Today global warming is one of the most challenging environmental difficulties experienced across the world. It threatens the health and wellbeing of the global inhabitants and global economies. As a result of global warming, we are currently experiencing intense heat and storms across the world. Along these whether changes experienced across the world, come more disease-causing pests. Additionally, forestry and farming are highly hit by the effects of global warming and traces of distressed environment are witnessed. To deal with, and curb this menace, it is the high time to initiate strategies to repair the destructive effects of global warming and more so, implement policies and diligently enforce them. Based on these effects, global warming has turned out as the major concern for all nations across the world. According to scientific alarmists, the leading cause of global warming and whether changes are anthropogenic factors (Jordan, Stuart). On the other hand, some scientists deny the reality of global warming but lack scientific proof to support their claim.
Evidence of Global Warming
For real, global warming is in existence. It is evident from various scientific findings regarding global warming. According to the scientist, global warming is the change in the mean of the world’s surface temperature over a given period. In this regard, according to the IPCC2001 report, global surface temperatures have dramatically changed by about 0.6 degrees centigrade (1 degree Fahrenheit) over the 20th century. The change in temperature has had a great impact on the land as compared to the oceans. It is for this reason that global warming has highly occurred in the northern hemisphere as compared to the southern hemisphere. According to the report, the 1990s recorded the highest temperatures, 1998 being the hottest year ever witnessed. The next evidence is the rise of sea levels. According to scientists, over the 20th C, the water increased by one foot in correspondence with one-degree Fahrenheit temperature rise (Jordan, Stuart). Besides, most of the world’s icebergs and glaciers are being eroded rather than being increasing. It is also upsetting if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet or Greenland Ice Cap melts, the rise in sea level will be twenty feet and above. Additionally, storms and hurricane have occurred in different parts of the world. Good examples are the heat waves that occurred in Europe in 2003 killing more than 30,000 people and the fierce rainstorm that took place in southeastern Europe, forest fires in Portugal and deadly drought across Iberia.
Factors Steering Global Warming
Various factors have steered the environmental change and global warming. First is the population increase. The increase in population growth leads to growing demand for natural resources such as fossil fuels and water. Maintaining the high population adds a lot of pressure to the environment affecting resources such as watersheds and rainforests. Additionally, others factors that highly affect demographic factors that steer environmental changes include as public policies, technological development, and culture (De, John & Frederick). For instance, the growth and development of cities across the world alter lifestyle of the people, consumption plan and infrastructure expansion and waste production. The industrialization of the world increases emission which in turn causes the greenhouse effect.
Impact of Global Warming
There are various positive and negative consequences linked to global warming. From a positive perspective, global warming is thought to enhance agricultural productivity across the world particularly in the northern latitude. Also, the greenhouse effect to some extent increases plant growth. Plants use carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas in photosynthesis and release oxygen in return. Despite these benefits, global warming has some harmful effects. The most controversial one is the sea-level rise (ProQuest Global Warming Timeline Staff). As the temperature increases, water expands causing an increase in its levels. For instance, over the 20th C, the water rose by one foot in correspondence with one-degree Fahrenheit temperature rise according to the scientist. Additionally, most of the world’s icebergs and glaciers are being eroded instead of increasing. It is also upsetting if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet or Greenland Ice Cap melts, the rise in sea level will be twenty feet and above. It will have an enormous impact on major coastal cities since it will be disastrous and catastrophic (ProQuest Global Warming Timeline Staff). Increase of sea levels also has a significant impact on the ocean circulation conveyor belt. Additionally, global warming raises the existence of pathogens that cause many human and animal diseases. Changes in weather patterns also induce the occurrence of storms and hurricane.
Approaches to Address Global Warming
There are various approaches to deal with global warming wave if the alarmists stop arguing too much time enough to implement one. First and foremost is the minimization of emission of greenhouse gasses by about 20%. It would dramatically reduce global warming. Additionally, the inclusion of the developing nation into the treaty requiring the reduction of emissions would be a great move. Additionally, to achieve this requirement, the organization could hire other companies to help them reduce emissions into the required cap (Watson & Weisman). Cutting down the use of energies and fossil fuels can be a positive move to minimize greenhouse gas emissions but will have an enormous impact on the American economy.
Conclusion
Conclusively, as discussed above, global warming is a reality, and it is the high time to take appropriate actions to prevent and eradicate this existing problem, failure to which, our future is at significant risk.
- De, Souza R.-M, John S. Williams, and Frederick A. B. Meyerson. Critical Links: Population, Health, and the Environment. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau, 2003. http://www.igwg.org/Source/58.3CriticalLinksPHE_Eng.pdf
- Jordan, Stuart. “The Global Warming Crisis”. Secularhumanist.Blogspot.Co.Ke, 2017, http://secularhumanist.blogspot.co.ke/2006/04/global-warming-crisis.html
- ProQuest Global Warming Timeline Staff. “Libguides: Climate Change / Global Warming – A Selected Bibliography (January 2017): Statistical Insight”. Proquest.Libguides.Com, 2017, http://proquest.libguides.com/c.php?g=86921&p=559916.
- Watson, Traci & Weisman, Jonathan. “USATODAY.Com – Six Ways To Combat Global Warming”. Usatoday30.Usatoday.Com, 2017, http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/science/climate/2001-07-16-combat-warming.htm
