This is a terrifying problem. If the temperature increases any more, even by 0.5°c the effects could be catastrophic. Even though you may think that this rise is miniscule, it could cause worldwide panic.
This has knock on effects all around the world. This could cause the polar ice caps to melt and this would increase the world’s sea levels dramatically. This could flood many low- lying islands and coastal cities like New York. Also this would affect the temperatures for centuries to come.
But, on the other hand, global warming is essential for all our survival. The reflected waves keep our Earth warmed up. If we didn’t have this radiation then nothing would be able to live on the Earth, as we know it. The Earth warming up slightly is certainly not a bad thing, it is actually quite positive. If the temperature fluctuates it could mean that more tropical crops and plants could be grown in other countries meaning that the supplied products would increase in numbers. This would also mean less money spent on shipping them in exports and imports to other countries.
Some scientists also feel that this is just another warming age. Like the ice age, this could come and go in its own time, and the temperatures will return to normal, like in this graph showing the ice age, and another warming age.
What are the possible causes of global warming and who is to blame for this?
We on Earth get all of our energy from the Sun. The sun because the Earth seems to be absorbing the solar energy gives out the reason it becomes hot outside in summer.
But not all of the energy is absorbed. Some is reflected back into the Earth’s atmosphere. This means that the Earth seems like a star from other places in the Solar system, like we see the moon. Energy also escapes the Earth as heat; we call this infrared light.
For our Earth to stay the same, these two things must be balanced.
- Energy entering the Earth and
- Energy leaving the Earth.
If these do not balance then we could be faced with another ice age. If we experience more energy entering the Earth than leaving it, then we have Global Warming.
This is because when we burn things like wood, coal and even petrol in our cars, we produce Carbon Dioxide gas (CO2).
This gas cannot neither be seen nor smelt, but in turn it traps the infrared light that is trying to escape from the Earth and stops it from continuing out of our atmosphere. If the amount of CO2 increases then the Earth will heat up and this will start Global Warming. Carbon Dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas. Even though there are several other greenhouse gases, it has been proved that Carbon Dioxide is the main one and is the over half of the gases in total.
There are many claims to who is the worst country that emits these gases. This is a big problem because although the countries emit the gases, they then get carried to other countries and destroy the things there, when it has nothing to do with them.
What will be the effects of Global Warming?
Global Warming has its good and bad consequences.
Scientists say that the temperature will rise by 0.2ºc each decade and although this seems hardly anything, it can greatly affect the balance that I mentioned earlier. This increase could mean that there would be more rain, mainly in the north and the polar ice caps melting. This could flood many low-lying places and islands.
How can we reduce the effects of Global Warming?
Here is a list of things that, if followed, will save the country: -
- Reduce the use of fossil fuels and try and use alternative sources of energy.
- Cut down the use of cars and use public transport to its fullest.
- Energy pricing – use taxes to price fuels high so that people don’t use it as much.
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Control deforestation – also keep up planting trees to absorb the carbon in the atmosphere.
If the nation, and on a larger scale, the world, could take note of these things then maybe we can start to stop global warming and the terror that we could face if we carry on like we are.
