Haldar, Ishita
(1) defines global warming as the increase in the average temperature of the
Earth’s near-surface air and oceans that begun in the mid-20th century together
with its projected continuation. The
term is synonymous with increased greenhouse effect in the Earth, implying that
the increase amounting to greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere causes the
trapping of numerous solar radiations and hence increasing Earth’s surface. The
greenhouse warming effect gets founded on the assumption that the rise in the
atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide will result in a corresponding
increase in the average global surface temperature.
The warming of the Earth gets believed to have
started in the mid-1800s. The temperature rise was very gradual at first,
however in the late 20th century the Earth’s surface temperature began rising
more rapidly. From the start of the 20th century to the end, the Earth’s
surface temperature elevated, 0.74 ± 0.180C (1.33 ± 0.32 0 F).
Causes of Global Warming
Global warming
gets caused by various natural or man-made Earth’s conditions described in this
section. The rapid concentration elevation of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the recent past get attributed to being the primary causes
of global warming in the Earth surface (Ward, Peter Langdon, 36). Carbon
dioxide gets produced on the Earth’s surface by different natural and manmade
processes that include cement production, burning of fossil fuels such as coal,
oil and natural gas in industrial processes and automobiles, deforestation,
decomposition, ocean release and respiration, and volcanic eruptions. The
sources of methane which is another greenhouse gas are landfills, nitrous oxide
from fertilisers, agriculture, deforestation and gases used for industrial
processes and respiration. Energy activities and processes contribute to the
largest global greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent, land use contributes to
23 percent, waste contributes to four percent and industrial processes
contribute to three percent. The gases significantly contribute to the
greenhouse effect that has led to the rise of the earth’s temperature by
approximately twenty-four percent. Carbon dioxide, for instance, is responsible
for twelve percent of the greenhouse effect and methane leads to between five
to ten percent of global warming. Water vapour causes thirty-six percent of the
greenhouse effect and ozone is responsible for three to seven percent of the
greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect simply gets explained as the absorption
of some of the heat radiated from the Earth’s surface, reradiate the heat back
towards the earth repeatedly, hence trapping the heat in the earth’s atmosphere
resulting in temperature increase (Johnson, Rebecca L. 6-10).
Global warming
gets caused by volcanic emissions and solar activity. The solar variation
theory states that the sun has been gaining strength and has become strongest
in the last sixty years. Hence, this aspect gets associated with global
warming. Sunspots also get considered to be a cause or catalyst of global
warming. The number of sunspots in a region influence the specific period the
nearby landscape takes to cool down. The sun which is the main source of
earth’s energy absorbs approximately seventy percent of the earth’s solar flux
hence increasing the temperature of the earth’s surrounding.
Changes in the
Earth’s orbital characteristics are a natural cause of global warming. The
modifications in the shape of the earth’s orbit around the sun and the tilt of
the earth’s axis alter the amount of solar energy that gets received by the
earth. This orbital forcing hence results in earth’s temperature increase thus
causing global warming.
Impacts of Global Warming
Global warming
has led to more extreme weather in the Earth as compared to the ancient past.
Some of the extreme weather patterns include an increase in the frequency of
warm spells or heat waves over most land regions around the world as well as
extended drought periods and its adverse effects (Fuchs, Ralph, 10-15). Another
extreme weather is the increase tropical cyclone activity. Increased extreme
high sea level except tsunamis is also another incidence of severe weather.
Global warming
has also had a significant impact on social and economic aspects of human.
These include the impact on agriculture and food supply, impact on water
sources and increased pressure on groundwater supplies, increased uncertainty
in electricity supply, migration, health, etc.
Glacier retreat
and disappearance in the northern and southern hemispheres and also mountainous
areas in Europe is also another impact of global warming. The extreme
reductions in glacier extent and the thickness of glaciers have led to the rise
of the sea level. The sea level has been rising by 0.2 cm each year. Another effect
of global warming on oceans is the warming of the ocean surface causing the
rise in temperature stratification.
Global warming
has also had a severe impact on the bio-geo-chemical cycles. It has an effect
on the carbon cycle in an interactive “feedback” process.
Responses to Global Warming
There have been
numerous international, national, state and local actions that aim at
minimizing the causes of global warming as well as preventing them and also
mitigating the impacts of global warming. There have been increasing calls and
actions to prevent carbon emissions. One significant action is the Kyoto
Protocol, an international treaty that commits member states to reducing
greenhouse gases emissions in their respective nations (Oberthür, Sebastian,
and Hermann E. Ott, 1-20).
Fuchs, Ralph. Global Warming - Impacts and
Consequences of Global Warming: GRIN Verlag, 2007): 10-15
Johnson, Rebecca L. Understanding global warming.
Lerner Publications, )2008): P. 6-10
Haldar, Ishita. Global warming: the causes and
consequences. Mind Melodies, (2010): p. 1
Oberthür, Sebastian, and Hermann E. Ott. The Kyoto
Protocol: international climate policy for the 21st century. Springer Science
& Business Media, (1999): 1-20
Ward, Peter Langdon. What Really Causes Global
Warming?: Greenhouse Gases or Ozone Depletion?. Morgan James Publishing,
(2015): p. 36
Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in customized research
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