Warming on EARTH

2009-07-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING

The earth, the 3rd planet of our solar system, the planet brimming with life and beautiful landscape, is on the verge of getting destroyed. The main reason is global warming. Global warming is the slow and steady increase in the temperature of earth and its atmosphere. The increase in the temperature of earth has caused many effects like the melting of ice in Polar Regions, increase in disease occurrences, drastic climatic changes including rainfall and dry periods.

One of the major causes for global warming can be attributed to the activities of man. The man which thinks of himself as the most intelligent thing on earth is knowingly or unknowingly destroying its own habitat. The activities of man has lead to an increase in the so called greenhouse gases which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide etc. the gases have created an effect of green house on the earths surface which prevents the reflection of the rays from sun and thus causes the increase in temperature. Carbon dioxide concentration in the air has increased due to the emissions from cars, airplanes, power plants, industries etc. another reason for it is the deforestation. Forests have been cut down paying way for agriculture, industries and cities. The trees were natural regulators of carbon dioxide which used to control its level’s in the atmosphere.

Another is the CFC which is used in refrigerators, in fire extinguisher’s which destroys the natural ozone layer. The ozone layer was a natural barrier which used to prevent the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun. Without this layer, the rays fall on the earth and cause the temperature to increase. Researchers have found an ozone hole in our atmosphere, which they say is the main reason for the melting of glacier’s in the Polar Regions. Earth which mainly consists of developing or underdeveloped countries, which holds a major population needs electricity for the day to day activities. The electricity supply is mainly satisfied by burning fossil fuels. The fossil fuel on burning releases carbon dioxide which causes global warming.

The causes of the global warming have been in work for a long time and slowly it has caused the increase in the temperature. The satisfactory fact is that at least now the governments of various countries and its people have started to understand that they are one of the causes for the global warming. Therefore combined efforts by the different countries have started to control the global warming and thereby prevent our habitat from destruction. Awareness, alternative forms of energy, conservation of energy, and reforestation can help.

These are the major causes of global warming and hopefully by taking measures we can bring this grave situation under control. If people are educated about the global warming causes, they can do what they can to control global warming in their everyday life.

What causes global warming?Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.

Global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.3 ± 0.32 °F) during the past century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations,"[1] which leads to warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by increasing the greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes have probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950, but a small cooling effect since 1950.[2][3] These basic conclusions have been endorsed by at least 30 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists is the only scientific society that rejects these conclusions.[4][5] A few individual scientists disagree with some of these conclusions as well.[6]

Climate models referenced by the IPCC project that global surface temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) between 1990 and 2100.[1] The range of values reflects the use of differing scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions and results of models with differences in climate sensitivity. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming and sea level rise are expected to continue for more than a millennium even if greenhouse gas levels are stabilized. [1] This reflects the large heat capacity of the oceans.

An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes, including sea level rise, and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation resulting in floods and drought[7]. There may also be changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, though it is difficult to connect specific events to global warming. Other effects may include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

Remaining scientific uncertainties include the exact degree of climate change expected in the future, and how changes will vary from region to region around the globe. There is ongoing political and public debate regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at combating greenhouse gas emissions

What are the other important reasons?

Reasons

- Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, wood, natural gas, ethanol, etc.)
- solar activity
- Changing oceanic currents
- of the ocean (which kills seaborne algae)
- Deforestation
CO2, methane and other greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming. But CO2 is mostly responsible.CO2 emitting from every substance is increasing global warming.
Some gases ("greenhouse gases") let sunlight in, which warms the Earth, and then block that heat from leaving. That's the "greenhouse effect", and it's a natural thing, mostly caused by water vapor.
Gradually coastal areas will flood and agriculture will be damaged. But it will be very bad. Rich countries will cope, but it will take huge amounts of money. In poor countries many people will die of starvation, but not all of them.
Most scientists say, in 20-50 years. But we need to start right now to fix it, fixing it will take even longer than that.
the gases such as NO2,NH3,etc has been taking the heat from the sun and making it double and releasing towards earth due to which the ice in north and south are melting and the water level is rising which will lead to flooding & tusnami
Climate change, more commonly known as global warming, is caused by the emission of heat trapping gases produced by vehicles, power plants, industrial processes and deforestation. As these gases build up, they act like a big blanket, over-heating the planet and threatening our health, our economy and our environment.
Source(s):
thanks for asking, global warming is affecting the environment really badly and polar bears are dying, thanks for letting me be aware of this state, now I know I have to stop global warming by not driving my car.
Excessive creation of Green house gasses ( Carbon Di Oxide , Methane , Nitrous Oxide etc ) in industries or vehicles has made a gas - layer under the atmosphere that's why sun rays with small wavelength can come in through it and makes the earth surface warm.... The earth surface then radiates the infrared radiation which is higher in wave length , it can't go out through the green house gas-layer.... So the heat remains nearer the earth surface & thus Global Warming is being created.

Other Causes.....
During the last centuries, we achieved a lot by using our natural resources freely, which we borrowed from our descendants. But we could not see what could be behind these developments. Now it can be seen everywhere in the world that there are massive extinction of species, massive loss of the rain forests and even sufferings of mankind. Many scientists point that these kinds of massive disasters result from global warming. In this article, we discuss the causes and effects of global warming and our possible individual and social efforts for sustainable developments.

Global Warming

What causes global warming? There are several factors that contribute to global warming. They could be either natural or artificial. One of the main and direct causes of global warming is carbon dioxide emitted into the air, which is called greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gas refers to the gas that causes the greenhouse effect. Methane, Freon gas, nitrogen dioxide and water vapor are greenhouse gases as well, which means they absorb heat.

The greenhouse gases emitted into the air play the role of glass in a greenhouse and keep the temperature of the earth warm. Radiant energy must be emitted to outer space. Greenhouse gases, however, trap the thermal energy that must be sent to space in the atmosphere, and thus the temperature goes up.

Then, what makes the amount of greenhouse gases increase and what are the main sources of carbon dioxide pollution? There truly have existed the greenhouse gases in the past, and they are necessary since they make life on earth possible. The greenhouse effect that actually happens on earth is very important because it always keeps the temperature on earth the same. So the greenhouse gas itself is not the problem and there used to be a balance between emission and absorption of carbon dioxide in nature.

However, as many countries in the world become industrialized and urbanized, the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas increased to power vehicles, heat homes, and maintain factories. Those fossil fuels emit great quantities of carbon dioxide when they are burned. As a result, it accelerates global warming. In addition, the excessive cutting down of trees also increases the amount of carbon dioxide, and mining and landfills are considered to emit great quantities of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There are many sources of carbon dioxide. Yet, the largest source of carbon dioxide in the world is coal-burning power plants and the second largest source is automobiles.

Extinction of Species

Rain forests, so called the treasure of wild animals and wild plants, are decreasing so quickly that we can't imagine how fast it is. The Amazon, where there are over a fifth of the animals and the plants of the world, got a direct hit of massive extinction. Even though the Ministry of Environment of Brazil gives effort to the protection program for species of the Amazon with spending over 300 million, the demolition of the ecosystem of Brazil doesn't seem to stop. The rain forests take only 7 percent of the earth surface. But the destruction of the rain forests, being inferred to as the homeland for three thirds of the creatures in the world, is considered as a prelude of massive demolition of living things in the world.

The causes of these massive extinctions are global warming and human industrial activities. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), which has examined the effects of global warming, said that over 30 percent of species of the world could disappear if the temperature increases 1~2°C on their report of 2007. This report, which 2,000 scientists from 100 countries participated in, predicted that the temperature of the world could increase 3° by 2010. The melting speed of the icebergs in the Antarctic became 15 times as fast as that of the last two years and the number of seals and polar bears are decreasing fast due to the loss of icebergs.

Finally polar bears are designated as animals which are about to become extinct, while the ice of the North Pole is melting due to global warming. The US government said that on the May 14 polar bears were designated as a threatened species by Endangered Species Act. It is the first animal which is going to be protected due to the sufferings from global warming.

Efforts to Overcome Global Warming

The main causes of global warming pollution are, as it was referred to, mainly automobiles and power plants. So we can solve global warming problem by reducing greenhouse gas from them. But it hasn't been easy because many companies in the automobile and energy industries didn't want to change even though they knew they had to. To them, their profits were still more important than public benefits.

These days, however, they began to prepare the future and develop a lot of environmentally friendly goods because of people's demands, global regulations, and surging oil prices. They are realizing that the change is not only their duty but also their profit because many countries are trying to reduce and regulate the emission of greenhouse gas, and finally they adopted "Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" in 1997, which became effective in 2005.

Even the United States, which is the largest source of global warming pollution and objected to ratifying the treaty, announced in an "Advanced Energy Initiative" that they would change 75 percent of oil imports into renewable energy and also now is showing their change of position that they may ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

In addition, oil prices have surged across the world. This is because the demand for oil has rapidly increased owing to the industrialization of China and India which have enormous populations. Moreover, the more serious problem is that supply of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas will not be able to meet current and future demands. That's why the interest in alternative energy to substitute fossil fuels has risen up recently.

Alternative energy includes renewable energy like solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, and so on. The cost of using the energy is decreasing compared to surging oil prices, which is another reason why companies want to develop the technologies for renewable energy. So the development of this energy began to have great attraction not only of reducing the dependence rate on oil but of making a lot of money and creating lots of employment.

Accordingly, many companies across the world are accelerating the development of alternative energy, which is nowadays a new global trend. Electronics and heavy industries are focusing on the solar energy which can be used to run automobiles, power plants, and many other home appliances. Automakers are developing hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) which are powered by a combination of electric motors and internal combustion engines. Other alternative power source for automobiles under development is bioethanol, hydrogen, and electricity.

HEV is expected to be able to cut greenhouse gas by one-third or more. However, there are still lots of difficulties to solve for using them because HEV is not entirely free from fossil fuels, cars using bioethanol can increase food price across the world, and using electricity and hydrogen is not ready yet to replace petroleum. Therefore, we need much more efforts and investment to use alternative energy which will cause less pollution in the near future.

Global warming is a big concern to everyone all over the world. As we all know, the efforts to overcome global warming and cut down the excessive amount of carbon dioxide by governments and companies are not enough. There certainly are efforts that individuals can put to minimize things that cause global warming. For example, we had better not drive unless it is necessary. We can use public transportation, or carpooling can be good. And if it doesn't take so long, walking or riding a bike would be good not only for our environment but also for our health.

In conclusion, trying to overcome global warming is now not the problem of choice but the problem for our survival. Therefore, it is the time all of us -- individuals, companies, and governments -- have to put all our efforts into using less fossil fuels, developing alternative energy, and protecting the earth's environment.

1. Important act to be done is to stop the intervention into the time cycle and give space/time for earth to redistribute its load and do its repairing process. The earth is designed dynamically to take any amount of load, provided it is given time for creativity and action to neutralize the disturbance.

2] The second importance is to reduce the reckless exploitation of fossil fuel in the name of economic growth. Concept of Economy needs to be redefined as conservation of natural resources and attaining sustainable balance.

3] Stop exploiting public’s minds and its extensions in order to further once business and monetary gains. What good is all the money if you are inviting death. The concept of entertainment and advertising needs to be reviewed. They should not be allowed to exploit the weakness of human mind and its extensions.

4] The work of the author gives a new foundation to science and a direction to human mind. The temples of science should come forward to discuss and make this new found reality to quickly develop nature compatible technologies for the system to transform and sustain itself. The knowledge revealed has the potential to bring fundamental changes in every field of science, life, health and medicine, food and agriculture, communication, social science, judiciary and so on.

5] The knowledge revealed brings insight into great ancient knowledge system opening new avenues, that are much superior and nature compatible.

How can we cut global warming pollution?
It's simple: By reducing pollution from vehicles and power plants. Right away, we should put existing technologies for building cleaner cars and more modern electricity generators into widespread use. We can increase our reliance on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and geothermal. And we can manufacture more efficient appliances and conserve energy.

Is it possible to cut power plant pollution and still have enough electricity?
Yes. First, we must use more efficient appliances and equipment in our homes and offices to reduce our electricity needs. We can also phase out the decades-old, coal-burning power plants that generate most of our electricity and replace them with cleaner plants. And we can increase our use of renewable energy sources such as wind and sun. Some states are moving in this direction: California has required its largest utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2017, and New York has pledged to compel power companies to provide 25 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2013.
What can I do to help fight global warming?
There are many simple steps you can take right now to cut global warming pollution. Make conserving energy a part of your daily routine. Each time you choose a compact fluorescent light bulb over an incandescent bulb, for example, you'll lower your energy bill and keep nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb's lifetime. By opting for a refrigerator with the Energy Star label -- indicating it uses at least 15 percent less energy than the federal requirement -- over a less energy-efficient model, you can reduce carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton in total.

Wow...

Developing Awareness Developing An Awareness Of The Causes Of Global Warming

How much time do we spend each day reflecting on the way our individual lives impact our environment? If the extent of your environmental awareness is sorting the recycled trash from the regular trash, you are not alone. In doing even this small thing, we become aware that what we do has an impact on the environment. Maybe it is time we took a few more minutes toward developing an awareness of global warming.

A glance at the cities of the earth provide a quick look into what is happening to the environment that could be a trigger of this global warming phenomenon we are now apparently experiencing. All of the cars packed on the roads are either using emission releasing energy sources or are themselves releasing pollutants. We all know about carbon monoxide, but there are many other pollutants that come out of our cars. How often have you looked over a city and seen thousands of cars packed together? Can you imagine how much carbon monoxide is released in just one second?
Another place we can look at the environment in relationship to global warming is to the forests of the world. This is an opposite extreme from the cities, but just as strikingly a place where environmental damage and global warming coincide. Our forests are quickly disappearing to both unscrupulous people and ordinary people trying to develop their land to live off of it. We need these trees to help us fight pollution. These trees can bring these pollutants into the soil and many can be broken down by microbes. In return the trees send us out rich oxygen so we can breathe deeply and freely. With less trees we have less reduction in pollutants. The pollutants we are putting out then simply multiply and condense.

Another rural location you can look to for environmental damage would be farms. Do you have any idea how many cattle there are in the world now or how much methane each cow produces? Yes, methane is a very harmful atmospheric pollutant that contributes to global warming and other environmental issues. Even crops produced with bad chemical fertilizers and pesticides can have far reaching environmental consequences.

All of these factors alone could probably be overcome by nature and put into nature's balance. But all of these factors together wipe out the balance of nature as we can see in global warming and pollutions over our skies and in our lungs. Each of these factors of global warming that we can take a part in reducing helps restore nature's ability to restore itself. The less we pollute the better chance nature has to overcome global warming before it is too late.

Step Forward to Eradicate Global warming

Warming on EARTH