The most damage is caused by the human race and pollution is one of the biggest problems. They are: 1) Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants burning coal, natural gas or petroleum (oil) to produce electricity; 2) Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline and diesel fuel for transportation; 3) Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic sea beds; 4) Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland. This will result in more CO2, and enhanced greenhouse gases; 5) Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands.
The changes in the climate can be seen all over the world. As the earth temperature rises, the impacts can fuel each other. This accelerates the process of global warming and causing runaway, irreversible changes, being: 1) Rising sea levels; 2) Extreme weather; 3) Economic Effects; 4) Disease; 5) Loss of Species; 6) Water shortage; 7) Agricultural Changes.
On February 2005, an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came into force called “The Kyoto Protocol” (KP). The aim was to set binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The KP was adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan.
The KP sets targets for the maximum amount of greenhouse gasses rich countries can produce. The KP committed to cut emissions of not only carbon dioxide (CO2), but of also other greenhouse gases, being: methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), per fluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
‘Many scientists say that the targets set in the KP are only scratching the surface of the problem. Although some people say the KP isn't the complete answer, however it has an important role to play.’
Most scientists believe that global warming is mostly caused by human activities. Some experts do not believe that human is a large contributor, while others do not even believe we are a small contributor. Some people deny global warming, they may say: ‘ "Global warming is natural" or "The Earth is actually cooling" or "There's nothing we can do anyway"... ‘
But, the reality is: Over millions of years the Earth’s climate has constantly changed, temperatures increased and dropped. But it’s happening now much faster than ever before, and does not give us much time to react or adjust.
There are signs recorded all over the word that the Earth’s temperature is increasing. Best way to get this is through the thermometer records kept over the past century and a half. Over the last century, the average temperature of the Earth around the world has increased more than 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius), and around twice that in parts of the Arctic.
This doesn’t mean that the Earth’s temperatures haven’t fluctuated within different parts of the world, or between different seasons and times of day. But, by calculating the world’s average all over temperature over the course of a year, we can see that temperatures have been moving up.
Global warming is a complex issue, and there are many uncertainties in its outcomes. It may appear that the earth is already ruined when bearing in mind the numbers of greenhouse gases are already in the air, however, every step we make towards a green lifestyle, along with the efforts of others will have a significant impact on the future of the planet.
Once again, the definition of global warming is any increase in the Earth’s temperature. It can solely be a result of natural occurrences, rather than human activities. Every science person would have to keep an open mind, when asked about possibility of human impact to global warming, and say yes, it is possible.
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lal78 (student)
