Causes of Global Warming: Climate Change and Other Environmental Issues

It is clear that the Earth’s climate has changed extremely throughout the years. It is also obvious that the earth is slowly but certainly breaking apart, because of the melting glaciers, increasing sea levels, shrinking ice sheets and dying cloud forests. As stated by NASA, in the middle of the years 2002 and 2006, 150-250 cubic kilometers of ice has been lost every year in the Greenland.

In other words, the reason is global warming, which is the “increasing temperature of the earth’s atmosphere”. Besides calamitous human activities, it would be the one and only Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Dioxide, in short CO2, which is a pale gas that is composed of a carbon atom joined in a covalent manner to two small oxygen components. Essentially, CO2 acts as an inclusive heat cover, that encircles and warms our planet. Nevertheless, since humans burns fossil fuels almost every day, the levels of CO2 have excessively loaded and totally drenched our aerosphere. Earth’s climate tends to quickly respond to alterations within gas levels that’s exhibited in the “ice cores” attracted from “glaciers” in Greenland as indicated above. The global warming according to the ancient evidence coral reefs, ocean sediments and tree rings was happening so much slower in the ice age than now.

Causes of Global Warming

The Greenhouse Effect

The “Greenhouse Effect” is One of the first causes of global warming. Its begins when CO2 and different greenhouse gases are liberated and assembled in the aerosphere. The surface of the Earth becomes slightly hot when sunlight crosses the atmosphere.

Then the heat energy rebounds and is emitted in wave shapes to our universe. Nonetheless, because of the greenhouse gases and the substantial amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, they take this heat once more and discharge it in every direction to warm the earth’s surface, even the regions below the aerosphere. This is termed the “Greenhouse Effect” for a reason, and that’s because a comparable procedure happens in a greenhouse that actually exists.

“Greenhouse Effect” increases the earth’s temperature, due to the maintenance of the sun’s radiation. Since greenhouse is built principally of glass, there are two kinds of radiation that are able to enter the glass of the greenhouse walls, which are visible and UV radiation. Despite that, the weaker radiation, which is the infrared radiation, doesn’t have the capacity to pierce through the glass, and that’s because it has a low level of frequency. It gets trapped inside the greenhouse glass, supplying plants with warm heat, throughout winter season as well.

Agriculture

other greenhouse gases that causes global warming are, Methane, CFCs and nitrous Oxide. Methane is a hydrocarbon that is the strongest and the second most common greenhouse gas, moreover, it is manufactured by disintegration of land areas that are filled with waste, excavation and agriculture. almost 62% of the Methane in our aerosphere is because of human actions. Chlorofluorocarbon also known as CFC gases, excavate a cavity in the ozone stratum. Hence, they erode oxygen atoms and are used in liquid sprays and refrigerators. Last greenhouse gas, which is Nitrous Oxide gas, is made by practicing the soil cultivation, just like the use of fertilizers. It is important for medical uses, like surgeries. It is also used in vehicle racing, that permits to combust more fuel for the engine, supplying more oxygen besides air only.

Fossil Fuels

As previously mentioned, the main reason that global warming is occurring, is CO2. Since CO2 is not a major element in the atmosphere, immoderate levels of it is able to contribute serious difficulties. Procedures that are made naturally like ventilation, and the over intricate human activities such as burning nonrenewable energy like, fossil fuel and deforestation, can free this mixture. Those particular fuels are actually created by the leftovers of animals, which can assist with the electricity that helps provide power for the cars and the lights in the house. NASA also stated that, the concentration of CO2 in the aerosphere has been elevated by humans in excess of a triple during the industrial revolution. Only in the US, almost 2 billion of Carbon Dioxide is manufactured each 365 days by the burning of fossil fuels. The radiative forcing is what caused this to happen, and out of all the gases that contributes climate change, it is the most elevated and constructive one. The radiative forcing is the “increase or decrease in the energy that arrives at the Earth’s surface.”

Impacts of Global Warming

Anyone could easily tell what are the impacts that have contributed global warming on the earth. Scientists prophesied all the impacts that are actually occurring nowadays. Furthermore, when the greenhouse effect increases, it liquefies the glaciers, and gives a slight heat to warm the ocean. Since 1880, this event contributed sea levels to increase an amount of nearby 20.32 cm. It is clear in many countries that the earth keeps getting warmer, especially in the UAE. The IPCC predicted that in the next century or so, a rise of 2.5-10 degrees Fahrenheit will occur. In the end, more precipitation, as well as vaporization will occur, due to these warm temperatures.

Contrarily, it is well known that plants utilize water and CO2 when they are processing photosynthesis. Therefore, the growth of CO2 and water levels will be useful for harvests, thus it will permit them to grow quicker and use these resources expeditiously. However, those impacts are going to alter in terms of the area, also the capacity of the governmental sectors to alleviate appropriately. Besides that, droughts are expected to be more intense in many countries such as, southwest of US, meanwhile summer temperatures will still increase slowly.

Recommendation for Mitigation and Adaption

Significant steps have already been taken by the UAE government to oppose global warming. Although the UAE has only few primary energy resources and is in need for them, it is familiar with one essential energy source, which is sunlight, one of the strongest and most useful renewable energy sources. To make good use of it, Abu Dhabi started preparing solar power plants in 2010. Since they wanted to obtain renewable energy exclusively through the usage of solar power, they’ve put a target for it, and now they’re working on improving geothermal cooling. Matter of fact, the UAE changed to nuclear power since each year the request for electricity is increasing. That’s due to the fact that nuclear energy barely has any carbon footprint, so the carbon discharges will lessen. Also, a nuclear district was recently under evolvement, arranged to get operated. In addition, the UAE established Masdar City and is currently improving and working on it to present tools, like ventilators, that are effective and stable energy. Moreover, it is aiming to expand money in recent conveyances procedures to reduce emissions; including, aero train, as well as a rapid transit.

Meanwhile, the country can get help from citizens who are willing to assist. For instance, joining in occurrences, such as “Bike-to-work Day” along with “World Car-free Day”, which can help lessen contamination factored by vehicles, that are causers of climate change. Likewise, turning on fluorescent lights, instead of incandescent ones is able to help, because fluorescent lights utilize 72% less power, which makes it more efficient. Further, switching out the lights as possible as you can, reducing the use of cold water and utilizing warm one instead, as well as using same objects again, can benefit too. Therefore, all of these simple actions can reduce global warming.

To conclude, there are many solutions to lessen Global Warming, but the ideal solution is to understand the main issue. In spite of the fact that the causes can appear too severe to deal with, these causes don't need be tackled directly. Important steps can simply be taken by Authorities, as well as citizens to attain a brighter and cleaner environment. After all, Human actions, just like Recycling can do wonders.