Lets understand what’s global warming…excess creation and emission of gases like carbon dioxide and monoxide that create a green house effect or a cover around Earth which forces increase in the overall temperature of earth from the usual. This is a phenomenon not debated any more, rather too late for that!! It is happening and the reasons are widely know. Global warming is associated with human activities like burning of fossil fuels, deforestation etc..which result in increase of CO2 in the air that traps more of sun’s heat resulting in melting of glaciers and snow bodies which are life line for fresh water. As a result not only Earth is heating up, Mars is heating up 4 times faster than our planet. The entire universe is getting affected.
The developed countries are to be blamed for the occurrence of this phenomenon. Nuclear tests, mechanization resulting in release of harmful gases. But the worst affected will be the third world countries. Whereas the developed countries have started taking steps to rectify for the damage that they have already done, third world countries with crumbling economies need to start focusing on this.
The worst and the major effect of global warming is decrease in snow line - melting of snow – increase of volume of fresh water at river basins – increase in sea level – submerging of low lying areas like Bombay, Indonesia, South America, Africa (list is long).
Among others are:
§ Climatic changes: Have you ever thought why Mumbai is hotter than usual in just April? Why does it rain in Delhi when it should be cold? Hailstorms in Rajasthan, wow you ever read that in your geography classes?
§ Lack of fresh water supply: Think why there are water cuts in Mumbai and other major parts of Mumbai and other cities in India?
§ Increase in types of various new forms of diseases.
§ Endangering number of species
§ I may be thinking aloud now, but may be evolution of human species which can cope up with this new climatic changes…but that wont be sooner than a few more million years!!
If the global warming continues at the current rate the height of our pride the Himalayas will reduce from 500,000 sq ft to 100,000 sq ft by 2030.
So what can we do to reverse this effect thereby minimizing the damage?
§ Use alternate sources of energy to avoid use of fossil fuels – Solar energy
§ Use wind mill energy to convert sea water into fresh water, very few countries like Sweden and Australia are doing this.
§ But most of all this is a simple demand and supply equation, because of increased human demand and consumption, supply is increased to cater to the growing demands. Population needs to be curbed at the most fastest pace or else no alternate source will be able to help humans.
What you and I can do:
§ Plant more trees, plants
§ Stop illegal falling of trees, and there is a law against this
§ Save water and electricity
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7 comments:
Nice article. I always thought I knew enough about global warming until I read this. Your article certainly has added to my knowledge.
Thanks Vikas, Its readers like you who make it worth the effort to write these articles.
Priyanka
We are all led to believe that global warming is happening only due to artificial emission of gases as a result of modernization of human species. The real reason for global warming is still a debatable topic. You suggest that even Mars is heating up due to earth's global warming which is questionable. How can rising temperatures of earth affect mars??
There are studies which suggest that it is actually the Sun which is at its strongest since the last 60 years, which might be affecting global temperatures ( this could explain why even Mars is heating up).
No doubt that we humans are also contributing to the green house gases but that can not be the sole reason for earth's rising temparatures.
These global climate changes are natural and cyclic in the history of earth's existance (remember.. ice age). In the last ice age I dont think there was any human activity which could have led to global warming and then ice age.
Perhaps we are devoting too many resources to correcting human effects on the climate without being sure of the real contributor to this...
Just my 2 cents....
Dear Vishal,
I partly agree with your comment that not all is contributed by Man but at the same time we can't shirk the responsibility of what we have created of Earth...Natural evolution is part of life and will continue, all i want to say is we have excelerated the pace at which negative growth is happening.
As regards warming of Mars this has been proven by a study conducted by scientists at California that global warming and emission of gases from Earch has started affecting Mars and if the current rate continues the damage will be much more you and I can account for.
However, thanks for your honest comment, appreciate the effort.
I apologise for the spelling mistakes: its not :-
excelerate but accelerate
Earch but Earth
Sorry for the inconveience
Priyanka
Mars warming due to earth and the entire universe gettting affected due to human beings would really be the most interesting phenomenon mankind could be held responsible for. Looks like some scientists are just interested in making headlines.
However, read the following articles from some trusted sources.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn11531-dust-blamed-for-warming-on-mars.html
..and lets bring this debate to a closure here, since a lot scientific community is already debating on this topic and are getting paid for it (handsomely)...
Global warming is a phenomenon which is spreading its tentacles at a frightening pace and human are a major contributor to this phenomenon.
At a release of a report on global warming in Feb 2007, Ronald Prinn, TEPCO Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at MIT said “ the scientific evidence for human influence on climate has strengthened significantly in the past half dozen years, and the case for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions is significantly more compelling than it was six years ago”
Researches have proved that greenhouse gases have been increasing by very large amounts since pre-industrial times. Among the major emitters of greenhouse gas, US account for 25 percent of the global emissions.
Governments and corporates across the globe have been taking steps to curb this problem. As you rightly said, we too can contribute a little to curb this problem.
Small steps like using compact fluorescents bulbs (they produce the same amount of light, but use about a quarter of the electricity and lasts much longer), Using recycled paper (no cutting down of trees), unplug electrical appliances when not in use, use public transportation wherever possible.
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