Global Warming

Have you ever wondered about your one and only planet and we love to call it as 'home'. Our earth is suffering from global warming and our earth is heating up increasingly with the passage of time.  I feel that it is mandatory for all of us to be aware of the term 'Global Warming'. Have you ever think what is global warming?

Global Warming

 Global Warming:

Sunlight is composed of a range of radiant energies known as the solar spectrum, which includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, X-ray and gamma rays. When the sun radiations come down and reach our earth's atmosphere, some of the energy are reflected back into space by clouds and other particles which exist in atmosphere. About 50 to 60% of the sun's energy, mostly in the form of visible light, passes through the atmosphere to reach earth's surface.

The sun's radiation that is absorbed by earth's surface becomes heat energy in the form of long wave infrared radiation and this energy is released back into the atmosphere. Gases in the atmosphere including water vapours, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane absorb this infrared radiant heat, temporarily preventing it from dispersing into space. As these gases heat up, they, in turn, emit infrared radiations in all directions. Some of the heat returns back to earth to further warm the surface in what is known as greenhouse effect and some of this heat is eventually released to space.

How global warming occurs

The heat trapping gases in the atmosphere behave like the glass of a greenhouse. They allow much of the sun's rays in but keep most of that heat from directly escaping. That why the reason they are called greenhouse gases. Without these gases, heat energy absorbed and reflected from earth's surface would easily radiate back out to space, leaving the planet with an inhospitable temperature close to -19 degree C, instead of the present average surface temperature of 15 degree C.

Who is responsible for causing Global Warming ?:

Now, what do you think who contribute to global warming caused by greenhouse effect? We, the human. As we believe that green house effect is an essential environmental prerequisite for life on earth, but the problems begin when human activities distort and accelerate the natural process by creating more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Following are the factors responsible for global warming.

1. Burning natural gase, coal and oil including gasoline for automobiles engines raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
2. Deforestation habits by humans. Deforestation contributes to global warming.
3. Some farming practices and the land use changes increase the level of methane and nitrous oxide.                     
4. Dangerous gases released from factories. Some factories produce long lasting industrial gases that do not occur naturally , contribute significantly to the enhance green house effect and global warming that is currently under way.
5. Population growth is another one of the major factors in global warming, because as more people use fossil fuels for heat, transportation and manufacturing, the level of greenhouse gases continues to increase. As more farming occurs to feed millions of new people, more greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.

Currently, carbon dioxide accounts for more that 60% of the enhanced greenhouse effect, caused by the increase of greenhouse gases and the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing by more than 10% every 20 years.

Today the earth's temperature in increasing at an unprecedented speed. During the entire 20th century, the average global temperature increased by about 0.6 degrees Celsius.  Scientists have estimated that by the year 2100, the average global temperature will increase by 1.4 degrees to 5.8 degrees Celsius.

Is global warming remotely plausible:

The changes of gases occur in the atmosphere and which lead to warm our earth, also influence our earth's climate. It is mostly effected by the first some miles of the atmosphere which contains most of the things and gases making up the atmosphere. The author Bill McKibbin wrote in his book 'The End of Nature'. He tells about his walking three miles to get food from his cabin. He soon realised that he had make a journey a distance equal to that of the layer of the atmosphere where all actions of our climate contained. In reality, if you think to view earth from the space, the principal part of the atmosphere would only be about as thick as the skin on an onion. Discovering this fact can make it more plausible to assume that humans can change the climate.  

Efforts to Control:

So, I agree that this is we, as a human being, who can take the most effective steps to reduce the long term effects of 'Global Warming.'  Our governments, nations and all citizens can reduce this vulnerable cause by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy, expanding forests and making lifestyle choices that help to sustain the environment.

 I will discuss more about global warming and about how much the greenhouse gases  we have increased and how?