SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

Introduction
One of the biggest problems facing the world today is global warming.
Is global warming really happening? Most scientists believe so, and if
something is not done quickly then it may be too late to save the planet.
People ask many questions when dealing with global warming. What are
the causes of global warming? How will global warming affect our lives?
Which areas are most at risk? How can global warming be stopped? If
global warming cannot be stopped, the biggest question becomes, how long
will we be able to live on earth until it becomes uninhabitable for us? Global
warming represents an important issue that we must learn as much about
as possible. If we ignore the progressing problems, devastating
consequences will surely occur.

Defination
Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature
on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes, droughts
and floods are getting more frequent. Over the last 100 years, the average
temperature of the air near the Earth´s surface has risen a little less than 1°
Celsius (0.74 ± 0.18°C, or 1.3 ± 0.32° Fahrenheit).

Does not seem all that much? It is responsible for the conspicuous increase in
storms, floods and raging forest fires we have seen in the last ten years,
though, say scientists.
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

The causes of global warming

The concern about global warming is devastatingly real. The
twentieth-century recorded the highest temperatures in one thousand years
and the last two decades were the hottest of the 1900s. Why is this
happening? The reason for the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
results from human beings. According to Beth Daley, “Scientists from more
than 110 countries… are more that 90 percent certain that humans are the
main reason for the world’s recent temperature rise” .
The emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere functions as
the main cause of global warming. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases enter the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal,
oil, and gasoline. At the same time, power plants that supply energy to
houses, business, and automobiles, release carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. According to Dianne Feinstein, a member of the Senate
Energy Committee, “carbon dioxide does not dissipate in the atmosphere.
It stays there for at least five decades…”. This means that the carbon
dioxide emitted now will not dissipate until at least the year 2057. As a
result of the long duration needed to eradicate carbon dioxide, the amount
of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere needs to be reduced
drastically and quickly. If not, it may be too late to save the planet.
Over the past 100 years, mankind has been burning increasing
quantities of fossil fuels (such as coal and oil) to provide energy. This has
released large volumes of a number of gases into the atmosphere,
particularly CO2. At the same time, the world's remaining large forests -
which help absorb CO2 - are being rapidly destroyed by commercial logging
and to make way for farm land. Overall, the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere
have increased by 30% over the last century. When in the atmosphere, CO2
and other gases are thought to lead to a 'greenhouse effect': they allow
sunlight to pass through, but absorb heat emitted by the earth, trapping it
and leading to global warming. Weather records seem to support this theory.
Average temperatures have increased by up to 0.6°C since the 19th century;
the four hottest years since accurate records began have all been in the last
decade. Unusual weather patterns such as floods and droughts have also
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

been on the increase, with the uncharacteristically strong El Niño events of

recent years causing widespread disruption. The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), an international body set up to study possible global
warming, has concluded that "... the balance of evidence suggests that there
is a discernible human influence on global climate."

The effects of global warming

Global warming is accelerating rapidly. Already, many countries,
ecosystems and people are suffering from its impacts. Global warming has
affected our weather patterns and disrupted our variability and trends in
climate. This is resulting in an increase in climate related extreme events like
heavy rainfall, flood, cyclone, storm surge, etc. These claim thousands of
lives, destroy billions of dollar worth of properties, and disrupt livelihoods of
hundreds of millions of people.
In 2001, scientists predicted that by the year 2100 the temperatures
would rise between 2.5 and 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit and the ocean levels
would increase between ten and ninety centimeters (one to nine inches). In
a new report released in 2007, scientists predicted that the temperatures
would rise between 3.6 and 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. The
sea level is now predicted to increase seven to twenty-three inches or even
more if the polar ice sheet continues to melt. But according to Beth Daley,
“many scientists have warned that the projections are still too cautious,
arguing that sea level rise could be closer to three to five feet because of ice
sheet melt”. If people remain passive about global warming, huge ice sheets
near the north and south poles will melt in the meantime. When the ice
sheets melt, the oceans could rise over twenty feet, causing massive flooding
in coastal regions all around the world.
The ocean currents may also be affected by global warming causing
substantial problems. Scientists already have evidence of the artic currents
changing and believe it is possible to see this change in the North Atlantic
current. If the North Atlantic current does alter, temperatures in Europe
may drop drastically because the current brings warm water from the south
to Scotland. According to Gregg Easterbrook, “Geological studies show that
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

the North Atlantic current has stopped in the past” and if it stops again,
“Europe might take on the climate of present-day Newfoundland”. This
climate change may cause people to vacate certain regions in Europe,
considerably hurting the world’s economy.
Many ecosystems will be disrupted and destroyed as global warming
continues. Even the smallest changes in an ecosystem can have
tremendous outcomes. Studies on ocean currents show that minor changes
within the current can throw off migration patterns. For example, a few
years ago a pod of whales were found beached over five hundred miles off
their usual migration pattern. More and more of these occurrences are
bound to happen as ocean currents and ecosystems continue to change.
Another effect of global warming is the weather patterns. More
natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and heat waves occur more
frequently now than in the past. At the same time, these events appear
quite severe in contrast to the natural disasters in previous decades.
Scientists posit that the greater intensity of hurricanes results from the rise
in the ocean’s temperature. Similarly, heat waves caused over two-
thousand deaths in Europe and fifteen-hundred deaths in India. In short,
the warmer the planet becomes the greater frequency and intensity of
occurring natural disasters.
The spread of disease and drought function as an example of the
social and economic effects of global warming. Malaria, for example, will
spread in many regions as drought causes a decrease in farmland. Once
the climate gradual changes, due to global warming, some countries will
benefit while others suffer. Poorer countries will not be able to adapt as
easily to changes in the climate as more powerful countries can, thus
creating economic and social hardships for the citizens. The poorer
countries will then suffer a higher mortality rate from diseases because of
their lack of resources.
As the climate continues to change so will the regions that benefit
from it. The entire world’s economy relies solely on climate. For instance,
the regions in which climate change is less extreme may become stronger
and more powerful. The smallest change in climate can disrupt a region’s
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

economy by affecting its agriculture, trade routes, and the type of products
that are sold. Global warming may cause larger climate changes that could
effectively wipe out entire societies.
According to Gregg Easterbrook, “if the global climate continues
changing, many people and nations will find themselves in a possession of
land and resources of rising value, while others will suffer dire losses”. For
example, as temperatures continue to rise many lower latitude regions lose
value for their land while higher latitude latitudes gain value. Easterbrook
believes this could cause a shift in economic power making Canada,
Greenland, Russia, Scandinavia, and the United states more valuable. He
thinks this could have three powerful economic effects:
First, a new global balance of power may emerge in which Russia and
America are once again the world’s paired superpowers. Second, if northern
societies find that climate change makes them more wealthy, the quest for
world equity could be dealt a huge setback. Finally, if climate change
causes developing nations to falter, and social conditions within them
deteriorate, many millions of jobless or hungry refugees may come to the
borders of the favored north, demanding to be let in.
As warming trends continue, many low altitude regions become less and
less bearable, making the value of their land drop while forcing many of
their citizens to migrate north. On the other hand, northern regions, such
as Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia, become more temperate and the
value of their land rises. If global warming continues the entire world will
see an economic power shift.

Bangladesh and Global warming

The impacts of global warming and climate change are worldwide. For
Bangladesh they are most critical as large part of the population is chronically
exposed and vulnerable to a range of natural hazards. Already, the human
suffering and cost to development is massive to this country and its people
who are victims of human induced global warming. Between 1991 and 2000,
93 major disasters were recorded in Bangladesh, resulting in nearly 200,000
deaths and causing US $ 5.9 billion in damages with high losses in agriculture
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

and infrastructure. Since then, the country is experiencing recurring floods

frequently. Climatic hazards, including extremes like floods, cyclones,
tornado, storm surge, tidal bore, etc are not new to Bangladesh and the
country has a scarred history claiming many lives and resulting in losses of
assets, belongings. Some of the worst disasters in terms of mortality have
taken place on this land. In Bangladesh during the past few decades, the
effects of global warming have been evidenced in climate variability, change
and extremes. More adverse impacts are projected for the coming decades,
particularly for low lying coastline and floodplain ecosystems which
characterize Bangladesh.
To understand how global warming and climate change will impact
Bangladesh in future, influence its development aspirations and chart its
roadmap for sustainable development, three considerations are critical. The
location of Bangladesh is in a deltaic plain of a major river basin, making it
susceptible to floods and cyclones. The country is extremely populated in a
small area, and one of the most densely populated in the world. The country
is also very poor and a majority live below subsistence level, making them
already vulnerable. According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2006,
population living on income of less than one US Dollar a day is 36 percent
while 82.8 percent of the population is living on income below two US Dollars
a day.

Solutions for global warming

The key to stopping global warming is to reduce the amount of greenhouse
gases released into the atmosphere. This seems quite simple, does it not?
It is actually much harder than it seems. According to Dianne Feinstein, the
United States account for twenty-five percent of the world’s energy, and its
electricity generation is their largest contributor to global warming at thirty-
three percent. For forty states the main source of electricity is coal. The
United States uses enough coal to release 2.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere each year. In the world, coal produces 9.3 billion tons
of carbon dioxide each year. This makes coal, by far, the largest contributor
to global warming.
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

In order to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through

electricity, the Senate Energy Committee developed a cap and trade
program for all electricity producers. Because of this, gas emissions will
decline. Dianne Feinstein explains how it works:
We would cap the amount of global warming gases, including carbon
dioxide and nitrous oxide and that cap would be established on all major
emitters. The cap would remain at this level for several years to give the
industry the opportunity to make necessary changes. Over time, the caps
would be tightened and emissions reduce. One key element of the bill is
allowing agriculture to participate. Farmers, growers, and foresters will be
able to earn credits for moving to greener farming practices.
The cap and trade program has proven its effectiveness. It was used
under the Clean Air Act during the 1980s. This act came to existence to
reduce the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in the northeast.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide come together and produce acid rain. The
act reduced the emissions of sulfur dioxide by 34% and nitrogen oxide by
43%. This is the first step in reducing the greenhouse emissions and
stopping global warming.
In the United States the second largest contributor to global warming
is transportation, contributing about 28% of the total emissions. Cars,
trucks, and SUVs make up twenty percent of the total emissions. The best
answer to this problem is “to move away from oil and gasoline based fuels
toward alternatives” and improve the fuel efficiently of vehicles”. We have
the technology to do this but the problem stems from some car
manufactures refusal to use these technologies.
These solutions seem like good ones, however, 192 other countries in
the world still need to incorporate their own changes. Unfortunately,
agreement between countries does not often occur. There have been six
international climate conferences in the past nine years and nothing has
been accomplished. “Each country has put its national interests first”. All
around the world, leaders fail to recognize the seriousness of global
warming. For example, in the most recent conference, called the Kyoto
Conference, industrialized countries gave themselves until the year 2012 to
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

reduce their greenhouse emissions by 5.2 percent. Only 33 countries have

signed the agreement when at least 55 countries are needed to enforce it.
Also, none of the countries (already in the agreement) have met their goal.
France has even gone in the opposite direction: Instead of reducing its
emissions, it has raised them by two percent.
Money is a major reason why efforts to stop global warming are slow.
John W. Anderson writes, “Every serious attempt to tackle the greenhouse
effect will have immediate costs, whereas the benefits won’t be apparent for
a long time. To the extent that these potential benefits boil down to a
catastrophe that might not occur, their impact will never be obvious. The
costs, however, are”. Even if every country starts reducing its greenhouse
emissions today, the benefits will not be seen until at least the year 2050.
Each country has its own problems to deal with and some do not want to
invest, or cannot invest money in more efficient energy sources. It might
be possible to reduce greenhouse emissions in specific regions, but it is
nearly impossible to reduce emissions at a global level.

Conclusion
To conclude, global warming represents a serious issue that must be
dealt with to save the planet earth. It is widely believed that humans are
the main causes of global warming because of their non-environmentally
friendly energy sources. The large amounts of greenhouse gases released
into the atmosphere result from power plants, transportation vehicles, and
industrial corporations. These gases cause a rise in the average
temperatures of the entire world.
The effects of global warming range from the melting of polar ice
sheets, to the increase of natural disasters, to the spreading of disease, and
the only way to prevent these events from happening is to address the
problem immediately. The solutions for global warming include passing bills
to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases. It will take an international
effort to stop global warming and if no one can agree on a plan then, quite
possibly, the result will be the destruction of the entire planet’s
environment.
Saniul Islam EEE East West University
SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

References

1. Sociology(Fifth edition), Anthony Giddens.(Page:953-959)

2. http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_global_warming/index.htm

3. www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdf

4. understandingscience.ucc.ie/editorials/April07_Global
%20Warming.doc

5. www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming
.pdf

6. http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_
warming_basics/global_warming_definition.html

Saniul Islam EEE East West University