Publications, Cato Institute.
3. Thomas Gale Moore, Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn`t Worry about Global warming, Cato Institute, Massachusetts, p. 72, 1998.
4. Thomas Gale Moore, Climate of Fear: Why We Shouldn`t Worry about Global warming, Cato Institute, Massachusetts, p. 76, 1998.

Introduction

The universe is composed of an exceptional community of life, humanity being part of it and other ecological systems. Existence in this source of life to many creatures, plants and other organisms is vital, demanding and uncertain, probably due to the forces of nature.

In the process of acquiring survival techniques and well-being, depletion of the earths ecological system becomes increasingly irrepressible. This depletion is detrimental to life and is ever more becoming dangerous to the environment, thereby reducing survival chances on earth.

This is mainly due to flexibility of the society of life and welfare of humanity, which lies upon preservation of a healthy biosphere as well as its ecological systems, such as clean air, fertile soils, affluent mixture of animals and plants, and pure waters, among others. This paper will try to define environment and describe the effects of global warming on it.

Environment and Global warming

Our environment encompasses all that provides the fundamental conditions of life, without which, survival ceases. The natural environment is therefore critical in ensuring survival for humanity and other ecological systems.

It entails all the aspects of the world that is found outside artificial constructs of man and is essential to our continued existence. These include ecosystems, biodiversity, the atmosphere, plant life, water and animal life.

Humanity therefore, relies on the ability of earth to support it, yet it concerns to see how much humanity has eroded other living creatures by altering the balances of the atmosphere. This, combined with other natural causes, has led to climatic change, which have in-turn resulted in global warming.

Global warming refers to the increase in the mean temperature of the air near the surface of the earth and oceans, which started in mid-20^th century as well as its anticipated prolongation. During the 20^th century, assessments have shown that global temperatures of the surface increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius.

This is believed to have been caused by human activities like deforestation and burning of fossils, as well as the ever-increasing concentration of green house gases such as carbon dioxide, among others.

Effects of Global warming

Global warming has had a great impact on the environment with the future survival of the earths habitat put in jeopardy as a clean environment signifies better life and vice versa. The environment has undergone various transformations due to increasing temperatures. These effects include:

Rise in Sea Level

Since global warming raises the average global surface temperatures, this causes polar ice caps and glaciers to melt, thereby leading to expansion of water bodies. In essence, sea levels continue to rise and predictions point to the fact that it could rise as much as 88 centimeters.

Reduction Sea Ice

With the expected melting f ice caps and glaciers, it is expected that about 60% of glaciers and Ice caps will melt. This is likely to be of great concern in Greenland and Antarctica.

Ocean Acidification

Due to the continuing rise in sea level because of global warming, and the corresponding increase in amount of green house gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, precipitation is increased. This is of great concern as carbon dioxide easily mixes with seawater, acidifying the ocean water, and the result is a bleak future for ocean life.

Forest fires

Forest fires have been devastating as they destroy the ecosystem; pollute the environment, ultimately causing drought and uncontrollable repercussions in form of famine, malnutrition, and even death. As global warming continues, it is predicted that rainfall will gradually decrease in mid attitude areas. This would lead to drought in such areas, and drought is known to cause and spread more forest fires than other causes.

Severe weather

As has been stated earlier, while global warming continues, there is rise in sea level and corresponding increase in precipitation. This will change the climatic weather pattern of the earth; thereby leading to weather that is more adverse.

Massive storms have been experienced in the past, and it is predicted that with increasing global warming, even much worse situations will be experienced in the future. Tropical storms are the most likely and hurricanes, with tsunamis making headways in destroying coastal regions, especially in earthquake active areas.

Such extreme weather is already taking place, since rainfall associated with cyclones is already observed in areas such as USA. Low-lying coasts are at a greater risk as was witnessed in hurricane Katrina. Higher rates of evaporation due to occurrence of frequent droughts in sub-Saharan Africa are likely to enlarge areas experiencing desertification.

Moreover, more rainfalls that are uneven will cause flooding and soil erosion, with inadequate resources to combat such situation surfacing.

Effect on Ecosystems

Global warming has affected all ecosystems and the United Nations predict that if this continues, then by 2075 only some locally endemic species are anticipated to survive. Furthermore, it is also expected that within the next 30 years, about 20% of mammals that exist on earth will be extinct, as well as 12% of bird species. This has caused many species to move towards higher latitudes.

Conclusion

Global warming has had a great impact on the environment, which sustains all that is in it. This is detrimental to its balancing, causing its depletion and climatic change. Of great concerns are the environmental impacts on ecosystems that survive on earth.

Concisely, Effects of global warming on the environment include, rising sea levels, increasing forest fires, extinction of vast species of the ecosystems, ocean acidification, reduction in ice and glaciers as well as severe weather conditions.

Global Warming (GW) is a term that connotes elevated temperatures of the globe at closer planes. This originates from the suns heat enclosed within the atmosphere.

It is notable that such a warming process appears to be escalating. Probably, changes appear negligible to many societies, but they will augment with time. Apparently, the next decades may witness elevated warming levels, upon comparison to the temperature in preceding years. Diverse segments of earth inhabitants and property drastically suffer from the predicaments of global warming.

In order to address the repercussions of GW, it is necessary to initiate mitigation strategies. These strategies will augment peoples adjustment and solutions to GW consequences. Thus, this paper will design a sustainability plan for implementing mitigation tactic and solutions for GW.

Detailed Description of the Problem

The balance of input of energy into the earth and its eventual loss control the earths temperature. Some atmospheric gases named Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) avail greater controls to this balance (OHare, 2011). A fraction of solar radiation that reaches earth surface goes back to the environment.

Similarly, land and surfaces of expansive waters also attract other components. This enables earth surface to augment in warmth thus emitting long wave infrared radiation back into the atmosphere (Luo, Behera, Masumoto et al., 2011). Certain GHGs traps this long-wave radiation making atmosphere warmer, which eventually causes GW (Luo, 2011).

GHGs include carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, methane, and nitrous oxide which initiates the enclosing effect thus generating earths surface warming (OHare, 2011). It is notable that carbon dioxide and methane emerge as the greatest victims causing GW.

Nonliving and Living Factors that contribute to GW and Suffers its Consequences

Carbon dioxide and methane escalate in the atmosphere because of human activities, necessitating making conclusions that human beings cause GW. These human activities include fossil fuels burning, together with clearing of forests for cultivation (OHare, 2011). The consequences of GW affect all living and lifeless things on the earth surface.

Escalation of sea capacities, recurrent extreme weather occurrences, melting ice, diseases emergence appear to affect human beings, animals, and plants. This happens due to losses of lives of living creatures, which apparently causes extinctions (OHare, 2011). The earths property also appears damaged after such occurrences. Conversely, GW also generates climate change, which contains diverse benefits including rainfall in certain regions. This escalates cultivation activities significantly thus improving food production.

Positive or Negative Human Impacts

It is notable that diverse human activities implemented to create wealth and augment food production generate higher levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. The activities include burning fossil energy and deforestation, which apparently deposits monumental quantities of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Metz, Davidson, Bosch et al., 2007).

Similarly, massive implementation of animal farming activities also generates methane, which escapes. The two gases emerge as greatest victims of GW. This eventually causes GW because of the escalated warming of the atmosphere. These constitute negative human impacts because they escalate rates of GW.

Evaluation of Current Sustainability Strategies and Solutions

It is notable that current sustainability tactics and solutions for responding to GW entail mitigation. Furthermore, such tactics also entail adaptation.

Mitigation connotes anthropogenic intercession to diminish sources of GHGs or escalate the gases uptake by sinks (Itol, 2010). It focuses on avoiding the extensive undesirable impacts of GW. Adaptation means regulations in usual or societies systems in reaction to real and likely GW stimuli or their consequences, which moderates sufferings or exploits favorable opportunities.

Adaptation thus includes designed tactics to lessen unavoidable consequences of GW in both short term and the future. Current sustainability tactics and solutions link the mitigation of GW and adjustment to temperature alterations to attain a uniform feedback (Luo, 2011). The common goal entails weakening unwelcome consequences of GW.

Certain consequences of GW also appear to have gained solutions developed for its mitigation. Apparently, communities implement such solutions.

The diverse mitigation and adjustment tactics for GW tend to focus on different segments of societies economies and activities. The mitigation measure for energy supply entails escalating availability and circulation efficiency, shifting of fuel use to clean energy (Metz et al., 2007). It also encourages utilization of renewable energy and implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) thus hoarding carbon dioxide emanating from natural gas (Metz et al., 2007).

Transport industry also manufactures fuel effective vehicles, hybrid cars, and vehicles utilizing cleaner diesel. Many strategies also entail shifting to rail transport, common transport means, cycling, and land use planning and walking. Many upcoming buildings implement energy efficient tactics (Metz et al., 2007).

The industry segment also mitigates GW by implementing highly effective electrical equipment, energy recovery, resources reuse, and substitution.

Further, they scheme for non carbon dioxide gas discharges as well as utilizing diverse progression exact technologies. The agriculture sector also utilizes sustainable strategies including escalated land manipulation tactics, which increases capacity of land to absorb more carbon dioxide (Metz et al., 2007).

The tactics also diminishes quantity of GHGs discharged. Forest practices also mitigate GW by augmenting forestation, reducing deforestation and sustainable jungle management. Practices to utilize forest outputs as bio energy thus substituting fossil fuels also emerge.

Waste management also entails utilizing landfill to enhance recovery of methane gas. Incineration practices tend to focus on recovering energy. Other mitigation measure involving wastes entail organizing used water curing, re use and diminishing waste production (Metz et al., 2007).

ESD Sustainability Plan as a Mitigation Strategy and Solution for Global Warming

The proposed sustainability plan for my community entails implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a mitigation strategy and solution for GW (UNESCO, 2011).

Completion of ESD will employ the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) guidelines proclaimed in 2002 (UNESCO, 2011). ESD requires a multidisciplinary approach in the implementation of programs designed to realize its goals. However, this proposed ESD plan will focus on dispensing sustainability knowledge to youngsters in the neighboring schools.

This will contain youngsters oriented practical activities, plays, and presentations. The execution of these will significantly escalates their understanding of sustainability issues with a focus on practicable activities. This potential enhances youngsters capability to implement diverse activities within their households and at school to contribute to attaining sustainability.

Benefits and Challenges of the ESD Plan

The benefit of this proposed ESD plan for mitigating and availing solutions to GW matches its necessity. The youngsters will gain knowledge into diverse sustainability issues affecting communities at international scales. This will enhance their global thinking of ecological predicaments facilitated by human activities. They will gain knowledge for acting locally to contribute to attaining sustainability.

This will originate from dispensing relevant ideas to the youngsters on diverse things. Youngsters could implement such ideas at their households and schools to achieve sustainability. The youngsters also gain from an enjoyable learning, which focus on relevant issues outside classrooms. Further, the youngsters will appreciate local predicaments with international roots and design tactics of solving their local ones.

The execution of this sustainability plan encounters potential challenges of schools refusing to permit the implementation team to access their institutions. Some institutions will apparently refuse to avail students for this course. Further, the execution of this sustainability plan will also encounter financial challenges. It is notable that finances will facilitate movement of the execution team among diverse schools. Further, it will avail necessary stationery and equipment for the successful implementation of the plan.

Required Government, Societal, And Global Support

This sustainability plan implementation necessitates certain level of support from diverse societal segments. The local administration will apparently support in the implementation by availing necessary permits and authorization to for team identification while they visit institutions.

The probable support availed by the local society will entail allowing their youngsters to implement diverse sustainability practices learned within their households and schools. Further, the society will also avail youngsters and may accompany them for ESD learning sessions. Relevant global organizations will support the sustainability plan implementation by availing various learning materials and financial support.

ESD Plan Guidelines

The implementation of the proposed sustainability plan will occur over a three-year period with possible extensions. The team will implement this plan in twenty institutions within the locality. Further, participants will agree on implementing diverse sustainability practices in their households and schools.

After its successful implementation, the team will award outstanding participants. Furthermore, various support segments will avail their assistance towards the ESD plan implementation for smooth execution of the components. The overall activities for this proposed sustainability plan would occur under the following timelines.

A Table Outlining the ESD Plan activities Implementation over Three Years Period

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service. (n.d.)

Conclusion

The ESD sustainability plan appeared necessary as a mitigation strategy and solution for GW. Its implementation adhered to the United Nations DESD thus attaining its objectives. The plan avails diverse benefits for participating schools and students. Participants gained from knowledge sharing as regards to sustainability predicaments occurring internationally and locally.

This enhanced their appreciation of such predicaments thus implementing learned issues and practicable activities to solve the ones observable in their localities. Furthermore, the implementation progression escalated enjoyable learning and gaining hands on experience for the participants. Implemented over a three-year period, the ESD plan emerged as a sustainable and practicable mitigation measure for GW.

It is notable to comment that the plan encountered diverse challenges ranging from authorities refusal to avail permission to logistical predicaments. Most importantly, the ESD plan successfully attained its projected objectives. The overwhelming success of this plan necessitated calls for extension of its implementation.

References

Corporation for National & Community Service. (n.d.). Sample Sustainability Plan. In Toolkit for program sustainability, capacity building, and volunteer recruitment/management (Section 4). Web.

Itol, A., & Kawamiya, M. (2010). Potential Impact of Ocean Ecosystem Changes Due to Global Warming on Marine Organic Carbon Aerosols. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 24, 1012-1021.

Luo, J., Behera, S., Masumoto, Y. & Yamagata, T. (2011). Impact of Global Ocean Surface Warming on Seasonal-to-Inter Annual Climate Prediction. Journal of Climate, 24(6), 1626-1646.

Metz, B., Davidson, O., Bosch, P., Dave, R. & Meyer, L. (2007). Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change, Contributions of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

OHare, G. (2011). Updating our Understanding of Climate Change in the North Atlantic: The Role of Global Warming and the Gulf Stream. Geography, 96(1), 5-16.

UNESCO. (2011). Education for Sustainable Development. Web.

Despite the controversy that surrounds the causes of global warming, human beings are slowly beginning to appreciate the fact that much of the heating up of the earths surface is attributable to their activities. Given the fact that the causes of global warming are seemingly apparent, one wonders why it has taken man decades to appreciate this fact. In a nutshell, global warming can be defined as the overheating of the earths surface with time.

It has affected our planet very negatively by, among other things, changing the climatic conditions, affecting biodiversity and causing natural disasters like floods, hurricanes etc. These effects on the planet have an adverse effect on life, especially human life. People lose their lives during disasters, lack basic requirements after the environment and infrastructure is damaged. This paper is an in-depth exploration of global warming as a subject of concern to human beings.

Global warming has been known to exist since the nineteenth century. In fact, scientists had given the suggestion that human activities were contributing to global warming from as early as 1880. This is despite the fact that the hypothesis remained unclear as people viewed it to be too scientific. It had been suggested that burning of fossil fuels led to an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which in turn led to global warming.

The hypothesis was further viewed as a curiosity since the predictions for the early 20^th century that by 1940, the world would have experienced a one-degree Celsius rise in temperature did not hold. However, studies starting from 1980 gave interesting revelations about the relationship between human activities and global warming and thus global warming was demystified (Russel 33). Global warming is having the worst effects in vulnerable parts of the world like the Polar Regions which are made up of snow.

The ecosystem of these regions is used to the snow conditions an thus when snow melts in these regions due to the effects of global warming, the regions become, somehow, unfavorable for the species living there. Other parts being adversely affected by global warming are low altitude areas like Indonesia that are experiencing disastrous floods with shocking frequency. There are also a number of other areas being affected by global warming effects like the hurricanes, high temperatures etc.

Global warming has had very destructive effects on biodiversity. Less resistant species have already become extinct and the menace is still threatening more species. The species which have been able to cope well with global warming are those with a high degree of mobility.

That it, when the ecosystems of such species become difficult to live in due to the effects of global warming, the species move to far off places in which the effects of global warming are not as harsh. For instance, when the grass on which animals in forests thrive on dries up due to increased temperatures, the animals can move to places where the grass weather is cooler because they will be able to find food there (Weart 31).

This implies that, the animal species that will not be able to cover long distances in search of favorable ecosystems will die from the effects of global warming. This could lead to extinction. Plants are affected less than animals by global warming due to the fact that they are able to adapt to harsh temperatures. Additionally, despite the fact that some plants grow in specific ecosystems, plant-species extinction is not as easy as the extinction of animal species.

Different environments are affected differently by global warming. For instance, polar ice caps are continually melting and creating an unfavorable ecosystem in these regions. The melting of the ice caps also accelerates global warming since the ice plays a very important role of reflecting heat back into the atmosphere. Once they melt, the heat is absorbed on the earths surface leading to more warming. In the same way, glaciers are continually getting molten. This leads to a problem since some marine species can only thrive in cold conditions.

Once the glaciers melt, such species are forced to go deeper into the ocean in search of favorable living conditions. The melting of glaciers is also leading to a rise in the sea level as more water is coming from the molten glaciers. The heat from global warming is also leading to the death of planktons and other marine life forms. This is a challenge to marine species like fish since most of them depend heavily on the planktons for food. With the rise in sea levels, islands are increasingly vanishing and others becoming smaller (McHenry 36).

Continents, on the other hand are being consumed along the coastline since the ocean is advancing towards continental landscapes. As stated in the discussion above, continental animals are being affected due to the effect of global warming on their ecosystems. Therefore, if grass dries up and rivers dry up, the animals have nothing to live on and they end up moving. The most affected are those which are not sufficiently mobile.

A number of explanations have been put forward to explain the reason for the occurrence of global warming. For instance, some people believe that the phenomenon of global warming is as a result of natural causes that cannot be deciphered by man. Others try to explain this by suggesting that the sun is continually becoming warm.

These people therefore do not support the thought that global warming is as a result of the activities of man. There is also the defense that the world can never produce enough carbon dioxide that could have such adverse effects on climate as we are experiencing.

However, the latter argument is based on the misconception that carbon dioxide is the only green house gas and it also does not put the cumulative effects of emission of these gases. As stated, there are a number of greenhouse gases. These include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These greenhouse gases are released to the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and bacteria in oceans, soils and organic matter (Samuelson 22).

Among the measures that are productively being employed to curb global warming is the practice of recycling organic matter. This ensures that the organic matter does not pile up and be broken down by bacteria and thus the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are reduced. This is because one of the sources of greenhouse gases is the organic matter broken down by bacteria to release methane to the atmosphere. People are also being advised to embrace a culture of car pooling or use low emission vehicles.

This is because a large percentage of the carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere comes from automobile emissions. This combines with emissions from factories to increase the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and consequently increase the rate of global warming. Low emission vehicles can therefore go a long way in reducing the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which will in turn reduce the rate of global warming (Hansen 21).

Among the efforts being undertaken to reduce the rate at which the earth is warming is the increased advocacy for reforestation. This is particularly helpful since forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thus planting of forests is bound to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This will in turn reduce global warming.

Governments are trying to raise money in a bid to reduce the effects of global warming in developing countries. There has also been an increase in the number of NGOs emerging with an interest in the global warming phenomenon. Agreements are also being reached which are meant to make countries operate in suggested environmental precautions that will ensure that the global warming problem does not escalate.

For instance, 190 countries agreed to operate under the Kyoto protocol that dictates that countries should reduce their emissions and also assist developing countries to use cleaner energy sources. Some of the governments which are actively involved in this are the U.S, England, South Africa and Japan among others. Developing nations, most in Africa, are thus benefiting from the generosity of these governments in the funding of efforts in mitigating effects of global warming and also in efforts to reduce the phenomenon itself.

Works Cited

Hansen, James. Climatic Change: Understanding Global Warming. Journal of Biodiversity, pp. 17-41

McHenry, Gary. Effects of Global Warming. Journal of Environmental Studies, pp. 23- 57.

Russel, Randy. The Greenhouse Effect and Greenhouse Gases. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Samuelson, Gay. Humans as the cause of global warming. University of California, pp. 13 -28.

Weart, Spencer. The discovery of global warming. New York. Wadsworth Publishing, 2004. Print.

Global warming is the abnormal rise of average temperature on the surface of the earth. This has been caused by human advancement towards industrialization and modernization.

The outcome of global warming has been exhibited by the melting of ice and snows in areas such as the Antarctic which has changed the average sea level of the whole world because the ice and snow has been converted into water (Trenberth et al 244). If this situation persists the animals that live in those areas will be eliminated because their dwelling place will be destroyed.

Green house gases have contributed to the process of global warming. Green house gases are gaseous compounds that occupy the atmosphere and when their concentration is not stable they cause temperatures on the lower level of the atmosphere to hike. The components of these gases include carbon dioxide and methane (Changnon & Bell 35).

The rapid increase in human population has led to the elimination of most forests to give room for human settlements. The trees are very important because they help to prevent the accumulation of green house gases in large volumes in the atmosphere by consuming commendable amounts of carbon dioxide. Trees and other plants use consume carbon dioxide to help in generating food supplements for their survival.

Another major contributing factor is the combustion of fuels in factories. But the effect of carbon dioxide injected from the combustion of fuels in factories is less harmful compared to excess methane which is generated from dumping sites. Large volumes of methane are contained in the permafrost and also inside the sea beds of large water bodies like oceans and lakes. These volumes may be released into the atmosphere if the temperatures continue to hike. High temperatures will evaporate water together with methane

Thats why global warming has to be regulated by reducing the chances of these gases being exposed to the atmosphere. Among the most workable solutions include extracting methane from garbage dumping sites and other gases generated in other areas and combust it. Combusted methane will be converted into carbon dioxide which is less harmful (Trenberth et al. 243).

Trenberth et al. explain that carbon dioxide is obtained from the flaming of fuels such as charcoal and oil in order to generate energy that is used in cooking and automobiles. Considerable volumes of green house gases are very useful to humans and other living creatures (244). This is because they maintain the warmth in the earth because if they were not present life on earth would be like hell due to freezing temperatures.

The green house gases confine temperature inside the earth and prevent it from being lost. This is very true because if the heat obtained from the sun was not confined by these gases nights would be very cold due to absence of sunlight. However the structural bonding of these gases allows the heat to go through them but it can not exit through them. They work like a thermo flask that maintains the warmth of tea by retaining the heat which helps to keep the tea hot.

When these gases accumulate so much life in the whole world would come to an end because humans and other creatures would die due to hunger because plants can not survive under such temperatures. Moreover the outcomes of global warming may be harmful or beneficial depending on the climate of a given area.

For instance higher temperatures over Antarctic would facilitate more plant life while high temperatures would render most living things in Africa lifeless. Additionally the long intervals of heat would melt the ice in Antarctic hence allow ships to go through that region. This would then shorten the routes usually followed by ships thus promote foreign trade.

Changnon and Bell argues that farmers in cold areas can also benefit from high temperatures because plants would have extended growing period thus yield more. The advantages of global warming are fewer compared to the negative impacts (46). The business community would also be affected by global warming because insurance institutions would hike premiums paid by their clients because there would be frequent natural disasters than ever before such as earth quakes and hurricanes.

Human health would be in jeopardy because more people would be prone to contracting asthma and allergies due to early blooming of plants. This means that more money would be spent in treating these illnesses thus most economies will decline. Others would die due to lack of food and water because all the plants and animals would die hence desertification will occur.

The need to survive under such conditions will lead swell the rate of crime and more people would then be killed in the struggle for the few available resources such as food because people would have to fight in order to get food.

There are several ways through which people can avoid the occurrence of global warming. All of this possible solutions aim at regulating the effects of greenhouse gases. They include sharing a single car among people who are commuting to the same destination. This will interfere with ones privacy but on the other hand it reduces the rate of pollution due to combustion of fuels from vehicles. Another commendable measure involves walking on foot to work places and also leaving electronics switched off.

Governments have also enacted policies against the use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration systems and sprays because they deplete the ozone layer (Changnon & Bell 73). Therefore, global warming is a serious environmental disaster that should be prevented at all cost with the aim of protecting the ecosystem.

Works Cited

Changnon, Stanley and Gerald Bell. eds. El Nino, 1997-1998: The Climate Event of the Century. London: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print.

Trenberth, Kevin et al. Chapter 3: Observations: Surface and Atmospheric Climate Change.IPPC Fourth Assessment Report. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.