Global Warming- Is It The Begginning Of The End-- By Subha Rudra

GLOBAL WARMING- IS IT THE BEGGINNING OF THE END Today global warming has become one of the most serious problem what mankind is facing. First all we must know what global warming actually is. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere (which constitutes the air, water and land). Though many people argue over the theory’s validity, global warming is a subject that affects us all. From the industrial revolution to the Kyoto treaty and the advent of hybrid technology, the topic of global climate change has sparked debate for centuries. And today its not a matter of only debate but it has started to show its effect on us and our environment. Since ancient times, people have believed that human activity could affect the environment. The discovery of past ice ages shows that Earth’s climate is in constant flux and throughout history , scientists have searched for the cause of these changes. Though scientists discovered the greenhouse effect in the late 19th century, the theory of global warming wasn’t accepted as a scientifically proven fact until 1992 when the United Nations(UN) held a conference on Environment and development. Today its causes and implications are known to all of us. Green house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide trap heat in earth atmosphere and resulting in increasing in the temperature of earth Global average surface temperature has climbed to 1.4 degree Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of these in recent decades, according to NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies. The rate of warming is increasing. The 20th century’s last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmth for several millennia, according to climate studies. Recently in a article published by United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) shows for some alarming facts. It says that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850. The immediate effect of these facts is as follows: •

The Arctic is feeling the most. Average temperature in Alaska, west Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate impact Assessment report compiled between 2000 to 2004.

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The ice cap of arctic is rapidly vanishing and the region maybe completely ice-free by 2040 or earlier if this rate of temperature increases continuously. Polar bears then will become historic facts for us.

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Glacier and mountains snows are rapidly melting as a result of which the water level of the ocean and the seas are increasing at an alarming rate.

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Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature, suffered the worst bleaching or die off in response to stress ever recorded in 1998

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Also there seen an upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events , such as wildfires, heat waves, landslides, avalanches, typhoons and strong tropical storms. Recently hurricane Katrina in USA and the ongoing natural calamities in the countries such as Vietnam, Philippines etc.

So it is a high time for us to act now or it will late forever for mankind. It is not the responsibility of a region or country or continent, it is matter of global cooperation and understanding. Steps which can be taken on a global platform are:•

Creating international laws and standard on the industrial emission rate. Instead of putting the blame on each other countries should join together to formulate plans to cut the emission rate.

• Minimizing the use of greenhouse gases at all level. Creating products which are free from Chloro fluro carbon (CFC) gases. •

Improving our transport system. Usage of eco friendly cars and fuel are the need of the hour.

• Careful management of forestry resources are needed to be done in global platform. •

Hazardous waste dumping system must be done in more scientific manner. Dumping of harsh chemical and wastes in seas are a major cause of extinction of many water animals.

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Proper and efficient use of energy is very much needed. Awareness must be created among a common man to big industries in the use of energy.

• Last but not the least plantation of trees, the one of the most important and the most easy way to prevent global warming. Our motto should be that everyone of us must plant atleast one tree. Our planet Earth is the only planet in the universe to have life and such huge bio diversity. So it is our responsibility to protect our home i.e. our planet earth. Steps should be taken on a large scale basis as early as possible because it also the matter of our own survival because if the doom day comes we have no where to run from our home- the planet earth.