The Greenhouse Effect
Discuss about the Principles of Human Dignity, Advocacy and Community Engagement.
Global warming issue is one crucial issue, which is created by humankind for the sake of so-called Development. Being a responsible stakeholder of global environment, human being is most responsible for this vital issue. Global warming is continuously the most concerning threat, which creates increased heating of global environment including surface, oceans and atmosphere over a long period. It is being noticed by the scientists that the global average temperature rise since the last part of 1800. As per Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), increase in average global temperature was noticed by 0.8 degrees Centigrade against that of the last century. It is anticipated that global temperatures would rise by another 1.133 to 6.42 degrees Centigrade in the future period (Bradford, 2014).
As per NASA report, maximum eminent global scientific organizations accept the fact of increase of global temperature as real threat. Again, most of the environmental scientists admit that increased rate of global temperature the planet is now facing is not a natural phenomenon but due to the result of daily activities of human being. That decision was clear in In that report, climate technologists specified their confirmation as prudent unlike before that there is certain connection between activities of human and global increase of temperature (Carlowicz, 2010)..
Radiation from the sun normally enters the environment through the biospheres and reaches the surface on the earth. It is absorbed by the surface and then is radiated with the direction of upward as heat. The gases in the global atmosphere, which is radiated back to the surface, absorb most of the heat. This is being elementary to warm up to the average life-supporting temperature of 15 degree Centigrade, which is a continuous process, named as the greenhouse effect (Lallanila, 2016).
Global warming initiates with the effect of greenhouse that is instrumental with the interaction between atmosphere of the planet and respective radiation of sunrays. Joseph Warne, the associate professor, University of Pittsburgh for the curriculum of Geology and Planetary Science had stated that the effect of greenhouse was structured with the basic physics long back by a person with only a paper and a pencil (Svante Arrhenius in 1896),
The global warming caused by human being occurs when any type of human action is instrumental to generate certain type of gases into the environment. The more those gases emit, the more is the chance for more arming. The environmental gases are called greenhouse gases, which are identified as the agent of greenhouse effect. These types of gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and water vapor, out of which CO2 is considered as most dangerous gas (Ncsu, 2013).
Effects of Global Warming
Some CO2 are naturally generated in environment, e g. the existence of natural CO2 existed in nature before Industrial Revolution was about parts per million (ppm) which was prevailed during since ancient time. The fluctuation of CO2 was between 180 PPM during the period of ice age and in the range of 280 ppm during the period of interglacial age from the period of inception of Industrial Revolution, it is found that the quantity of CO2 has been noticed to be increased dramatically. At present, the increase of CO2 is 100 percent faster in pace if the end of ice age period is considered.
During the period of May 2013, environmentalists stated that measurement of CO2 in atmosphere is shown as 400 ppm. Content of CO2 in atmosphere had never been noticed in such higher measurement, not even in the pre historic age of million years earlier, as per the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. . Carbon dioxide generates from different causes, like fossil fuel ignition, deforestation out of which fossil fuel is the main cause of CO2 generation along with second contributor to be treated as deforestation. All these causes are originated by human to generate more amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere, as per the research made and subsequently published by Duke University. When the trees are uprooted, they normally release the carbon as physiological system of the trees as that was stored by them for the purpose of photosynthesis. As per the Assessment of Global Forest Resources published in 2010, deforestation generates huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere every year, still combustion of fossil fuel is the number one contributor of human made source of carbon dioxide (Kunzig, 2013).
Methane is considered the second most common type of greenhouse gas, with its dangerous effect in the highest degree. Although the existence of methane is less in the atmosphere, but the quality of this gas proves to be more prone to absorb more radiation of sunrays. The EPA states that methane has contributed 20 times more in affecting the weather with change of climate over the period of last 100 years. The source are of different natural sources, but basic causes of methane emissions are increased scope of mining, exploitation of natural gas, the bulk raising of livestock and the landfills. In fact as per EPA, human being is responsible for methane emission of 60% (Thompson, 2016).
The impact of global warming is observed in different parts of the world. Like in Glacier National Park of Montana, earlier around the numbers of 150 glaciers were found, out of which only 25 glaciers with the areas of larger than 25 acres remain, as per the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A normally accepted thumb rule or guideline to identify a glacier is that it is such a body of snow and ice, which moves and the area of that object must be around 101,000 square meters. The ice is normally stagnant in nature and does not move until the size is less than this (Usgs, 2012).
Weather Vs Climate
Scientists are confident that weather change is causing more intensified hurricanes. The unusually hurricanes strong in nature of the recent past are proving this concept. As per atmospheric scientist Adam Sobel, a faculty of Columbia University in the department of Earth and Environmental Science, Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics had categorically mentioned that the confidence upon the current model for predicting hurricane intensification is also prioritizing the causes of such occurrence with latest update (Harvey, 2017).
He explained that hurricanes gather their energy from the difference of temperature between the cold upper atmosphere and warm Tropical Ocean. As weather is getting warmer, there is often occurrence of temperature difference. Temperatures are getting more intense, as well. North America has reached the record high in 2012 since 1880.
As per Peterman and Foy the need of understanding the difference between weather and climate is necessary to understand this problem. While weather is a short-term atmospheric activity like a hot summer or cold winter. Whereas climate is adjudged as the average trend of, weather over periods like centuries or thousands of years. Global warming is considered global phenomenon and it is related to climate Even if the existence of regionally persisted cold weather in different region, the average temperature of the earth signifies that the temperature is rising globally in different regions in the season of winter. (Fetzer, 2010).
As per NASA
- As of November, 2014, the level of Carbon dioxide are at 399.2 ppm
- The increase of global temperature is 7.8 Degree Celsius since 1880
- The minimum level of Arctic ice is steadily reducing by 13.3 % per hundred years
- Quantum of land ice is lowering down with the quantum of 258 billion tons every year
- Sea level is increasing due to melting ice and the level of sea water is increased by 12” every year
Now people around every sector is much more concerned about global warming and wants to take vital steps to reverse this process. Many scientists are now arguing that reverse is not possible because the damage is already affecting the atmosphere heavily. Others are saying that Mother Nature has that ability to reverse this degenerating process. We need to change our activities that harms immensely, then only global warming may reduce.
Human to restore global environment for common interest can adapt following probable steps:
- Decreasing emissions of greenhouse gases and stabilizing the levels of these gases in the atmosphere
- Adapting to the climate
- Restore the greenhouse effect by planting more trees, with the ratio of 1:10 for uprooting of trees and new plantation to replace the uprooted trees.
- Thinking of new innovative ideas to reduce the use of energy through different strategic moves, like once in a week 2 hours non-utilization of electricity, car on the road with even and odd numbers on alternate days.
- More dependence on non-conventional form of energy like solar power.(Denchak, 2016).
- Individual effort to lower the thermostats in winter
- Use of LED bulbs to ensure lesser power consumption.
- Global awareness and steps by Big Brothers of the world to ensure restoration of global situation to ensure healthy world for the future generation through common mandate…
References:
Bradford, A. (2014, December 15). What Is Global Warming? Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Livescience: https://www.livescience.com/37003-global-warming.html
Carlowicz, M. (2010). Global Temperatures. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Nasa: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/decadaltemp.php
Denchak, M. (2016, March 11). How You Can Stop Global Warming. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Nrdc: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming
Fetzer, E. (2010, June 28). Weather vs. Climate. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Nasa: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/Just_5_Questions_Weather-vs-climate20100628.html
Harvey, C. (2017, May 25). Record-breaking weather is being driven by global warming, scientists say. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/weather-records-floods-rainfall-heatwave-arctic-global-warming-scientists-climate-change-a7700891.html
Kunzig, R. (2013, May 12). Climate Milestone: Earth’s CO2 Level Passes 400 ppm. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Nationalgeographic: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/05/130510-earth-co2-milestone-400-ppm/
Lallanila, M. (2016, April 12). What Is the Greenhouse Effect? Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Livescience: https://www.livescience.com/37743-greenhouse-effect.html
Ncsu. (2013, August 09). Greenhouse Effect. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Ncsu: https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.greenhouseeffect
Thompson, A. (2016, May 09). Atmospheric CO2 May Have Topped 400 PPM Permanently. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Insideclimatenews: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18052016/atmospheric-co2-carbon-dioxide-400-ppm-climate-change-keeling-curve
Usgs. (2012). Rates and Effects of Climate Warming and Permafrost Thawing in the Yukon River Basin: An Arctic Benchmark . Retrieved May 30, 2017, from Usgs: https://ny.water.usgs.gov/projects/climate/YukonClimate.pdf
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