A Planetary Scourge
The problems of people in times past were significantly different from those we have today. Instead of worrying about insurmountable pestilence or impending war, the world fears something much greater: a planet failing to sustain life.
Yes, as global temperatures and ocean levels worldwide follow a path of rapid rise, the world is tasked with combating global warming lest we lose our home or the ability to inhabit it comfortably.
The National Geographic network defines global warming as:
“… the long-term warming of the planet’s overall temperature.”
Although the network admits that global warming is no new phenomenon, it notes that over recent years, the rate at which planetary temperatures have risen has been noteworthily high. High on the list of causes is the increased burning of fossil fuels which can be attributed to the growing human population and its need for energy.
This cause-effect relationship is going to be discussed in this article. It is important to note, while we are still making definitions, that although people use “global warming” and “climate change” interchangeably, the two terms are not necessarily synonymous.
While global warming strictly refers to the trend in temperature changes, the scientific community often uses climate change to define the complex shift in the climate and weather patterns of a region over time. This begs another question that is going to be answered in this article: what is the relationship between global warming and climate change?
In short, this is the “effect” part of the cause-effect relationship mentioned earlier. Let’s discuss the cause first.
The Culprits
Global warming is the result of the accumulation of what are known as “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases are:
- Carbon dioxide
- Chlorofluorocarbons
- Water vapor
- Methane
- Nitrous Oxide
When the Sun’s rays penetrate our atmosphere and are reflected off the Earth, these greenhouse gases act as a blanket, disallowing the exit of heat from our atmosphere. In reality, greenhouse gases are necessary for ensuring that our climate is liveable.
Over the past 150 years, however, industrial surges have caused a rapid increase in the production of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is the greatest culprit among these gases. The cumulative effect over time is, of course, the acceleration of the greenhouse effect.
Excess greenhouse gases are the result of the burning of fossil fuels as human beings try to generate energy. NASA reports that carbon dioxide levels are the highest they’ve ever been in the past 650,000 years, at a staggering 417 ppm in the atmosphere.
19 of the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2001 and the polar ice sheets lose 427 Gt (Gigatonnes) in mass every year. These observations are coupled with the worrying fact that 80% of the world’s energy comes from non-renewable, potentially pollutant fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil.
At a very precipitated level, people would, for example, much rather use their vehicles than board public transport even if this would reduce emissions. Clearly, then, a wave of legislative and behavioral change at all levels needs to occur if we are to curb global warming. But why is stopping global warming so important?
Global Warming And Climate Change
The acceleration of the greenhouse effect has consequences on the climate and weather patterns of regions in the world. The rising temperatures are frequently associated with heatwaves and drought. As the ice caps melt, water levels rise.
By the year 2050, the world’s oceans are expected to be approximately 2 feet higher. This could imply the disappearance of some species of animals located on Islands close to sea-level, like the Key Deer, native to Florida’s Islands.
Climate change effected by global warming could have more diverse effects. For example, weather patterns could be more extreme: storms could be harsher, hot seasons maybe longer, and natural disasters may increase in frequency. The saddest truth surrounding climate change is that even though it is a global problem, it will be felt first (and worst) by people in the developing world, people who are, ironically, the least responsible for global warming. Thankfully, it is not too late to swing the tides in our favor.
Mitigating The Effects
Mitigating the effects of global warming is a function of behavioral change. Such change must not be momentary, it must constitute a refined way of living and prosperity for mankind. Many countries are leading the way in creating incentives for the use of renewable energy, which is much cleaner.
The Middle East, for example, has exploited its ideal location in the desert to harvest energy from the Sun and produce solar energy. Germany leads the world in wind-powered electricity. And Israel is the only country in the world with a net increase of trees per year.
You may be wondering, “what do trees have to do with global warming?” Well, deforestation is another cause of global warming that may have gone unmentioned earlier on. Trees are integral to the process of cleaning out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
But since so many of them are cut down each year, this fundamental function of the Earth is continuously crippled. While we may do our best to use cleaner energy, it is also necessary to set up systems that clean up our atmosphere. You can be a part of that! It may be as simple as planting a tree.
Since fossil fuels have sponsored an industry of energy production that is so high-valued, it is difficult to predict whether anyone will be bold enough to place restrictions on their use.
It is safe to say though that if we want positive change by the year 2050, some legislation has to be put in place to slow down the extraction and burning of fossil fuels.
At the household level, people need to be made aware of seemingly insignificant behaviors that contribute to the problem. Poor recycling of plastics, unnecessary usage of vehicles, cutting down of trees… These are all habits we need to condemn individually if the efforts at higher levels are going to bear any fruit.
Conclusion
Global warming and associated climate change is no myth. The statistics tell a daunting tale of a planet that is spinning wildly out of control. Thankfully, these statistics are not a death sentence. There is still enough time to effect change that allows the Earth to heal. Such change should be behavioral. Such behavior should be continuous. Such efforts should be collective. Everyone has a role to play in mitigating the effects of global warming.