Global Warming

Definition of Global Warming:

Gradual increase in the earth's surface temperature.

What is global warming?

Basically, global warming is the recent increase in
the average air and ocean
temperature of the Earth as
well

as

continuation.

its

expected

What

is

so

controversial about it is the

actual potential for danger
and its causes. Though natural events like volcanoes
and solar changes have caused small rises in
temperatures

over

time,

many

believe

that

greenhouse gas emissions have a large part in this

and that even if the emission levels stabilize,
temperatures

may

continue

rising

for

another

thousand years or more. It isi projected by the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
that the average global surface temperature will

Global Warming
probably rise another 1.1-6.4 C (2.0 to 11.5 F)
during

this

century.

Right

now

the

average

temperature of the Earth is about 13 C, or 56 F.

Increasing temperatures can lead to rising sea
levels, extreme weather events and changes in
precipitation.

Global

warming

can

also

affect

agriculture and glacier retreat and can facilitate the

spread of disease and the extinctions of species.

Global Warming

Many countries have been working to reduce

greenhouse

gas

emissions

to

prevent

global

warming; some have signed and ratified the Kyoto

Protocol for this purpose. However, others feel that
this is either ineffectual or unnecessary.
Nevertheless, it is important to get the main idea
that the Earth is a precious thing and needs taking

Global Warming
care of. Whether the world is going to get flooded
out or not, we should take action and make decision
for the good of the Earth.
With developed nations like the United States

emitting

the

most

greenhouse

gases,

poorer

countries like Africa are at the greatest risk of the

effects of global warming. Australia suffers because
of the hole in the ozone directly above it. Europe
seems to be more interested in effecting change in

Global Warming
the effects of global warming than the United States
is.
A lot of people are concerned that global warming
may mean the end of the world; some consider it
doomsday. Environmental groups have launched
campaigns to inform people of the possible effects of
global warming.
However, many are trying to downplay the potential
risks associated with global warming. For instance,
fossil fuel organizations like the American Petroleum
Institute and Exxon Mobil have launched campaigns
reducing the bad image of fuel.

Global Warming
CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING:
Global Warming is increasing the earths average
temperature.

The

Green

house gases are the main

culprits of the global
warming.
house

The

green

gases

like

carbon

dioxide,

methane, and nitrous

oxide

are

hazards

in

playing
the

present

times. These green house gases

trap heat in earths atmosphere and thus result in
increasing the temperature of earth. The excessive
emission of these gases is the major cause of global
warming.
The major source of carbon dioxide is the power
plants. These power plants emit large amounts of
carbon dioxide produced from burning of fossil fuels
for the purpose of electricity generation. Coal is the

Global Warming
major fuel that is burnt in these power plants. Coal
produces around 1.7 times as much carbon dioxide
per unit of energy when flamed as does natural gas
and 1.25 times as much as oil. The coal gives out
eighty percent more carbon per unit of energy it
produces as compared to natural gas. Another major
source

of

carbon

dioxide

in

Global Warming

t
he atmosphere is the emission from the cars and
other vehicles.
About twenty percent of carbon dioxide emitted in
the atmosphere comes from burning of gasoline in
the engines of the vehicles. This is true for most of
the developed countries. Moreover if sports bike and
vehicles that are essentially designed for rough

Global Warming
terrain, emit more carbon dioxide when used for
general purpose on roads. It is always better to use
vehicles designed for city driving on the city roads.
Buildings, both commercial and
residential represent a larger
source

of

global

warming

pollution than cars and trucks.

Building

of

these

structures

requires a lot of fuel to be burnt

which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
The second major greenhouse gas after carbon
dioxide, which causes global warming, is Methane.
Methane is more than 20 times as effectual as CO2
at entrapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane is
obtained from resources such as rice paddies,
bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel
manufacture.
Almost in all parts of the
world,

rice

is

grown

on

Global Warming
flooded fields. When fields are flooded, anaerobic
situation build up and the organic matter in the soil
decays,

releasing

methane

to

the

atmosphere.

Nitrous oxide, which is a colorless gas with a sweet

odour, is another green house gas. The main sources
of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid
production, cars with catalytic converters, the use of
fertilizers in agriculture and the burning of organic
matter. Greater emissions of nitrous oxides in the
recent decades are leading globalwarming.

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Global Warming

Another

major

cause

of

global

warming

is

deforestation. Deforestation is to be blamed for 25%

of

all

carbon

dioxide

release

entering

the

atmosphere, by the cutting and burning of about 34

million acres of trees each year. Trees collect the
CO2 that we breathe out and give away from various
other sources, and they give back oxygen that we
breathe in. Thus, cutting of trees is leading to

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Global Warming
greater concentration of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. Greater urbanization, requirement of
land for factories and buildings, requirement of
timber

are

all

reasons

that

are

leading

to

deforestation, which in turn is leading to global

warming.

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Global Warming
Impacts of Global Warming:
Global warming will have serious impacts on the
environment and on society. Higher temperatures
will cause a melting of ice in Greenland and
Antarctica. This will accelerate the rise of sea level.
The speed at which global warming is expected to
occur in the 21st century is faster than most plant
and animal species will be able to cope with. Some

will adapt but others will suffer and may become

extinct.
Global warming will affect agriculture. New crops
will be able to be grown in areas that are currently

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Global Warming
too cold to support them. However, more pests and
diseases

may

offset

any

benefits

higher

temperatures may have. Water resources will also be

affected. Some reservoirs may dry up if temperature

increases, especially if rainfall also decreases. Rising
sea levels may pollute fresh groundwater supplies
with salt water.
Global warming will also affect human health. There
may

be

more

heat-related

illnesses

in

hotter

summers, and increased breathing problems as

higher temperatures increase air pollution in cities,

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Global Warming
reducing air quality. The malaria mosquito may also
be able to spread to other regions of the world
where it is currently too cold to survive and breed.

More extreme weather, for example storms, floods

and droughts will have severe impacts on the
environment and on society. The poorest people in
society will unfortunately be those least able to cope
with

the
impacts of

global

warming.

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Global Warming

PREVENTION OF GLOBAL WARMING

Practical

things

you

can

do

personally to help in the Global

effort

to

save

reducing

our

planet

greenhouse

by
gas

emissions.
Make sure you re-cycle
newspapers, glass bottles, tin
cans,
and
magazines.
Reuse your shopping bag plastic instead of
getting new ones each time you go to the
market.
Place a brick or something heavy into a plastic
bag and place it into your toilet drum. This will
cause it to fill faster and
use

less

water

each

time you flush.

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Global Warming
Donate your unwanted clothes.
Turn off the faucet when you are brushing your
teeth.
Turn off electrical devices (lights, fans,
TV,computers, etc.) when they are not in use.
Use Energy Efficient appliances. They will
save you about a third on their energy bill with
similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions,
without sacrificing features, style or comfort.
Check for leaks (toilets,
irrigation systems, etc.).

faucets,

pipes,

Install a low-flow shower head

Car pool to work or
school if possible.
Ride your bike instead
of driving. Youll get
your
daily
exercise
while youre at it!
Have showers instead of baths.
Plant native and/or drought-tolerant plants.
Some grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees
do not need to be watered as frequently.

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Global Warming
These are just a few things you can do. By
having a conservation awareness mind, you will
find other ways to contribute to the effort of
saving our planet.

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