Global Warming
Introduction
The world is now reeling under the effects of global warming. The climate and the temperatures are now extreme. Global warming is a description denoting the rise in temperatures that has the ultimate negative effect on the planets climatic conditions. There is scientific proof that the earth is warming more and more each day due to several negative human activity that is detrimental to the environment. These actions are precipitated by human actions like running of industries, use of harmful chemicals, poor agricultural practices, cutting down of trees (Archer 2012).
Effects of Global Warming
Climatic conditions are dictated by different conditions and it is true to state that natural processes have caused the current earth climate changes. However, it should be noted that processes of global warming that happened naturally involved so many years and was caused by the sun. This global warming phenomenon happened in a controlled manner over thousands of years. The methane and carbon dioxide were responsible for global warming. It is therefore right to say that previously global warming was a slow natural process that has been taking place at an extremely slower rate.
However, human beings are now the greatest threat to humanity. Over the last century alone, the effects to the climate have been devastating. The greatest single contribution of humans to global warming is directly related to the activities they engage in. there have been high amount of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere, thee green gasses are very harmful to the atmosphere. Human beings have also used so many aerosols and most of these cause huge clouds of pollutant particles. China is one good example that has suffered immensely due to the effects of aerosols. Carbon dioxide is currently the largest single contributor to climate warming. This is largely because human beings depend heavily on fossil fuels, which in turn release carbon dioxide when burnt. These gases cause a lot of radiation because hey puncture the protective layer that prevents high radiations. Here are several natural processes that cause radiation but humans have exceeded these processes and at an alarming rate. Industrialization may have been good for human development but it might also accelerate the end of humankind
Global warming is not good for human sustainability. People and the environment will incur so much loss. The Americas and its neighbors have bore the brunt of hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions not good for human or animal habitation. Some crops need cool climates to grow and on the other hands there are conditions that inhibit growth of certain destructive weeds, however, with climate change the disadvantages of a warmer climate are much more dire that a cool or colder one. There is urgent need to cut down on use of aerosols and greenhouse gas emissions.
Scientists have noticed a rapid increase in global temperatures. The warming of the earth has gone up by about I degree Celsius. The north and the south poles have seriously been affected. Ice and glaciers are melting at a higher rate, there are frequent avalanches being reported than at any other known time. These ice actions are a direct result of increased temperatures. Penguins have found it hard to survive and reproduce and therefore their population at the poles is declining. There have been a steady rise in water levels and many coastal lands and islands are being submerged. There has been a steady increase in snowfall and the United States has experienced higher snowfalls in the recent past. There is urgent need for drastic action to be taken to slow down destructive human activities (Shrivastava and Council for Training & Research in Ecology & Environment (New Delhi, India) 2007).
Mitigation Strategies
Whereas we have so many differences among nations, climate change calls for close collaboration between nations to save the earth from further anthropogenic effects. One of the mitigation strategy adopted is the use of renewable energy. Renewable energy occurs naturally and therefore has few negative effects to the climate. Most energy used currently is non-renewable and has devastating effect on the world climate. Some of this renewable energy involves the use of sunlight, wind, geothermal energy, tides among other naturally occurring phenomena to generate power. Use of fossil and bio fuels has been minimized to save the climate from harmful emissions (Davoudi, Crawford and Mehmood 2009).
The use of the process called Carbon Sinks has also be employed to reduce the harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Afforestation has been encouraged. Trees take in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and use it to make its food. More tree cover helps eliminate carbon dioxide and therefore saving the atmosphere from further damage
Carbon trading and green house trading is also another method that has been used successfully to mitigate on the effects of human actions. Countries that plant trees are compensated for saving the environment. This has seen drastic increase in forest cover. These strategies are contained in the Kyoto protocol. Companies have also been encouraged to use the carbon capture storage (CCS), where carbon is captured by factories at their point of exit
Conclusion
It is time to save the earth from further destruction from our actions. The united nations has encouraged sustainable development where we do not focus at development and self sufficiency at the expense of the earth we live in. countries have been encourage to conserve and adopt renewable energy as well as offer mitigation measures for destruction already done. All these measures will guarantee a better place to live. Sustainability of the earth calls for collective effort.
References
Archer, D. (2012). Global warming: Understanding the forecast. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.
Davoudi, S., Crawford, J., & Mehmood, A. (2009). Planning for climate change: Strategies for mitigation and adaptation for spatial planners. London: Earthscan.
Shrivastava, A. K., & Council for Training & Research in Ecology & Environment (New Delhi, India). (2007). Global warming. New Delhi: A P H Pub. Corp., in association with Council for Training & Research in Ecology & Environment.