The earth is covered with a thin layer of gases called the atmosphere. The light from the Sun enters the atmosphere and is reflected back into space. The greenhouse gases such as CO2, Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) trap a portion of these outward—bound heat waves, thus, resulting in a hike of the Earth’s global temperature. We are considering that only carbon dioxide makes the Earth’s temperature rise. On the other hand not only CO2, but there are many other gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and major chlorofluorocarbons (F11 and F12) which is produced from industrial, agricultural, automobiles and energy—generating sources that can also cause the Earth’s temperature to rise. In the past few years, various human activities like the burning of fossil fuels and enhancement of the industrial sector have boosted the level of CO2 in our atmosphere. The greenhouses absorb and emit infrared (heat) radiation. Because temperature decreases with height in the Earth’s troposphere, increasing greenhouse gasses cause emissions to space to arise from higher, colder levels thus reducing radiation to space. This temporary imbalance with incoming solar energy forces the planet to warm until energy balance is restored. “The pre—industrial concentration of CO2 was 280 parts per million. In 2005, that level, measured high above Mauna Loa was 381 parts per million” (Gore 37). As a consequence, the temperature of the Earth has increased tremendously. Due to this swift increase in temperature, the glaciers are melting worldwide. “Almost the entire mountain glaciers in the world are now melting, many of them quite rapidly” (Gore 48). An annual study of glaciers in nine mountain ranges across five continents has confirmed that they receded by an average of 0.6 meters in 2005 alone. Moreover, in 2005, 27 glaciers had suffered a loss of over 3 meters of ice each. These include Sarennes Glacier in the French Alps and Colombia and Yawning glaciers in the United States. The average loss of the glaciers since 1980s is nearly 10 meters but statistics are expected to get worse when the figures for year 2005 were collected. Furthermore, in India, the Himalayan Glaciers act as a source of water supply to northern India which means distinction of these glaciers will leave northern India without any water supply (Jowit).
In addition, the melting of glaciers is causing a decrease in the land mass on the Earth. As the glaciers melt, frozen rivers change into the form of water that runs down to seas and oceans. As a result, the level of water in the oceans rises. “Many residents of low—lying Pacific Island nations have already had to evacuate their homes because of rises seas” (Gore 186). The increase in the level of water of oceans generates a threat of floods and moreover, causes soil erosion. Hence, land is decreasing as water in occupying more and more space. According to IPCC, during the next century, sea level rise could convert as much as 33 % of the world’s coastal to open water. An Environmental Protection Agency report to Congress estimated that a 2 foot rise in sea level could eliminate 17-43% of United States wetlands (United States). If this trend continues, water will occupy all of the land which will most likely result in extinction of human life from the Earth. It is also mentioned that “the mean sea level has been projected to rise in the 21st century as results in global warming” (Raper and Braithwaite). It also emphasize that the projector of sea level change depends on estimated future greenhouses emissions and on differing models. The sea level is expected to rise to 0.387m by 2100. The largest contribution to sea level is estimated from thermal expansion, the melting of glaciers and the icecaps (Raper, and Braithwaite).
We can pursue various measures to control the melting of glaciers. The primary cause of this delicacy is global warming. Human activities gave rise to this and they can only decrease it. One of major sources of greenhouse gases is the smoke from factories and power plants. These plants and factories cannot be banned as they provide us with necessities required for a living and they are the source of employment for a large number of people. New methods to generate energy must be introduced, for example, hybrid technology that curtails the burning of fossil fuels to a great extent. Instead of spending money on weapons, government of all the countries should collaborate it and use it to regulate wildly increasing global warming. In the Meantime, we should try to lessen the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. First, we all should try to use public transportation rather that their individual cars as it will produce less carbon. Second, we should use paper material instead of plastics as decomposes whereas plastics are to be burned to destroy that produce CO2. Third, we should stop cutting down and burning tress; instead we should plant more as they inhale CO2 and purify the air.
In conclusion, melting of glaciers is ‘a canary is a coalmine’, that is an indicator of a serious problem, in this case, the serious problem in the destruction of the Earth. We, the people live here, it is our home so it is our duty to protect it. If nothing is done, the glaciers will soon disappear causing a high increase in levels of oceans which will result in large parts of continents underwater. So, we should step forward before the situation gets destructive and unmanageable.
Works Cited
Dyurgerov, Mark. “Mountain Are at Risk for Extinction”. University of Colorado. Institute of Arctic Research (2002).
Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. New York, Emmaus: Rodale Books, 2006.
Jowit, Juliette. “Speed of Melting Glaciers’ destruction revealed”. The Observer January 2007:7. Academic Search Premier. Lexis Nexis. City University of New York Library, 9 October 2007 http://web.lexis-nexis.com/.
Khalil, M.A.K. “Non—CO2 Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere”. Annual Review of Energy & the Environment 24.1 (1999):645-662.
Raper, Sarah C.B, and Braithwaite, Rojer J. “Low Sea Level Rise Projection from Mountain Glaciers Icecaps under Global Warming”. Nature 439 (2006): 311-313.
United States. Environmental Protection Agency. “Coastal Zones and Sea Level Rise”. 9 October 2007. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/index.html.
