Global Warming
Global warming is caused by increased temperatures as a result of the release of greenhouse gases which are absorbed into the atmosphere thus blocking the rays of the sun from escaping back out into space. The sun’s rays are thus retained near the surface of the earth thus causing a rise in temperatures which lead to extreme heat that some living things cannot withstand. Global warming is the result of combined effects of human activity and natural variability in the industrial world that is characterized by release of different gases into the atmosphere (Jian-Bin, Huang, et al 1). Global warming threatens the existence of living things on earth due to the negative impacts of the condition. Global warming has led to an increase in the average global temperatures which threatens everything on earth (Lineman, Maurice, et al 3). Some gases that are released to the environment due to industrial activities and human processes are the two main contributors to increasing temperatures. This essay analyzes the causes and impacts of global warming and how the condition can be controlled.
Increasing temperatures as a result of global warming lead to disasters like hurricanes and floods which are becoming more frequent thus leading to the loss of lives. The rise of global temperature is caused by the recent increase in greenhouse gases which have negative effects on living things (Ring, Michael J., et al 401). Green houses gases are not the only cause of global warming but natural factors such as volcanoes and changes in solar irradiance also alter global temperatures.
Over the last century, the average air temperature near the Earth’s surface has increased thus having consequences on living things that cannot withstand extreme conditions (Scafetta 2). The oceans are no longer able to store carbon as they have in the past as a result of the changing weather conditions and thus carbon release in the atmosphere has resulted in increased temperatures. Burning fossil fuels and gasoline raises the level of poisonous gases in the atmosphere which contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming (Venkataramanan 226). Many people have continued to lose their lives as a result of global warming because the condition has increased the number of people suffering from death, disease and injury from heat waves, floods and storms
Global warming is a crisis in the contemporary society because of the negative impacts that the condition would likely result to in the near future. The condition would yield an undefined increasing rate of neurodegenerative disorders in future decades that would have consequences on all living things that are found on the surface of the earth. Heat stress that results from global warming has degenerative effects on neurons which play a crucial role in the bodies of human beings because they control some processes in the human body, for instance, excretion. Interference with neurons as a result of extreme heat can have negative consequences on the wellbeing of animals and other living organisms. Extreme cold as a result of global warming has protective effect on these cells which are found in all body parts of animals. Heat stress due to increasing temperatures might play a crucial role in increasing neurodegenerative disorders that may lead to increased loss of lives (Habibi, Laleh, George Perry, and Morteza Mahmoudi 167). Among the most significant potential impacts of a warming climate are prospects for significant melting of the polar ice caps, and the related phenomenon of rising sea levels. Even if we ceased fossil fuel burning today, the Earth’s surface would continue to warm for decades, and the deep ocean would continue to warm for centuries due to the continued warming that has characterized the earth for the last century (Mann 205).
Global warming also results in the rise in sea level which has negative consequences on living things that are found on the surface of the earth. The rise in sea level that occurs because ocean water expands as it is heated due to extreme heat as a result of global warming and melting of ice on glaciers and polar ice caps. The projected total rise is estimated to be up to one meter this century alone which is a cause of alarm for human beings who are mainly responsible for the increasing temperatures. Research reveals that the rise in temperatures will continue to warm the deep oceans as well as the surface waters for many years to come (Houghton 4). Water is becoming an increasingly important resource for the reason that it is needed in almost all the human and industrial processes on the surface of the earth. A warmer world will lead to more evaporation of water from the surface, more water vapor in the atmosphere and more precipitation on average that will lead to the destruction of some living things that cannot withstand extreme heat. Increased temperatures in the atmosphere leads to increased latent heat of condensation being released.
Global temperatures are increasing from day to day in the industrial world. The expected consequences of global warming include coastal flooding, increases in extreme weather, spreading disease, and mass extinctions (Mudgal 1). Research has revealed that future changes in global temperatures will be regionally dependent and thus showing a lack of consistency in projecting an increase or decrease in the total global number of storms (Pielke Jr, Roger A., et al 1572).
Human beings should reduce the amount of waste that is released to the atmosphere to control global warming and thus control temperatures that threaten their survival. Recycling is one of the practices that should be embraced by human beings to reduce disposal of waste into the atmosphere. Industries that release gases into the atmosphere should also be on the forefront of taking measures that would ensure that the gases are not harmful to the environment. Such industries should recycle waste materials instead of just dumping them in the environment because they pose danger to living things. Punitive laws should also be enacted by the international community to ensure that those industries which contribute to global warming without putting preventive measures in place are punished by having their licenses withdrawn.
Conclusion
Extreme temperatures as a result of global warming would increase the number of people suffering from death, disease and injury from heat waves. Increased heat will overwhelm physical infrastructure and human communities that reside on the surface of the earth thus leading to an inhabitable world if the problem is not controlled. Hot days, hot nights and heat waves have become more frequent thus causing some disorders to human beings that were not common in the recent past. Heat waves are associated with marked short-term increases in mortality because of the extreme temperatures that some human beings cannot withstand.
Works cited
Habibi, Laleh, George Perry, and Morteza Mahmoudi. “Global Warming and Neurodegenerative Disorders: Speculations on Their Linkage.” Bioimpacts 4.4 (2014): 167-170. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
Houghton, John. “Global Warming, Climate Change and Sustainability.” The John Ray Initiative Briefing Paper 14 (2009): 7.
Jian-Bin, Huang, et al. “Debates on the causes of global warming.” Advances in Climate Change Research 3.1 (2012): 38-44.
Lineman, Maurice, et al. “Talking About Climate Change and Global Warming.” Plos ONE 10.9 (2015): 1-12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
Mann, Michael E. “Do global warming and climate change represent a serious threat to our welfare and environment?” Social Philosophy and Policy 26.02 (2009): 193-230.
Mudgal, Abhisek. “Modeling driving behavior at traffic control devices.” (2011).
Pielke Jr, Roger A., et al. “Hurricanes and global warming.” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 86.11 (2005): 1571.
Ring, Michael J., et al. “Causes of the global warming observed since the 19th century.” Atmospheric and Climate Sciences 2.04 (2012): 401.
Scafetta, Nicola. “Climate change and its causes, a discussion about some key issues.” arXiv preprint arXiv: 1003.1554 (2010).
Venkataramanan, M. “Causes and effects of global warming.” Indian Journal of Science and Technology 4.3 (2011): 226-229.