Effects of Gobal Warming
global warming
The gradual increase in the average temperatures of the earth’s atmosphere and its water bodies such as oceans is called global warming. The scientific data and facts shows that the planet is warming. The average temperatures of the earth have risen between 0.4 and 0.8 Celsius. Over a decade ago, Global warming has been caused by the increase volume of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossils fuels, deforestation.agriculture and other human activities. Scientists carrying out research on global warming have predicted that the average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.87 degree Celsius by the year 2100.
Green house effects is the process by which sunlight streams through the atmosphere and heats the earth, as heat rises, some of it escapes into space while the rest of the heat is trapped by gases in the troposphere and warms the air. Solar radiation at the frequencies of visible light passes through the atmosphere then warms the earth’s surface, which in turn limits heat energy at the lower frequencies of the infrared thermal radiation. Infrared radiation is trapped and re-radiated much of the energy to the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere
The major human activities which have intensified the natural greenhouse effects causing global warming are deforestation and the combustion of fossil fuels.
Greenhouse effect also refers to circumstances where the short wavelength s of visible light from the sun passes through the atmosphere and are absorbed by the earth’s surface but the larger wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the earth’s surface are unable to pass through a transparent medium. This leads to an increase in heat hence a higher temperature since the long wavelength radiation cannot escape.
Greenhouse gases are gases that do trap and radiate heat. The major greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and methane and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels, coal, oil, natural gas, trees, wood products and solid wastes. Methane enter the atmosphere during the production and transport of coal, natural gas and oil, decomposing organic matter and certain agricultural practices.Nitrous oxide(N2O) is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities and during combustion of fossil fuels and solid wastes. Chlorofluorocarbon gases are emitted during manufacture or use of air conditioning systems and refrigeration s.
Present level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas that results from human activities and causes global; warming hence climate change. The world’s most current data for atmosphere carbon dioxide is measured was installed by Geo-chemist named Charles Keeling in 1958.It has been observed that the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been increasing at an accelerating rate from one decade to another. Scientists have set the upper safety limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide as 350 parts per million (ppm) Keeling’s first measurement in March of 1958 was 314 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the air. The atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have stayed higher than 350 ppm since early 1988,By 1994,the average level of carbon dioxide was about 358 parts per million. The 2012 average annual concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as per Mauna Loa observatory was 393.84 parts per million (ppm).Analyzing the trend for the past decade (2003-2012)the average increase was 2.1 ppm per year. The average for the prior decade (1993-2002) was 1.7 ppm per year. The on January 3, 2013 the annual data for 2012 was first posted by Scripp's institution of oceanography in the u.s since 1860, the carbon dioxide concentration has been increasing since the beginning of the industrial revolution there has also been a sharp rise in demand and assumption of fossil fuels. When these fossils fuels are burned, they release the stored carbon as carbon dioxide. Millions of tones of carbon dioxide are poured into the atmosphere each year from power plants that utilize oil or coal and from cars that burns gasoline. The combustion of living plants have also contributed to increase in carbon dioxide released. First burning a plant gives off carbon dioxide.Secondly, when a living plant is burned, there is less plant to absorb carbon dioxide from the air by process of photosynthesis. The increase burning of millions of trees in tropical rain forests to clear land for farming have increased the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Some of the predicted environmental damages if carbon dioxide emissions are not reduced include: There would be increase in rate of global warming resulting in the partial melting of the polar ice-caps, which is already happening in Alaska and sea levels are rising. During the 20th century the sea level rose 10 cm to 20cm and the global snow retreated by 10cm to 20cm and the global snow retreated by 10% since 1960s.The drastic environmental damages include; Large scale forest die back, sea level rise and altered agricultural productivity which could be higher or lower depending on region and its matched climate at the time disruption in weather patterns i.e. delay in rainfall or excess rainfall results in flood which could hit the farmers hard. One part of the region could get hotter and drier leading to crop failure.
ANALYSIS
The current trend of increase in carbon dioxide emission continuous over the next decades then the climate change is further intensified. The human rate must therefore try to insure that impacts of associated with this risk can be controlled and managed. There has to be a universal agreement on the upper safety limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide and need to be intensified. The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide needs to be as low as 453-500 ppm of CO2 and other greenhouse gases influence the climate therefore the higher the levels of CO2 will results in climatic change causing increasing warming in the world. The effect and risks associated with increase global warming are inevitable.
The gradual increase in the average temperatures of the earth’s atmosphere and its water bodies such as oceans is called global warming. The scientific data and facts shows that the planet is warming. The average temperatures of the earth have risen between 0.4 and 0.8 Celsius. Over a decade ago, Global warming has been caused by the increase volume of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossils fuels, deforestation.agriculture and other human activities. Scientists carrying out research on global warming have predicted that the average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.87 degree Celsius by the year 2100.
Green house effects is the process by which sunlight streams through the atmosphere and heats the earth, as heat rises, some of it escapes into space while the rest of the heat is trapped by gases in the troposphere and warms the air. Solar radiation at the frequencies of visible light passes through the atmosphere then warms the earth’s surface, which in turn limits heat energy at the lower frequencies of the infrared thermal radiation. Infrared radiation is trapped and re-radiated much of the energy to the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere
The major human activities which have intensified the natural greenhouse effects causing global warming are deforestation and the combustion of fossil fuels.
Greenhouse effect also refers to circumstances where the short wavelength s of visible light from the sun passes through the atmosphere and are absorbed by the earth’s surface but the larger wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the earth’s surface are unable to pass through a transparent medium. This leads to an increase in heat hence a higher temperature since the long wavelength radiation cannot escape.
Greenhouse gases are gases that do trap and radiate heat. The major greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and methane and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels, coal, oil, natural gas, trees, wood products and solid wastes. Methane enter the atmosphere during the production and transport of coal, natural gas and oil, decomposing organic matter and certain agricultural practices.Nitrous oxide(N2O) is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities and during combustion of fossil fuels and solid wastes. Chlorofluorocarbon gases are emitted during manufacture or use of air conditioning systems and refrigeration s.
Present level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas that results from human activities and causes global; warming hence climate change. The world’s most current data for atmosphere carbon dioxide is measured was installed by Geo-chemist named Charles Keeling in 1958.It has been observed that the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been increasing at an accelerating rate from one decade to another. Scientists have set the upper safety limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide as 350 parts per million (ppm) Keeling’s first measurement in March of 1958 was 314 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the air. The atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have stayed higher than 350 ppm since early 1988,By 1994,the average level of carbon dioxide was about 358 parts per million. The 2012 average annual concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as per Mauna Loa observatory was 393.84 parts per million (ppm).Analyzing the trend for the past decade (2003-2012)the average increase was 2.1 ppm per year. The average for the prior decade (1993-2002) was 1.7 ppm per year. The on January 3, 2013 the annual data for 2012 was first posted by Scripp's institution of oceanography in the u.s since 1860, the carbon dioxide concentration has been increasing since the beginning of the industrial revolution there has also been a sharp rise in demand and assumption of fossil fuels. When these fossils fuels are burned, they release the stored carbon as carbon dioxide. Millions of tones of carbon dioxide are poured into the atmosphere each year from power plants that utilize oil or coal and from cars that burns gasoline. The combustion of living plants have also contributed to increase in carbon dioxide released. First burning a plant gives off carbon dioxide.Secondly, when a living plant is burned, there is less plant to absorb carbon dioxide from the air by process of photosynthesis. The increase burning of millions of trees in tropical rain forests to clear land for farming have increased the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Some of the predicted environmental damages if carbon dioxide emissions are not reduced include: There would be increase in rate of global warming resulting in the partial melting of the polar ice-caps, which is already happening in Alaska and sea levels are rising. During the 20th century the sea level rose 10 cm to 20cm and the global snow retreated by 10cm to 20cm and the global snow retreated by 10% since 1960s.The drastic environmental damages include; Large scale forest die back, sea level rise and altered agricultural productivity which could be higher or lower depending on region and its matched climate at the time disruption in weather patterns i.e. delay in rainfall or excess rainfall results in flood which could hit the farmers hard. One part of the region could get hotter and drier leading to crop failure.
ANALYSIS
The current trend of increase in carbon dioxide emission continuous over the next decades then the climate change is further intensified. The human rate must therefore try to insure that impacts of associated with this risk can be controlled and managed. There has to be a universal agreement on the upper safety limit for atmospheric carbon dioxide and need to be intensified. The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide needs to be as low as 453-500 ppm of CO2 and other greenhouse gases influence the climate therefore the higher the levels of CO2 will results in climatic change causing increasing warming in the world. The effect and risks associated with increase global warming are inevitable.
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