Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Is global warming happening and are humans to blam Essays

Is global warming happening and are humans to blame? These questions are being asked more and more frequently by people who believe Earth's temperature is climbing at an alarming rate. Our planet's ever changing climate has captured the attention of those who would agree that without a change in our behaviour, we will ultimately destroy the world we live in. In the following essay, I will describe the causes, effects and ways we could possibly slow down the effects of global warming. There are many causes of global warming. Some of the carbon emissions are just natural, like a volcano but most of the carbon emissions are man-made. The most important cause of global warming are the greenhouse gasses, most of which are generated by us humans. Some of the many greenhouse gasses include methane, chlorofluorocarbons, sulphur dioxide, water vapour and most importantly, carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gasses has been rapidly increasing after the 20th Century because of population growth, advances in technology and a bigger economy. One of the manmade causes behind global warming is ozone depletion. The ozone layer in the atmosphere is a layer of gas which blocks out harmful UV rays from the sun. Day by day the ozone is declining because of the use of chlorofluorocarbons. This gas is used in many places which include aerosols, refrigerators, and cleaning fluids which gradually release this gas. Without a shield to block the UV rays, the greenhouse gasses absorb it, wh ich ultimately increase global warming. According to research, it has been estimated to be an ozone hole which is twice the size of Antarctica. The effects of global warming are becoming more clear in the recent years, as there are more sources for greenhouse gas emissions. According to the US geological survey, bout 150 glaciers in Montana Glacier National Park have been affected in the last 100 years. Because of rapid climate change, this figure is now at 20 glaciers. The Earth is also getting warmer. This might sound like a good thing, but thousands of animal species will die out because of to hotter temperatures. It has been recorded that the year 2012 was the hottest year since 1895 and the year 2013 was the hottest since 1880. This means there will be longer summers and shorter winters which can disturb animal migration cycles. With warmer weather, there will also be a rise in sea level because there will be more ice melting, especially in the north and south poles. This rise in sea levels can cause many low-lying and inhabited islands to submerge underwater. Huge levels of climate change and globa l warming are making unpredictable weather and hurricanes more dangerous and powerful. An increase in global temperature can also have an effect on the atmosphere such as changes in air circulation in the atmosphere, heavy storms, declining ozone layer, occurrence of more hurricanes, floods, droughts and so much more. There are many programs and awareness campaigns wanting to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses which are run by governments, NGOs (non-government organisations), business leaders and private sectors. Some damage caused by of global warming cannot be reversed such as melting ice caps. We should try to reduce our carbon emissions now .. To reduce greenhouse gasses overdrive electric or solar powered cars. Instead of burning coal and other fossil fuels for energy, we can turn to renewable sources such as solar power, hydroelectric power and wind power. If every country adapted to these, we can slow down or even stop global warming. In conclusion, there is very little doubt that global warming will change our climate in the next century. So what are the solutions to global warming? First, there must be an international political solution for fewer carbon emissions. Second, funding for developing cheap and clean energy production must be increased, as all economic development is based on increasing energy usage. We must not pin all our hopes in global politics and clean energy technology, so we must prepare for the worst and adapt.