Global warming

Global warming

Global warming has become a common term and many people have heard about it but they do not care about it. Even if some people may not have come across the term, everyone has experienced it in one way or another. In essence, global warming refers to the unrelenting increase in standard temperature of the earth. It happens when greenhouse gas traps heat from the sun within the atmosphere of the earth hence leading to increased temperatures (Haley, J. (2002). People should be aware of the activities that they are involved in because most human activities contribute to global warming. Although there are other natural causes of global warming such as volcanic eruptions, mass movement and earthquakes, human activities is the major cause of global warming because of their ignorance. This paper sets out to inform people about what causes global warming, how they can reduce or control it, as well as talk about its negative impacts to the environment.

There are diverse causes of global warming but most of them are contributed by human activities. Human beings contribute to global warming either directly or indirectly. One of the main causes of global warming is fossil and charcoal burning. People clear forest in order to burn charcoal and they burn fossil fuels in order to produce energy (Archer, 2007). In this way, they contribute to global warming without their awareness. Fossil fuels are made out of dead plants and animals. Some of fossil fuels are petroleum, oil and coal. When these are burned, the chemical that pollutes air, land and water is sent to the air thus polluting the environment. This chemical is referred to as green house gas and it is very destructive to the environment.

In addition to this, industrial revolution has been a major cause of global warming. Due to increased population, many industries producing chemical substances, beverages and car manufacturing have led to increased green house concentration in the atmosphere. These industries are developed in order to create employment for the ever-increasing population but the levels of chemical concentration from the industries are quite high. Chemicals from these industries, such as those using petroleum and oil, may be spilt into the land and they may trickle down to the water bodies. These chemicals pollute water bodies making people suffer from water-based diseases such as typhoid. They also choke aquatic animals thus leading to a loss of marine diversity.

The third cause of global warming is deforestation in order to create land for agriculture and settlement. People cut trees without knowing the negative impact that this has to the environment. Maslin (2002) points out that deforestation leaves the land bear exposing it to global warming. He comments that trees help in temperature regulation. Thus, once they have been cut down and the land left bear, soil erosion results that degrades regular land to becoming wasteland. Lack of ascribed value, ignorance and insufficient environmental laws are some of the factors that contribute to deforestation. Deforestation occurs for reasons such as need for charcoal, timber, creation of more settlement and expansion of land for cultivation. However, this does not necessarily mean that people should practice deforestation to an extent of destroying the environment.

People can reduce global warming by planting more trees as well as reducing air pollution. Trees are vital because they are used for diverse domestic purposes such as firewood, medicinal use or for other activities. In order to reduce global warming, there is need to reduce the rate at which trees are cut down, as well as replacing them through replanting others. Practicing sustainable forest practices, which is described as regeneration harvest, is vital. Actually, people should be governors of their environment and ensure that they value their environment the way they value their lives. When people fail to care for the environment, it indicates that they do not care about their health and their lives. When people destroy trees and pollute the environment, they threaten their lives as well as putting the future generation in danger (Haley, 2002).

The major global impact of such human activities is the destruction of ozone layer that protects us from direct and strong heat from the sun. The ozone layer is destroyed when chemical pollutants combine with the potential of causing diverse issues. The destruction of the ozone layer is dangerous because it can lead to loss of people’s lives. It can also damage plants and cause death to animals. There are some chemicals produced when fuel is burned such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide, lead and particulate matter (Houghton, 2006). These chemicals are dangerous especially when inhaled because they cause severe health problems, some of which are fatal. Chemical like NO₂ contributes to respiratory system problems and it can cause acid rain or corrosion of buildings (Maslin, 2002). Sulfur dioxide can cause lung damage and acid rain that damages crops thus contributing to famine. CO causes blood vessel problems and failure of the respiratory system, which it is difficult to treat.

In conclusion, global warming is caused by diverse things. First, deforestation due to expansion of land for agricultural practices and settlement are major contributors to climatic change. Secondly, charcoal and fossil burning in order have also made the situation worse. In addition, development of industries that manufacture various products that human beings use today has led to increased environmental problems. This is because water and land have been polluted thus threatening people’s lives. These activities have led to a constant destruction of the environment and have led to diverse impacts such as loss of properties and health issues thus contributing to death. Human beings can control and reduce global warming through reducing pollution from industries and planting more trees through deforestation programs.

References

Archer, D. (2007). Global warming: Understanding the forecast. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.

Haley, J. (2002). Global warming: opposing viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Houghton, J. T. (2006). Global warming: The complete briefing. Cambridge: Cambridge

Univ. Press.

Maslin, M. (2002). Global warming: Causes, effects, and the future. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur

Press.

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