What is Global Warming?
Global warming, describes a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth's climate. There is debate whether global warming is real. But the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate have predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100.
Signs of climate change:Arctic Sea Ice: Arctic sea ice is declining at a rate of 11.5% per decade. Arctic sea ice reaches its minimum every September. Carbon dioxide: It is an important heat - trapping gas released due to human activities like deforestation, burning fossil fuels, natural processes like respiration and volcanic eruptions. Global Temperature: 2016 is the warmest for the top 10 warmest year since 1880. Sea Level: It is rising 3.16 mm per year. Sea level rise is due to the water coming from the melting of glaciers, and the expansion of seawater as it warms up. Land ice: The land ice sheets in both Antarctica and Greenland are losing mass. The continent of Antarctica has been losing more than 100 cubic kilometres of ice per year, since 2002.
Global Warming Facts:
It is the increase of earth's average surface temperature due to greenhouse gases that collect in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, trap heat and keep it close to the earth's surface, making it liveable for humans and animals. However, global warming is due to the over emission of these gases and fossil fuels. Warming has observable effects on the environment. Glaciers are shrinking, ice on rivers and lakes is drying up, plant and animal have shifted grounds, and trees are flowering sooner. With the start of the industrial, revolution in the 1700's, humans began emitting more fossil fuel gasses (coal, oil and natural gas)to run our cars, trucks, and factories. There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the last 800,000 years. Since 1870, global sea levels have risen by about 8 inches. Heat waves caused by global warming pose a greater risk of heat - related illness and death in human beings. It puts coral reefs in danger as the ocean warms, resulting in incidents of bleaching. Though Americans make up just 4% of the world's population, they produce 25 % of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning - by far the largest share of any country.
Cinclusion: The ‘Conclusion’ confirms that global warming is the major challenge for our global society. There is very little doubt that global warming will change our climate in the next century. So what are the solutions to global warming? First, there must be an international political solution. Second, funding for developing cheap and clean energy production must be increased, as all economic development is based on increasing energy usage. We must not pin all our hopes on global politics and clean energy technology, so we must prepare for the worst and adapt. If implemented now, a lot of the costs and damage that could be caused by changing climate can be mitigated.
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