Petroleum products are noted for their various problems. This is because in the process of drilling the petroleum products, the air is polluted and also in the process of using it the air is also polluted and all this affects the environment to be precise.
One major effect of air pollution is that of lung cancer and other related problems usually associated with the lungs. The human lungs are so delicate that with the least amount of problems associated to it, it easily becomes inflamed. The human lungs are noted or are developed purposely for inhaling and exhaling fresh air and nothing else and this is one of the reasons why it should be protected from debris.
Most of the pollutants in the air are usually forced into the human lungs and of course associated problems related to cancer are observed. This is the major problem associated with this and has to be stopped. Moreover, there are other respiratory problems associated with this sort of pollution. Air pollution is a major contributory factor to global warming and as such global warming is very detrimental to our human health. Many have testified that it makes the environment very uncomfortable to be in. This is really a serious problem and cannot therefore be underestimated in any way.
Even sometime too much air pollution makes majority of people not being able to breathe very well. The breathing is usually in a choking mood and can easily suffocate one if adequate care is not taken and this implies why adequate care has to be taken by one in order not to be a victim.
Air quality is very imperative to our human lives and health and is depended upon for its refreshing nature. Therefore it is often the right thing to find solutions to this sort of pollution. One major solution to air pollution is that there should be awareness creation on the danger of air pollution. Majority should be educated on the dangers of air pollution and as such once this sort of education is made, it makes things very easy.
Awareness creation is very vital when considering curbing the dangers of air pollution and its related or associated problems. There should be adequate measures taken on how to solve the problems of the major things that affect the air directly such as factories and other related issues. When these measures are taken, it will be obvious that there will be a reduction in the way the air is polluted daily and hence will reduce its effects on man. Protecting the air around us is the duty of everyone and as such no one should wait for the other to start first!
Penguins are moving away from the polar bears and they also move away from the water, which is where they find their food source. Those that move too far out die of starvation. Life under the sea isn’t much better either. Fish, the primary food of seals, aren’t used to this new temperature. Many of them flee the area in search of a new climate. As such, much of the food that all of the polar carnivores rely on is gradually diminishing. Some are even turning to slaughtering the young of their own kind for food. The natural balance in the Arctic Poles has been greatly disturbed due to the effect of global warming.
One does not need to look to our Poles, however, to see the effects of global warming. As the icecaps continue to melt, water levels worldwide are rising. As temperatures continue to rise, the ice will continue to melt, endangering many coastal cities and villages worldwide. As the water levels rise, there will be less oxygen in the water. While this amount will not be drastic, it will be enough to kill off or endanger some of the smaller sea life we’ve come to know.
Storms have been prevalent in the world in the past few years. The sudden and violent turn in the weather can be attributed largely to the effect of global warming as well. As our atmospheric temperature rises, so does the amount of precipitation in the air, because more and more water is evaporating. Thus, we see higher rainfalls in areas that may normally see little. This results in the flooding and landslides that are making headlines world-wide.
As our global temperature continues to rise, the effect of global warming may actually inverse. It is thought that, instead of increased rainfall, we will begin to see a serious increase in the amounts of droughts around the world. This would have devastating effects on the world as a whole. With droughts comes short of food supply. Less food and an ever-growing world population do not lead to a good outcome. The violent fighting going on in the North Pole between polar bears and other animals could become a reality for humans as food becomes scarce.
Rising water levels, shrinking habitats, devastating storms, and food-stealing droughts are problems that affect us all, no matter where in the world we live, what our social class is, or how much money we have. The effect of global warming does not have preferences. It is all too easy and all too common to assume that someone else will fix the problems. But when we live in a world where everyone shares that mindset, no action is taken and we are left at the mercy of the effect of global warming. The time for action is now, and the place is where ever you are. Act now, before it is too late.
We have all heard about global warming and the effects it is having on the earth. People talk about the consequences of our actions and how the planet is affected by our choices and the way we choose to live our lives. There are so many reasons for global warming and so many solutions, only if we act on it. If we fail to recognize the dangers, there is no turning back the clock. We have heard people discuss greenhouse gases and greenhouse effects. We will discuss this in this article to give you a better understanding of what it means and what we can do to help.
How Does the Greenhouse Effect and the Greenhouse gases lead to Global Warming?
During the entire process of greenhouse effect, the concentration of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere determines the quantity of energy being added to the atmosphere. However, man through his activities on earth causes the concentration of the greenhouse gases to increase. This means that more energy will be added to the atmosphere. When more energy is added to the atmosphere, the possible outcome is that the earth’s surface temperature will increase quickly. The increase in the earth’s surface temperature is what is known as global warming.
From the above you can understand why greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases are associated to the global warming. In fact they are regarded as the causes of global warming. In a sense, they are the cause of global warming but in another sense they are not. It is man that is causing global warming through his activities.
How do the Activities of Man lead to the Higher Concentration of Greenhouse Gases?
This is a question that should be properly addressed. Many people do not know that they are contributing to the problem of global warming facing the earth today. Though, it seems that it will be difficult for man to avoid these activities because some of them make life easier and enjoyable on earth but they rate can be reduced with caution.
Owing to the industrial revolution, more fossil fuel is being burnt on daily basis. This increase the emission of more of the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Some of the agricultural methods applied by some farmers lead to the emission of more methane and nitrous oxide to the atmosphere.
Today, owing to the economic importance of timbers more trees are felled on daily basis. Deforestation increase the amount carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere on daily basis. This is because trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. If a large portion of the world’s forests are cleared as trees are being felled, more carbon dioxide will be released to the atmosphere.
Other human factors which can lead either directly or indirectly to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases include overpopulation, automotives and others.
In the southern hemisphere the climate is milder with less strong winds but during the summer heavy storms can be a hazard to shipping and coastal areas. During the monsoon season cyclones can spring up without warning and threaten the coastal regions of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Being the warmest ocean in the world the Indian Ocean seems also to be the most volatile in terms of weather pattern and climate.
Rain Forests and Tropical Forests
Forests have a huge impact on our climate and the deforestation in some parts of the world has already had an impact on changes in weather patterns.
The high humidity in rainforests, where giant trees soak up carbon dioxide from the air and store it, rises up to form rain clouds which periodically empty themselves back into the forests. Hundreds of thousands of plants and animal life exist in these forests and the trees are often referred to as our planet’s lungs.
In tropical forests the climate is less water logged but nevertheless humidity remains quite high and the temperatures are generally high. Less dense in growth tropical forests are a haven for animals, plants and insects. Both rainforests and tropical forests contribute to lessoning the impact of greenhouse gases and global warming.
Northern Climate
Across parts of Scotland and Scandinavia as well as Northern Germany the climate is damp and cold, with severe winters and short summers. Coastal regions are less severe but prone to strong winds and unstable weather patterns.
Mediterranean Climate
Famous for its warm, temperate climate the Mediterranean experiences far less rain fall than its northern counterpart. Some parts have very little rainfall and are as a result dry and hot but other parts are lush and green in vegetation with long summers and milder winters.
Extremes of Climate Change
One hundred million years ago the Antarctic was covered in rainforests and small dinosaurs roamed the shores, nibbling their way through vegetation. Today a 3 kilometre strong layer of ice buries their trace. Throughout our planet’s history there have been dramatic changes in climate, from the lush green forests of the Antarctic to the frozen icecaps of today’s poles.
Over the past half century, the Antarctic has undergone a warming up process at the rate of 2.8 degrees Celsius, a far greater increase than anywhere else in the world. Could rainforest thrive there once again in the future?
A cooling down of the Gulf Stream on the other hand would see harsher climate gripping Northern Europe, with Britain in particular losing out on the climate front. Harsher, much colder winters would follow shorter wetter summers. Greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for our predicament although many people still argue whether this is really our fault or whether this is just part of a climate change cycle which our planet undergoes over thousands of years.
The data locked away in the ice at our poles has already yielded some astonishing insight into our past climate. Growth rates of tiny sea creatures and dendrology tell us about the increase and decrease of growing during either longer or shorter feeding seasons. Explorer Scott and his crew could not have foreseen how important their collection of marine creatures and plant life would one day be to science, when they collated and recorded their finds in the early 1900s.
What the future holds for our established ideas of climate is hard to say. Yet one thing is for certain, and that is the climate is changing rapidly. Not necessarily for the better.
Back in the year 2009, there was an outbreak of a new airborne disease that was commonly known as swine flu. Its real name was the H1N1 flu. Just like tuberculosis, this flu is also passed through respiratory droplets and you know how this happens. Simple things like sneezing in the open or spitting ensure that the droplets spread even more. Though the flu is not that serious, you might find information about its symptoms helpful. Diarrhea, fever, sore throat headaches and general body aches, coughing and vomiting are among the symptoms. These symptoms are shared by many other diseases as well thus making it almost difficult to know if you are suffering from the flu or not. It is worth noting that these symptoms usually develop after three to five days at most but will only last for roughly eight days.
H1N1 is a viral disease and as you know the case with most or all viral diseases, the cure is almost impossible to get. H1N1 influenza viruses are responsible for the flu and thus there’s no treatment available. This shouldn’t worry you; your only concern should be finding the right drugs like oseltamivir and zanamavir. Besides, if you have good immunity you shouldn’t even bother about taking drugs to suppress the symptoms since they won’t be of much concern. Unfortunately, children below the age of 5, pregnant mothers and HIV positive persons still have to rely on these medications. If H1N1 flu isn’t treated at an early stage (especially for the people mentioned above) then it may lead to pneumonia or respiratory arrest which are other complications all together.
Another airborne disease that we should look at is perhaps the most common or at least it used to be some few years back. Without a vaccination for measles, you can’t imagine how many people would have been affected. Thousands to millions of people isn’t enough to give you a brief idea. Among the symptoms, things like coughing, fever, light sensitivity, muscle pain and rashes on the skin are a sure sign of measles. You should note that this disease is very contagious and can even spread through contact in addition to spreading through the air we breathe. Rashes usually start appearing 3 to 5 days after these symptoms.
The symptoms may last for almost ten days and all along, you will notice the rashes becoming more red, flat and very itchy. Additionally, your eyes will be a little red; you’ll have a little sore throat and a runny nose. Unfortunately there’s no treatment for measles only vaccinations are available. The only ways of reducing these symptoms is by taking acetaminophen but that won’t guarantee that you will be less ill for long.
Now that you know of some of the airborne diseases, you should be asking yourself how you can avoid spreading or contracting the disease. One way to reduce their spreading is by covering your mouth or nose when sneezing and to avoid spitting in the open. Come on, handkerchiefs are quite cheap and its actually good manners to always have one in your pocket if you don’t want to be embarrassed some day in the future. Remember that some of the airborne diseases are incurable and you have to rely on vaccinations to shield yourself from them. It would thus be wise to still become immunized against them before anything bad happens.
Animals breathe – so do plants. Pollutants eventually enter the water resources. Humans, animals and plants all need water. When we pollute the air with sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides we make our soil and water more acidic, which is harmful to many animals and plants. It can affect growth of certain plants, cutting down the number of plants available for shelter and food, having a devastating effect on delicate eco systems.
Improving Air Quality
Legislation over the last decade has improved air quality, since industry had to cut down carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions, cars had to switch and use petrol and diesel with less lead, carbon and sulphur emissions, and new technology has introduced electric cars as an alternative to petrol or diesel engines. Better cavity wall insulation and updated building and construction methods have seen us lose less heat and use less heating via fossil fuel burning in the process.
Energy efficient lighting helps to cut down on energy consumption, together with daylight saving summer and winter time introduction. More still needs to be done.
Individuals can address air quality issues by using public transport more and cutting out unnecessary car journeys. Commuters who are able to do so, can share cars or use bicycles or walk to work. Companies can provide buses which collect workers in the morning and return them home after their shift. Too many people still rely on their cars and make too many useless journeys, which could either be avoided by shopping online and letting the post deliver or by sharing cars – or combatting obesity and getting out with the help of their own two legs.
Families and individuals can cut down on air travel by going overseas only once every other year. Most countries now run schemes which encourage growing of trees – our staunch allies in the fight against air pollution and a regaining of good air quality. Every one with a garden or grounds that will support one tree or more is encouraged to plant a tree – this helps not only with air quality but provides wildlife with habitat, too.
Householders should avail themselves of grants made available for switching to solar energy or alternative energy sources. In Germany’s rural areas farmers use methane to produce energy – friendly cows produce the stuff on a daily basis whenever their digestive systems feel the urge.
Wind farms are a renewable source of energy which will help to reduce the number of coal burning power stations producing for our energy needs – coal burning power stations are a major source of pollution and poor air quality.
If we don’t want to see deaths of the old and the young during hot summer months or windless winters, we must cut down on pollution in our cities and increase the air quality with planting of green roofs. Great for heat insulation, “green” roofs help with filtering the air of dust, reduce CO2 and provide habitat for wildlife in our cities. Better architecture for new builds reduces waste of energy and heat loss.
Global warming can lead to heavy rain fail and prolong drought. I know many people may wonder how these two opposites can be caused by the same global warming. It is very simple. When the earth’s surface temperature increases more rapidly, more water vapor will evaporate into the atmosphere. This will continue until the weight becomes too heavy for the cloud to bear. At this point, the cloud will simply let go some amount of these water molecules. This will definitely give rise to heavy rain fail that will destroy a lot of things. Farm lands will be washed away. Houses will be devastated by flood and animals will lose their lives. Man is not even safe. If you are not in a safe place you will be carried away by flood. Many properties will be destroyed. This has started happening in some places. So, it is no longer what the scientists are postulating. It is a reality that manifests itself everyday for everybody to see.
How can global warming give rise to drought? Drought will affect those in the tropic region due to high temperature. The rivers and lakes will dry up. This will spell doom for both man and wild animals. Many people will die as a result of lack of food. There will be no agricultural produce because trees and plants will be scorched to death by the heat of the sun. Besides, there will be no river for irrigation which will help to supply water to the plants in the farm lands.
Wild animals will die of dehydration. Once the source of their drinking water has been dried due to prolong drought, they will die of dehydration. Besides, herbivorous animals will die due to lack of plants and trees to feed on.
Global warming does not affect weather alone. The sea and oceans together with the lives that it supports will be affected also. Global warming will give rise to the increase in the sea level. The more the icebergs are melting away the more the sea levels are increasing. When this happens, the coastline regions will suffer greatly. Coastal floods will obliterate some island nations. The coast will be eroded. The effect of global warming on the ocean level seems to be worst because a reasonable percentage of population of the world is living in coast areas.
The marine lives will also suffer greatly. Definitely, those in coastline region will build high solid walls in order to prevent the rising sea level from devastating their lands. This will also affect the marine lives that are looking for escape to cooler region of the sea. Some marine lives that prey on wild animals that come to the sea side o drink will totally be blocked away from their prey.
The ecosystem, carbon cycle and man himself will also be affected by the global warming. We are already seeing the effect of global warming today.
In many countries a re-introduction of electric trams has already achieved improved air quality. Fewer cars on the road mean not only less congested traffic, it also means less harmful pollutants are released into the atmosphere. Electric trams are popular – not only do they get commuters safely, efficiently and speedily from home to work and back again, they are almost noiseless and don’t pollute their air.
Every time transport workers strike in London, Paris or other large cities, commuters discover there are alternatives to taking individual cars, buses and even trains. Suddenly car-sharing schemes spring up, people discover the use of those two limbs dangling off their bodies – yes, we have legs – and they walk or cycle to work. Many discover they prefer this mode of cheap, air friendly transport and never go back to using the car, bus or underground train.
Newly build houses and office blocks fall under more stringent building regulations, taking better care to introduce better insulation, better use of passive solar energy efficient material and even the use of solar panels themselves. More office blocks and high rise buildings have green spaces on their roofs – roof gardens help with filtering of air, with dust particles and CO2 being taken care of by plants. These gardens are now highly sought after spaces of recreation and relaxation among office workers and provide valuable space for urban wildlife to thrive, too.
How to Improve Air Quality around the Globe
More must be done by developed countries to assist developing countries in avoiding our mistakes. America, China and Russia in particular are the main polluters or air. If anything good has come out of the recent disaster in Japan, then it is that is has shown how an economy that is reliant on nuclear power can be extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and how quickly a nuclear power station can deteriorate into a disaster zone.
Improving our air quality by reducing the number of coal burning power stations is a good thing, but replacing them with nuclear plants is not. For the first time in some twenty years countries around the world are addressing this serious issue in the light of safety – not with the usual eye on short term profit for the economy.
The other meltdown is happening in Middle Eastern countries across the whole region and this political and social upheaval has exposed the West’s over-reliance on fossil fuel burning energy. If we want to improve air quality, cut down on pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and gain freedom from being held to ransom by oil and gas producing countries, then governments in developed countries must act to find more funds for research into truly renewable, sustainable sources of energy, which neither put our air quality, water purity, soil condition nor wildlife at risk.
How can we achieve this when countries are ruled by greed not sense? Maybe it’s time for another revolution – maybe it’s time people, instead of politicians started to run the world. We all have it in our power to change the world – we just need to want it badly enough. Who needs politicians? Belgium has shown us that we don’t actually need governments – their wonderful little country manages quite well without one, thank you very much.
It can be hard to understand the consequences of global warming and climate change. When we look at the wildlife, polar bears and penguins for example, they will soon begin to prey on each other for food. Our future looks as though it could be just as grim, though, if global warming worsens and severe weather continues.
Although we are looking at record amounts of rainfall now, it may not be long until we are seeing quite the opposite. Scientists across the world predict that if global warming continues as it is, we will begin to see less rain. In fact, many parts of the world will face long-standing droughts. These droughts will lead to drastically less crop production.
With about 133 million babies born each year, our worldwide population is constantly growing. World-wide hunger is an issue we already face today. Were we to lose a large portion of our crops, we’d be looking at a global crisis. Simply to stay alive, we’d have to eat more meat. This would put more animals on the break of extinction, if not pushing them over the edge. While this may seem like an extreme example, it is nevertheless an example of what is likely to happen.
It is too easy to think “I am one person, and one person cannot change the world”. But the fact is change starts with one person. But knowing where to begin can prove to be one of the toughest decisions of all. The truth is, however, that there are many ways, both big and small, that you can help the environment. To begin with, there are a multitude of “green” products on the market now that are not only made using planet-friendly methods, but also have safer, degradable chemicals as opposed to the harmful chemicals in many other products. That can be a great place to start. If you feel like taking it a step further, find a location where you can plant a tree. Trees are becoming scarcer and our population grows. The earth would certainly appreciate more oxygen.
A step up from that would be attempts to reduce your driving time. For example, are there times when you could bike, walk, or jog somewhere instead of driving or taking the bus? Not only would that solution help the environment, it would keep you healthy in the process.
There are also plenty of “green” organizations out there who would appreciate your support in their activities. Some have converted heavily polluting companies to greener, safer factories through demonstrations and negotiations.
Damage has been done to our planet. However, this damage is not irreversible, and does not have to get worse than it already is. Simply by taking a few small steps in order to reduce your carbon footprint, you can begin moving the world toward a green future, and secure the fate of future generations. Indeed, it is our responsibility to save the atmosphere from decay.
It is evident that cities and any other location where there is huge release of exhaust and industrial fumes and other air pollutants are vulnerable to smog. There are some seasons that favor smog more. Smog is fiercer during hot weather than in the period of colder weather. During hot weather the upper air will be so warm such that it will make it impossible for vertical circulation of these pollutants to take place. The pollutants hover for some period of time over these cities.
Smog is not only caused by vehicle exhaust fumes or other industrial emissions, there are also some natural occurrences that can give rise smog. Volcanic eruption for instance can release huge amount of sulphur dioxide and also particulate matter. These two elements are also instrumental to the formation of smog. When smog is formed as a result of volcanic eruption, it is referred to as vog. The term is used specifically to differentiate the naturally caused smog from man induced smog.
Some studies on the distribution of smog have also revealed that plants can also help in the distribution of smog through their radiocarbon content. Typical example of this is Creosote bush found in Los Angeles. It has been discovered that the bush enhances the distribution of smog even more than the combustion of fossil fuel.
The question then is: has smog any effect on health to spark off such concern nowadays? Definitely, the answer to the above question is yes. There are some dangerous health issues that are associated with smog. People with heart and lung disease can be affected by smog. It has been discovered that greenhouse gases like nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, ground-level ozone and sulphur dioxide can enhance heart and lung disease. Senior citizens and children are also affected by these gases.
These gases can cause decrease in the functionality of the lung, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing due to pain, coughing. This is one of the downsides of the greenhouse gases like ozone which protects us from the scorching heat of the sun. Up there in the atmosphere, ozone can be helpful to man but ground level ozone can also lead to burning eyes and noses and other respiratory problem that are associated with smog when it is trapped close to the ground level in situations of heat inversion.
Smog can lead to untimely death in some cases especially when people who are suffering such respiratory problems like asthma are exposed to it.
Besides the above mention people, those who are involved in some outdoor exercise are vulnerable to smog effect. This is because during exercise the rate at which we breathe increases and this exposes the lung to ground-level ozone. Children are also vulnerable to smog especially during summer. This is because, the play more outside during summer and this time favors smog.
Even though we always do it for a totally different aim, using pesticides and herbicides are among one of the causes of air pollution. A compound called CFC is usually found in these pesticides and once released into the atmosphere our ozone layer is weakened thus allowing more ultraviolet rays into our atmosphere. UV rays have a lot of harm on our skins and they cause skin cancers.
Nuclear industries contribute to air pollution too. From the nuclear energy that is usually dispersed, radioactive fallout gets a chance to pollute the atmosphere. And while we know what radioactive substances are capable of doing to us, we can always get an example from the Hiroshima bombing and see how bad nuclear energy can pollute our environment and at the same time affect our health.
In our very own homes, we can also cause air pollution by failing to ventilate the house especially when toxic fumes from things like cleaning chemicals, paint and even a new carpet are accumulated inside our houses. This is normally referred to as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and even the presence of mould inside the house can contribute to it.
Whereas mining is a simple economic activity that tries to obtain minerals from the ground and sell them to earn foreign exchange, it also contributes to air pollution since a variety of substances get released into the atmosphere other than just getting the minerals. Gases such as sulfur oxides make their way into our atmosphere and cause acidic rain which destroys most crops.
Now that we are aware of the causes of air pollution and we’ve seen that it’s almost impossible to stop all the causes of air pollution, here are some of the things we can do to reduce the air pollution menace: start by stopping to plan for that car you were going to buy. There are already enough cars causing air pollution and we certainly don’t need any more. Besides, you’ll be reducing occurrences of traffic jams. If you do decide to have a vehicle, make sure that you use unleaded petroleum since it causes less air pollution than leaded petroleum. You could also try to minimize the rate at which your car consumes petroleum since this will directly cause less fumes to be emitted into the atmosphere. Planting more trees also has the same effect since they are responsible for ensuring that gases such as carbon dioxide and even oxides of sulfur don’t remain in the atmosphere for that long.
Reducing the air pollution menace is a challenge to all of us, whether we care about its effects or we don’t care to know about anything related to it. At this rate, in the coming years, we will have bigger seas and oceans than we have now due to the melting of polar ice caps. This is no one else’s war, it’s ours alone and very few of us are fighting in this war. In the end it’s only us that are to be blamed and right now the effects can be seen, it’s only a matter of time… what have we done so far?
Scientists have succeeded in building climate models. Climate models are computer imitation of the climate. With the help of climate models scientist have reproduced features of the climate and made certain stipulations with regard to the future of the atmosphere. They have predicted that the concentration of the greenhouses gases will be on the increase in so far as more fossil fuel is burnt by man on daily basis. Consequently, the earth surface temperature will also increase more rapidly owing to the increase in the concentration of the greenhouse gas. It has been postulated that the increase in the average surface temperature of the earth will range from 2 degrees Celsius to 6 degrees Celsius towards the end of this century.
However, the increase in the surface temperature of the earth according to this climate model depends on the rate at which fossil fuel is consumed by man. If the rate at which fossil fuel is burnt increases gradually, then the increase in the average surface temperature by the end of the 21st century will be 2 degrees Celsius. But if the rate at which fossil fuel is burnt increases rapidly, then the average surface temperature of the earth will increase to 6 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
The issue of global warming does not end with greenhouse gases. There is also other side of the whole issue. There is what is known as climate feedback. Climate feedback is the secondary change brought about by global warming. As the surface temperature of the earth is increasing, certain other changes are sparked off.
The main feedbacks are related to snow and ice, clouds, carbon cycle and even water vapour. In Northern Hemisphere the snow and sea ice are gradually melting away as result of the global warming or increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface air. This has some consequences too. When the ice gradually melts away, it will lead to the more warming of the sea during summer. This will make the sea to be inhabitable for some marine life that survives under cool temperature.
On the land, when the ice is melted away these areas will definitely become warmed. This is because the shinny surface of ice that reflects the heat from the sun away is no longer there. The surface will absorb more heat than usual. This will make those areas to become warmed than usual.
Another feedback brought about by global warming is water vapour. Water vapour is the chief cause of greenhouse warming when it evaporates in large quantity to the atmosphere. When the earth surface increases in temperature, more water vapour will evaporate and goes up into the atmosphere in large quantity. This will only aggravate the issue. More water vapour in the atmosphere will lead to more warming of the atmosphere.
There are other feedbacks that are not mentioned here. What is important is that we have known that global warming spells doom for mankind. It has to be stopped through a collective effort of every person on earth.
In countries such as Britain and Israel, where afforestation programs have been a large scale success over a long period of time, there are lessons to be imparted to other countries and standards to be set for others to follow.
Israel is a dry, mainly desert country and their success in keeping the spread of desert at bay alongside introduction of biodiversity should be utilised by other countries with similar conditions. Sharing knowledge gained in Britain over a period of nearly a century, where afforestation programmes were started as far back as 1919, will be as valuable as learning from the failures of afforestation in other countries.
Education lies at the heart of environmental improvement. Implementing and maintaining a knowledge-bank across borders will assist in tackling deforestation issues and aiding with reforestation as well as afforestation programmes across the globe.
Education
Giving people a say in how their land is used will also be important. In developing countries charities have proven that involving local communities in smaller scale projects is hugely beneficial and key to the success or failure of a project.
When the British government recently decided to allow sales of British woodlands, large scale protests forced them to rethink. Finding out how people use the forests around them, how they depend on them for a variety of activities and for economic reasons must be at the outset of such a long-term project as afforestation.
Encouraging understanding of the importance of our forests to our climate and to our planet is part of an overall educational process. Re-thinking our role within nature is part of that, too. We have much to learn from indigenous people who have studied the forest plants and wildlife around them for thousands of years. They should therefore be part of global forest related programmes.
New Ways of doing Business
Working with people who are directly affected by the new forest areas should also include finding new sources of nature-based, eco-friendly economies. In the past we used our forests for all sorts of small scale businesses and much of this has been lost. Perhaps a reassessment of some of these “forest-ways” will show that sustainable business ideas can be generated.
Energy efficient housing stock has still not been implemented across many parts of the world; Britain in particular lags far behind other European countries when it comes to quality building and house construction. Timber and other naturally grown resources such as straw can be used to build better homes. Balancing the need for the right kind of timber and ecologically sound planting will be crucial.
Afforestation programmes must look at the landscape as a whole and provide an integrated part of a country’s economy, rather than serving just one or two sectors such as the timber industry and tourism for example. At present, agriculture and forestry are pretty much divided sectors but a more combined effort should yield better results for a far larger number of people who depend on a local income derived from the land.
In comparison to other global threats, global warming is more complex. Identifying the impact of a rise in average global temperatures is an evolving science, and that requires a significant amount of data on a range of factors. Scientists are attempting to plot projections of future climate based on this data and that only adds to the complexity of the problem.
The public understanding of the issue is not helped by a frustrating tendency to use the terms global warming and climate change interchangeably. As long as the people who have the ear of policy makers do not make the difference clear then we do not worry about it unduly. However, if we want to see action taken at an individual level, then surely it is more likely to happen if people do know the difference between the two.
The scale and complexity of the challenge gives us some explanation of the level of response. However, the debate over whether we are observing natural or man-made warming, gives us a valuable insight in to how environmental challenges are viewed. Responses to other environmental issues have used the precautionary principle; that is, given an incomplete understanding of the nature of environment issues, authorities tend to err on the side of caution by not taking action to solve problems.
Whether it’s due to the sheer magnitude of what has to be done, or because of who stands to lose or gain from such a fundamental change economies are going to have to face the fact that serious and concerted action needs to start right away. Initially, in the debate over the causes of global warming, it seemed that those who challenged the idea of man-made global warming, were a disproportionately vocal group. We are now more aware, however, of the powerful lobby and interest groups they represent or were supported by, and thus the way they had the resources to ensure the debate raged, despite the scientific consensus pointing to it being man-made global warming. It demonstrates that one of the major obstacles to dealing with environmental challenges is with those who have benefited from its exploitation, and that in some cases it is deeply ingrained.
Recently, the international summits staged to find solutions to the problem have highlighted the reluctance to compromise in this area, at least at governmental level. What is depressing is that at the individual level, there is a real groundswell of opinion on this subject and a very strong agreement that people want their governments to act decisively. That most observers have come away from such summits disappointed, shows that either most people don’t fully understand the sacrifices that actually need to be made or that governments are incapable of affecting the change that people want to see. It is probably a combination of both and while it is easy to throw the towel in and let global climate change run its course, it could mean that it has to be at the individual and local level that the most effective responses emerge.
Reference Hybrid Cars: The Evolution of the Hybrid Car
Countries like Britain have enjoyed a much milder climate thanks to the Gulf Stream current. It has a profound effect on British climate and many believe the harsher winters experienced over the last two years are already a sign that the current’s temperature has already undergone a cooling process.
North of the equator the monsoon rains are essential for countries like India, which depends on the rains for its crops, animals and people. A change in climate could either see excessive rain fall flooding the countries in the monsoon’s path or a reclining rain fall, causing widespread draught, resulting in death of livestock and human starvation.
What can we do to Reduce Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere?
Reducing the individual carbon footprint is not that difficult: We can do so by cutting down energy consumption such as walking instead of using cars for short journeys, recycling and cutting down on unnecessary packaging, using energy efficient light bulbs and electrical appliances. We can also cut down on red meat consumption especially since it has been clinically proven red meat is one of the factors responsible for bowel cancer.
Putting a stop to deforestation and increasing the planting of trees worldwide is another method to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, but there are also factors such as more heat insulation efficiency of housing stock and better manure management. In Germany for example the humble cow dung is being turned into methane gas which lights up homes providing electricity for small communities. More than 90% of all Germans recycle their waste and energy efficient house building has long been part of the construction methods used for new housing stock. Introduction of solar panels and better methods of water heating will also be required to wean us off fossil fuels.
For those people who cannot be without their beloved car, choosing more energy efficient cars, perhaps electric cars will be the solution. More needs to be done to improve public transport and to make it more affordable to encourage more people to take the bus or underground train to work.
Recycling also helps to cut down on greenhouse gas emission from landfill sites. There are a number of technological advances which will allow us to produce negative emissions of greenhouse gases, namely those which remove CO2 from the air.
Cutting down on greenhouse gases is a major issue but it will only be solved if people living in developed countries will start making some sacrifices, such as American’s learning to walk instead of using the car for absolutely everything, Britain must learn to recycle and developing countries should not follow bad examples of former days. China in particular has been the major producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the last decade. More must be done to hold countries to account for their recklessness and inability to introduce more control on industry’s CO2 emissions.
There are many common chemicals that are pushed in to our atmosphere. Let’s take a deeper look at where they come from. The majority of these chemicals are created and released in factories. When you drive through a city and see the towering smokestacks that billow smoke, you can know that these chemicals are being created. The production of plastic sees a lot of these released, because of the oils burned.
The burning of fossil fuels is the leading producer of the aforementioned chemical carbon dioxide. This is because almost all factories have to burn oil to manufacture whatever it is they specialize in. This is the chemical causing the most problems. Factories alone are not to blame, though. Civilian vehicles emit large amounts of CO2, as well. The US alone releases 20% of the global total carbon dioxide, second only to China, with a one percent increase. The most polluted city in the world, however, is not Chinese or American. It is Cairo, Egypt.
Low estimates state that anywhere between 2-2.5 million people die each year from diseases that can be linked straight to air pollution. This number is expected to continue to rise is something is not done. As stated, air pollution is a major contributor to lung cancer. There are numerous other medical issues it can create. Everything from asthma to heart disease can be attributed to this serious issue. Children born in heavily polluting cities have a much higher chance of developing these diseases at a very young age, despite their diet or weight.
So what is being done to counter this crisis? Both the government and individual companies are taking steps to try to tame this before it gets worse. Our government is legalizing strict pollution laws, meaning that each company is only allowed to emit so much CO2, or whatever chemical, per year. Exceeding this limit will result in a large fine.
These new regulations require that factories have various filters in place, as well as reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned. Many smokestacks now have various filtration devices installed within them so that the smoke emitted is purer than it was a few years back.
However, many companies are also looking for and finding loopholes within these new regulations, allowing them to keep operating as they always have. If the truth is to be told, it is highly unlikely that there will be any solution to this problem so long as we rely on oil as our energy source. There is no “clean” way to burn this, you can only limit the amount that is burned and hope that that makes a difference.
Smog, however, does not just suddenly disappear when fuel burnings are decreased. It sticks around for years, trapped without our atmosphere with nowhere else to go. The only solution is to find alternate energy, and try to wait out the damage that has already been dealt to our planet and its atmosphere.
While reducing waste is one successful way to help with global warming, another way we can help is to use resources smartly. One specific thing that you shouldn’t forget to do at least once a month is to plant a tree. They may look like they don’t fit in any of these global warming issues but they are the ones which have everything to do with it. They are our superheroes when it comes to global warming for while you and I continue to emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, they ensure that the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere remain low.
When was the last time you actually thought of planting a tree? Does it take more than ten minutes? It definitely doesn’t and by just doing that, you have helped yourself and others more than they know it but not so many people see it that way. Among some of the trees that you should consider planting are the bamboo trees which grow extremely fast and produce 35% more oxygen than oak and birch.
Other than planting trees, you could also ensure that your car is completely efficient so that you don’t have to add more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than we already have. If you don’t have a car yet and you really need one, you should think of buying fuel efficient hybrid cars which use gas electric engines. Less green house gases are produced by these cars and thus you end up preventing global warming. Even if you do have a car, whether hybrid or not, it won’t be a sin to walk in a while or use public means of transportation since you also get to be fit rather than always sit back in your car. In addition to that, you can also use a push mower to mow your lawn other than using one that uses fossil fuels.
You don’t have to be an eco-boy or an eco-girl to encourage other people who are preventing global warming like people who produce renewable energy. By just doing this, you get more people to see the need for being keen to preventing global warming. Educating people who don’t know about global warming is another thing that you might do while encouraging others to be “eco aware”.
Basically, we have approximately a hundred years to live on this earth. It wouldn’t be smart to leave it the way we found it; we should always try to make it much better than we found it. Among the achievements that you will look back at, let “preventing global warming” be one of them, for only open minds know how our environment influences our lives. All these things that we do are always tied up. It won’t be wrong to say that these complications of the skin and our health come as a result of ignoring about our environment. Global warming is just one of the effects; there are others which need our attention too.
Many people think that poor air quality is only inside their home, due to the chemicals used to clean. Actually, the air outside your home is just as dangerous. There are many areas of our planet covered with smog. When gas is released in large quantity to the atmosphere, it creates bigger holes in the ozone layer. These holes are technically known as the ozone holes. The result of this is that ozone holes will become as large as to permit ultraviolent rays from the sun to have direct access to the earth. This can have deadly consequence on man, plants and animals.
These UV rays from the sun can cause skin cancer. Overexposure of the body to UV rays facilitates the aging process and gives rise to skin wrinkles and crease. Besides, it is the major cause of sunburn. The UV rays do not only affect man but they affect the animals, plants and rivers. Virtually, every living thing abhors excessive heat. With the depletion of the ozone layer by the CFC gas the earth is left without shelter. Plants and animals will be exposed to scorching heat from the sun. The outcome is obvious. The heat will be too much for them to bear. Plants will simply die off and wildlife will also die of heat, starvation and thirst. There will be lack of water for the animals when the rivers and lakes dry up due to excessive heat. It will be good to note that the emission of CFC gas into the atmosphere is now being checkmated thanks to the Montreal Protocol. Montreal Protocol refers to the agreement among nations to control the emission of CFC gas to the atmosphere.
Though ozone layer can be very useful to man, it is also harmful to man especially when it is trapped in the ground level during heat inversion. People who are exposed to smog suffer some respiratory problems. This is due to the exposure to ozone gas at the ground level. It can damage the tissue of the lungs and lead to heart and lungs related problems. Plants are also affected by this ground level ozone gas. It blocks the stomata of the plant and this inhibits plant’s respiratory system. The aftermath of this is poor photosynthesis in plant which will lead to stunted growth in plant. Besides blocking the stomata of the plants, it can also penetrate the stomata and causes the decay of the plant cells.
There are other greenhouse gases that are also classified as pollutants. These greenhouse gases that pollute the air can cause dangerous side effects to man, animal and the environment. Methane is a dangerous greenhouse gas – it is fiercer than carbon dioxide – that is discharge to the atmosphere through landfill and other industrial processes. When it is discharge in large quantity together with other greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, their concentration in the atmosphere will increase. This will alter their natural function. The aftermath of this is global warming – rapid increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface.
There are other effects of dangers of poor air quality and air pollution that are not mentioned here.
Technology has done a lot in bettering the life of man on earth in many ways. Every generation has in one way or the other benefited from the activities of the technologies. There is no generation that was static in terms of producing equipment that make for easy living. Technological invention reaches its apogee in the contemporary era. There are a number machines and automotives produced to make life easier for man. Life would have been difficult for man without these machines. However, the use of these machines has turn out to have a devastating effect on the atmosphere.
Scientists have reported that the ozone layer that protects man from the scorching heat of the sun is gradually being depleted by chemicals emitted regularly to the atmosphere by man. The consequences of the depletion of the ozone are no longer based on the report of scientists. We are seeing the effect on our everyday existence. There is nobody who will claim ignorance of the reality of climate change in the world today. This is one of the consequences of the depletion of the ozone by CFCs, released to the atmosphere by man itself. These chemicals piece the ozone the layer, creating big hole than the ones that are there already. The rays from the sun therefore come directly to our planet.
In the light of the above there is need to save the atmosphere from such negative effect of CFCs. There is increasing emphasis on the need for everybody to join hand in protecting the atmosphere. The first step in doing this is to create awareness about the ozone layer and what it does for man. If everybody knows what ozone layer is and its benefits to man, people will definitely appreciate the need for them to join hands together in protecting the atmosphere.
The gas called ozone protects the earth from the direct rays from the sun by forming a layer in the atmosphere. If not this layer the heat of the sun will get to the earth directly. When this ozone layer is depleted through the action of some chemicals man has no shelter again from the ultraviolent rays of the sun which can cause sunburn and skin cancer. There are also other negative effects of this ray from the sun.
One of the ways through which the atmosphere can be protected is through the control of emission of exhaust gas to the atmosphere. Though this may be difficult, but it can be done. Car users should try to get equipment for filtrating exhaust gas so that CFCs are not released to the atmosphere. Industries and companies using heavy machines for their services should also endeavour to use improve means of emitting exhaust gas. Nowadays, technologists have also discovered better means of controlling the emission of gas to the atmosphere. Such means should be employed by industry.
People should also buy reusable bags and items in order to make waste management easier. Effort should be made to avoid deforestation and then to encourage afforestation.
The ice formed by the oceans helped the polar bear in hunting for their prey. When the ice is no longer there as a result of global warming that melts it way, the polar bear will find it difficult to hunt for their prey again. The implication of this is that they will be heading for extinction due to lack of food. Besides, the melting away of the ice not only deprives them of their prey, it also displaces them from their natural habitat.
Penguin is a species of sea bird that does not fly. Penguins feed majorly on small aquatic organisms like krill and shrimp. Such organisms depend on algae that grow around the sea ice. When the sea ice is melted the algae will begin to decline drastically. This will backfire on these organisms that penguin feeds on. Penguins will not only suffer from the loss of its habitat, it will also suffer from shortage of food. When the situation becomes too hard for the bird to bear, it cannot but give up the ghost.
The arctic fox survives under cool region. But the global warming is making it difficult for some cool regions of the earth to retain the tag again. There is undue increase in temperature which is making the colder region to become warmer and warmer. These arctic foxes are forced to migrate to a region colder than where they were before. But the migration will not continue ad infinitum if global warming continues to be on the increase. Time will come when there will be no place for them to migrate again. Two options await them. Either they adapt to the circumstances or they die. Many will simply die while some may adapt to the situation.
Animals in the tropical regions are not left out. As many trees are dying due to the scorching heat of the sun, the forest will be more exposed. There will be no hiding place or shade for these animals again. They will be exposed to the sun. Many of them will die. Besides, the herbivorous animals will lack food to eat while the carnivorous animal will hunt for their prey to no avail. Oasis and rivers will dry up. This means that that there will be no drinking water for the animals. They will simply die of dehydration.
Plants are also affected. Owing to the changes in weather, the growing season of some plants is affected. There are some plants that grow well during the rainy season. As the rainy season is gradually becoming shorter and shorter and drought is becoming more prolonged, such plants will find it difficult to survive the brunt of the global warming.
In regions with heavy rain fall, such natural disasters as floods, erosion and leaching will lead to the death of many plants. Other natural disasters like hurricane will help in clearing more agricultural plants.
From the above, it becomes clear that global warming affects plant and animals too.