GLOBAL WARMING

What is the biggest threat to humanity? Some may say it's terrorism, some may say it's lavlin......... But most of the scientists will differ. According to them, it's the climate change, especially the GLOBAL WARMING.............

What exactly is meant by Global Warming? The rays from sun entering our atmosphere will be reflected by our Earth's surface the outer space. They heat the atmosphere while passing through it. But if large amount of green house gases like CO2, methane etc. are present in the atmosphere they prevent this rays from escaping into the atmosphere. This increases the temperature of the atmosphere. This effect is called green-house effect and this results in global warming.




Soon after the industrial age has begun, the amount of green-house gases began to increase in the atmosphere due to the emissions from various industries all over the world. The emission for fuel engines also contributed to it. And now the amount of green-house gases in the atmosphere is increasing exponentially. Earth's temperature is also increasing in the same rate. And hence global warming..........

What are the effects of this phenomenon? It has wide spread effect that will affect us in all walks of life.Even then are they going to affects us now? The answer is YES. Many people believes that the climate change will not affect our generation. But the amount of green-house gases, especially CO2, has already increased well above accepted levels. This adversely affects our climate. Frequent cyclones and other disasters are just an indication of the climate change. The ice in the polar region is melting at a very high rate. The polar ice cap is the main source of pure water for majority of human beings and if it melts like this, it will result in severe water deficiency. Gangotri is the large ice glacier in the Himalayas where river Ganga is originated. Recent studies found that this Gangotri itself is melting away. If the Gangotri is completely melted, it will result in severe drought in a number states in India. More than 50 million Indians are depending on Ganga. One can only imagine the effect of this drought. If the atmospheric temperature continues to increase at this rate, our earth will become unlivable in very near future.

How can we counter this? As you can imagine, first thing that needs to be done is to done is to reduce the emission of CO2 and other green-house gases. The amount of green-house gases should be reduced to that of the pre-industrial age in very near future. But this is not as easy as it seems. The biggest CO2 emitter is the US itself. As we know US is a capitalistic country and the corporates in US has a big influence on the US government. The case of many other developed countries is the same. Any move to reduce the CO2 emission will face a strong opposition from these corporates since they will have to reduce their production and hence the profit. Instead of doing this Bush was blaming cattles of India and China for emission of methane gas. Also the number of vehicles used day by and the their emissions will also add to green-house effect. After Barak Obama took charge there has at least been a move towards reducing the emission. The G8 summit just concluded put forward some decisions to reduce global warming. US has decided to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Other developed nations have also took similar decisions.

But it seems too late. The G8, prominent developed countries, and G5, prominent developing countries, members are responsible for most of the green house gas emission. They have to take decisions at least on the cut-off date 2020. Else it may become uncontrollable, which it already is to some extent. The atmospheric temperature should be brought down below 2 degree Celsius plus temperature at pre-industrial age. Strong and sudden actions are required. But unfortunately these facts are not getting enough attention it deserves. We are still ignorant of many of the disastors that could happen to us in the near future. The presently used fuel engines should be replaced by Eco-friendly engines which don't emit the green-house gases. More non-renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy should be used. Recently an event named EARTH HOUR was conducted. Their motto was switching off a light is a vote to earth. The reduction of energy consumption can have big effect on reducing global warming. So VOTE EARTH! or else............

anoopesar

"Nature has enough resources to fill our NEEDS, not our GREED."
-Mahatma Gandhi