Global warming
Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation
History of the greenhouse effect and global warming
Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927) was a Swedish scientist that was the first to claim in 1896 that that fossil fossil fuel combus combustio tion n may eventu eventuall ally y result result in enhance enhanced d global global warmi warming. ng. He proposed a relation between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature. He found that the average surface surface temperature temperature of the earth is about 15oC because of the infrared absorption capacity of water vapor and carbon dioxide. This is called the natural greenhouse effect
Causes of Global Warming
Global Warming is increasing the earth’s average temperature. The Green house gases are the main culprits culprits of the global warming. The green house gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are playing hazards in the present times. These green house gases trap heat in earth’s atmosphere and thus result in increasing the temperature of earth. The excessive emission of these gases is the major cause of global warming.
The major source of carbon dioxide is the power plants . These power plants emit
large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation. Coal is the major fuel that is burnt in these power plants. Coal produces around 1.7 times as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy when flamed as does natural gas and 1.25 times as much as oil. The coal gives out eighty percent more carbon per unit of energy it produces as compared to natural gas. Another major source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the emission from the cars and other vehicles. About twenty percent of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere comes from burning of gasoline gasoline in the engines engines of the vehicles. vehicles. This is true for most of the developed countries. countries. Moreover if sports bike and vehicles that are essentially designed for rough terrain, emit more carbon dioxide when used for general purpose on roads. It is always better to use vehicles designed for city driving on the city roads.
Building Buildings, s, both commer commercia ciall and residen residential tial rep represe resent nt a larger larger source source of global global warming pollution than cars and trucks.
Building of these structures require a lot of fuel to be burnt which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The seco second nd major major gree greenho nhous usee gas after after carbo carbon n dioxid dioxide, e, whic which h causes causes global global warming, is Methane. Methane is more than 20 times as effectual as CO2 at entrapping
heat in the atmosphere. Methane is obtained from resources such as rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel manufacture. Almost in all parts of the world, rice is grown on flooded fields. When fields are flooded, anaerobic situation build up and the organic matter in the soil decays, releasing methane to the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide, which is a colorless gas with a sweet odour, is another green house gas. The main sources of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid production, cars with catalytic converters, the use of fertilizers in agriculture and the burning of organic matter. Greater emissions of nitrous oxides in the recent decades deca des is leading global warming
Another Another major major cause cause of global global warming warming is def defores orestati tation on . Deforestation is to be
blamed for 25% of all carbon dioxide release entering the atmosphere, by the cutting and burning of about 34 million acres of trees each year. Trees collect the CO2 that we breathe out and give away from various other sources, and they give back oxygen oxyg en that we breathe in. Thus, cutting of trees is leading to greater concentration of o f carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Greater urbanization, requirement of land for factories and buildings, requirement of timber are all reasons that are leading to deforestation, which in turn is leading to global warming.
Global Warming effects
Green house gases stay can stay in the atmosphere for an amount of years ranging from decades to hundreds and thousands of years. No matter what we do, global warming is going to have some effect on Earth. Here are the 5 deadliest effects of global warming.
Physical impacts Effects on weather
Increasing temperature is likely to lead to increasing precipitation [12][13] but the effects on storms are less clear. Extratropical storms partly depend on the temperature gradient, which is predicted to weaken in the northern hemisphere as the polar region warms more than the rest of the hemisphere.[14]
Extreme weather •
Increased areas will be affected by drought
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There will be increased intense tropical cyclone activity
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There will be increased incidences of extreme high sea level (excluding tsunamis)
Increased freshwater flow
Research based on satellite observations, published in October, 2010, shows an increase in the flow of freshwater into the world's oceans, partly from melting ice and partly from increased precipitation driven by an increase in global ocean evaporation. The increase in global freshwater flow, based on data from 1994 to 2006, was about 18%. Much of the increa increase se is in areas areas which which alread already y experi experience ence high high rainfa rainfall ll.. One effect effect,, as perhaps perhaps experienced in the 2010 201 0 Pakistan floods, is to overwhelm flood control infrastructure.[15]
Local climate change
Regional effects of global warming vary in nature. Some are the result of a generalised global change, such as rising temperature, resulting in local effects, such as melting ice. In other cases, a change may be related to a change in a particular ocean current or weather system. In such cases, the regional effect may be disproportionate and will not necessarily follow the global trend. There are three major ways in which global warming will make changes to regional climate: melting or forming ice, changing the hydrological cycle (of evaporation and precipitation) and changing currents in the oceans and air flows in the atmosphere. The coast can also be considered co nsidered a region, and will suffer severe impacts from sea level rise.
Biogeochemical cycles
Climate change may have an effect on the carbon cycle in an interactive "feedback" process . A feedback exists where an initial process triggers changes in a second process that in turn influences the initial process. A positive feedback intensifies the original process, and a negative feedback reduces it (IPCC, 2007d:78).[11] Models suggest that the interaction of the climate system and the carbon cycle is one where the feedback effect is positive Glacier retreat and disappearance •
Mountainous areas in Europe will face glacier retreat
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In Latin America, changes in precipitation patterns and the disappearance of glacie glaciers rs will will signif significa icantl ntly y affect affect water water availa availabil bility ity for hum human an consum consumpti ption, on, agriculture, and energy production
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In Polar regions, there will be reductions in glacier extent and the thickness of glaciers.
Spread of disease
As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with them. Indeed some scientists believe that in some countries thanks to global warming, malaria has not been fully eradicated. Warmer waters and more hurricanes
As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes. We saw in this in 2004 and 2005. Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves
Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe. Water is already a dangerously rare commodity in Africa, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global warming will exacerbate the conditions and could lead to conflicts and war. Economic consequences
Most of the effects of anthropogenic global warming won’t be good. And these effects spell one thing for the countries of the world: economic consequences. Hurricanes cause
do billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these. Polar ice caps melting
The ice caps melting is a four-pronged danger. First, it will raise sea levels. There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet. Luckily, that’s not going to happen all in one go! But sea levels will rise. Second, melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance. The ice caps are fresh water, and when they melt they will desalinate the ocean, or in plain English – make it less salty. The desalinization of the gulf current will “screw up” ocean currents, which regulate temperatures. The stream shutdown or irregularity would cool the area around north-east America and Western Europe. Luckily, that will slow some of the other effects of global warming in that area! Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues. •
Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters).
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Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
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Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active. a ctive.
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Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.
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Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
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Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.
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Ecosystems will change—some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct
Responses to global warming
Mitigation
Reducing the amount of future climate change is called mitigation of climate change. Many countries, both developing and developed, are aiming to use cleaner, less polluting, technologies. Use of these technologies aids mitigation and could result in substa sub stanti ntial al reduct reduction ionss in CO2 emissi emissions ons.. Polici Policies es includ includee target targetss for emissi emissions ons reduct reduction ions, s, increa increased sed use of renewa renewable ble energy energy,, and increa increased sed energy energy effici efficiency ency.. Studies indicate substantial potential for future reductions in emissions. Adaptation
Other policy responses include adaptation to climate change. Adaptation to climate change may be planned, e.g., by local or national government, or spontaneous, i.e., done privately without government intervention Geoengineering
Anot Anothe herr poli policy cy resp respons onsee is geoe geoengi ngine neer erin ing g of the the clim climat ate. e. Geoe Geoengi ngine neer erin ing g encompasses a range of techniques to remove CO2 from the atmosphere or to reflect incoming sunlight. Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming
Global Warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem: each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late. •
Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl). CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
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automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill. •
Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
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Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases: Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.
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Do not leave appliances on standby: Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
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Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket: You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.
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Move your fridge and freezer: Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
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Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly: Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
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Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period: When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC (10ºC or less less outsid outsidee temper temperatu ature) re) would result result in almost almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
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Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing: This requires a bit of upfront investment, but b ut will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
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Get a home energy audit: Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
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Cover your pots while cooking: Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
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Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full. full. If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.
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Take a shower instead of a bath: A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and an d provide the same comfort.
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Use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
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Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible: You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
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Insula Insulate te and weather weatherize ize your hom home: e: Proper Properly ly insula insulati ting ng your walls walls and ceilings ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.
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Be sure you’re recycling at home: You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
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Recycle your organic waste: Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decompo decomposes ses with with suffi sufficie cient nt oxygen, oxygen, otherw otherwise ise your compos compostt will will cause cause methane emissions and smell foul.
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Buy intelligently: One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
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Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can. You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.
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Reuse your shopping bag: When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.
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Reduce waste: Most products products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.
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Plant a tree: A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. 15%. The Arbor Day Foundat Foundation ion has inform informati ation on on planti planting ng and provides trees you can plant with membership.
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Switch to green power: In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you yo u can also earn money by selling the energy you produce produc e and don't use for yourself.
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Buy fresh foods instead of frozen: Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
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Seek out and support local farmers markets: They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.
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Buy organic foods as much as possible.
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils
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from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere! Eat less meat: Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and
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cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomac stomachs hs cause cause them them to produc producee methan methane, e, which which they they exhale exhale with with every every breath. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or
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taking mass transit wherever possible •
Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates. c lassmates.
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Keep your car tuned up. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel.
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You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style.
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Check Check your tires tires weekly weekly to make make sure sure they’r they’ree proper properly ly inflat inflated. ed. Try car sharing.
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Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions.
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Plant a tree: You can also make a difference in your own backyard. Get a
group in your neighborhood together and contact your local arborist or urban forester about planting trees on private property and public land. In addition to storing carbon, trees planted in and around urban areas and residences can provide much-needed shade in the summer, reducing energy bills and fossil fuel use.
Conclusion: The bottom line it is coming (if not already here) and we have to figure out
what we can do. Waters rising will be a disaster, food will be affected and we have to plan for catastrophies like katrina. k atrina. This is going to hit everyone, not just the poor or the rich --we're --we're all in a heap of trouble and the sooner we accept this FACT. We should put serious effort to overcome the problems due to it. We must try our best to solve the problem and strive as much as possible to reinstate our earth for sake of future generation.
