Category Science

               Many factors contribute to global warming. While there are natural causes for this phenomenon, Man has been instrumental in accelerating its pace. One of Man’s many harmful interferences in the affairs of nature is his use of fossil fuels.

               We use fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas because they are the cheapest sources of energy available. However, they are also an important cause of global warming. Fossil fuels are formed when organic matter under the surface of the earth decomposes over millions of years. When these fossil fuels are burned for energy, they release a large quantity of carbon dioxide into the air. The presence of carbon dioxide in the air keeps the earth warmer. This is because it traps the heat obtained from sunlight and does not let it go beyond the atmosphere.

               The heat in the atmosphere captured by carbon dioxide will rise proportionately as the percentage of the compound in the air rises significantly. This in turn, leads to an overall rise in the surface temperature of the earth.

               There is no doubt that we depend too much on fossil fuels that release deadly amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We need to start considering alternative sources of energy quickly. It is high time we think of other options such as nuclear, solar and wind energy.

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           It is beyond doubt that global warming will affect life on earth in general. However, the intensity of the damage will vary from place to place. This is because global warming primarily causes rise in water levels; and therefore, any place closer to water bodies are at risk.

            Since islands are surrounded by water on all sides, the worst effects of global warming will manifest in islands. Have you heard of an island that disappeared altogether? Rising seas, caused by global warming, have for the first time, washed an island, Lohachara Island of the Hoogly River in West Bengal, off the face of the earth. As the water levels continue to rise, the seas will swallow entire island nations, from the Maldives to the Marshall Islands, inundate vast areas of countries from Bangladesh to Egypt and submerge parts of scores of coastal cities. It is depressing to know that Indonesia has already lost 24 of its islands because of excessive mining and other activities that damage the environment.

            Sea-level rise and increased tropical cyclones are expected to place low-lying small islands in the Pacific, Indian, and Caribbean regions at risk of inundation and population displacement.

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               You must have heard the story of the frog that fell in the cooking pot that was slowly heating up. If man does not realize the imminent danger of global warming, he would face the fate of the frog that could not understand that the water in which it fell was killing it by degrees.

               Global warming affects humankind in diverse ways. It will result in the rise in temperature, which in turn, will cause the polar ice caps to melt. The melting of the ice caps will result in the rise of sea levels; and eventually, the temperature of the ocean will increase. As the temperature of oceans rises, many different species of animals will become endangered. Hurricanes will become more frequent, and much stronger due to the warmer water. These weather changes can have serious effects on the human race and destroy many lives.

               That is not all. The increase in temperature can cause an increase in disease-carrying insects. Around the world, places will become either wetter or drier due to global warming. There will be more droughts, which will lead to famine and starvation. Wetter regions can experience floods, which also cause destruction of life and property. Thus, global warming can indeed be disastrous for the human race.

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            Global warming can bring about lasting and far-reaching repercussions in nature. In fact, it can shake the foundations of the existence of life on Earth.

            The most apparent effect of this phenomenon is in the oceans. Global warming will result in higher temperatures, and in turn, higher temperatures will make the water of the seas and the oceans rise. How does that happen? Ice melting in the Antarctic and Greenland will flow into the sea. Higher sea levels will threaten the low-lying coastal areas of the world, such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Throughout the world, millions of people and huge areas of land will be at danger from flooding.

            Many people will have to leave their homes. Large areas of farmland will be ruined because of floods. All over the world, sea levels may rise, perhaps by as much as 20 to 40 centimeters, by the beginning of the next century. Therefore, unless we act now to stop global warming, rising sea levels can pose a real threat to humanity.

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            Our planet is getting warmer and warmer as years pass by. There can be two kinds of causes for this phenomenon. Global warming can be the result of man-made causes or natural causes which are created by nature.

            A major natural cause for global warming is the release of methane gas from the Arctic tundra and wetlands. These gases can trap heat in the atmosphere. Another important natural cause is Earth’s normal inclination for auto-generated climate change. The earth goes through a cycle of climate change, which usually lasts about 40,000 years.

            However, man-made causes, probably, do the most damage. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Burning fossil fuels is an important cause of pollution. The increased rate of deforestation also contributes to global warming.

            The steady increase in population leads to the heating up of the globe. More people means more food, and more methods of transportation increases the use of fossil fuels, and thus, pollution. Animals like cows emit a lot of methane in the air, while many fertilisers also increase the amount of nitrous oxides in the air.

               Man has often considered nature to be a territory, which can be exploited to his advantage. However, in innumerable mysterious ways, nature has retaliated. In the face of an impending disaster, nature has given off warning signs that Man has either failed to read or ignored at his own peril.

               Today scientists are all ears to nature, because she can warn them in time. The first signs of global warming are seen near the surface of the earth and in the upper atmosphere. The ten indicators of climate change include measurements of sea level rise taken from ships, the temperature of the upper atmosphere taken from weather balloons, and field surveys of melting glaciers.

               Antarctica appears to be getting warmer. Even a change of half a degree Celsius in temperature can have disastrous effects. Over the last 50 years, average temperatures on the continent have increased by 2.5 degrees Celsius. In 1995, a gigantic glacier broke off and floated out to sea. This incident was a revelation to the scientists across the globe. Such incidents are indications that global warming is happening.