Environmental Crisis and Global Warming Essay

The world and mankind are facing different critical issues and problems which we inevitably have to deal with. These concerns have great impact to our lives. Everyday people have to remind themselves of these various perils to their existence. The media together with different organizations help us to become more aware of the problems currently on our midst. People may not find it an alarming and serious issue since the danger at the present time is negligible but sooner or later we will come to realize that we really are into serious danger. Global issues are global concerns. It is felt around the world not just on a particular location. It is a world wide issue that needs to be address. There are many types and forms of current global issues that the world has to face. There is the economic crisis felt all over the world. Various health issues that came out as more people get vulnerable to cancer and other forms of illnesses. There is terrorism which is a crisis in peace and order and security. There is also issue on moral degradation of the society. Lastly is the global warming or global climatic change. Even though some believe global warming to be a hoax, severe weather repercussions and environmental crisis prove the opposite. This global warming is an alarming environmental problem on a global scale. Some people still have doubts if the global warming issue is real or is just an imaginary anxiety fabricated by scientist who has predicted it as a serious problem in the near future. There was hundreds of information released about the onset of global warming. Many people have made research and studies to investigate these phenomena. Documentaries are produce to open the minds and inform the public regarding the new findings regarding the problem. A personal observation on our environment and a closer study will help one to discover and learn more about the development regarding the current issue on global warming. Big Picture of the Environmental Crisis Global warming, what does it really mean? What causes global warming? What factors contribute to this problem? And what are the effects of global warming? All of these are the questions frequently asked regarding this global environmental issue. Global warming is commonly known as the warming of the planet cause by the greenhouse gases that trapped the heat. Global warming is also known as global climatic change or global climatic disruption. Global warming resulted from the increase in heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere that causes the amplified hydrological cycle resulting in increased precipitation and flooding in some regions and more severe aridity in other areas. (Woods Hole Research Center, 2008) The phrase â€Å"climatic change† is preferred recently to be use than global warming because it helps convey that there are other changes aside from rising temperatures. Global warming involves the average increase in temperature of the atmosphere near the earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute in global climate patterns. Global warming and climatic change can be caused by a variety of factors, both natural and human-induced. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2008) Ozone layer depletion is oftentimes confused with global warming. Climate change and ozone depletion are different from one another but interrelated issues. Ozone depletion is not the principal cause of climate change and climate change is not the principal cause of ozone depletion. However, ozone depleting gases- such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and halons are greenhouse gases that do contribute to climate change. Ozone itself is a greenhouse gas that has effect on climate. In addition, certain changes in earth’s climate could affect the future condition of the ozone layer. For example, low temperature and strong polar winds both affect the extent and severity of winter polar ozone depletion. (EPA, 2008) The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that helps regulate the earth’s temperature. Greenhouse gases (e. g. , carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons) act like insulating blanket, trapping solar energy that would otherwise escape into space. Without this natural greenhouse effect temperatures would be about 60oF lower than they are now and life as we all know it today would not be possible. However human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forest and industrialization have enhance the natural greenhouse effect, causing the earth’s average temperature to rise. (EPA, 2008) The greenhouse effect was first describes in theoretical terms by a Swedish researcher, Svante Arrhenius, in the late 1800s. However it wasn’t until the following century that Arrhenius’ theory was observed. In the 1930s, scientist realized that parts of the globe had warmed during the previous half-century. Then in early 1960s scientist discovered that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was rising. Researchers began to take interest and found a strong relationship in between the increasing carbon dioxide and average global temperature. (EPA, 2008) Human-induced global climatic change is under way. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) concluded that global mean surface air temperature has increased between about 0. 5 and 1. 1 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 100 years and anticipates a further continuing rise of 1. 8 to 6. 3 degrees Fahrenheit during the next century. Sea-level has risen on average 4-10 inches during the past 100 years and is expected to rise another 6 inches to 3 feet by 2100. (WHRC, 2008) Charts and graphs showed alarming trends. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has increase steadily over the past few years. The increase in the temperature is observed as well as the increase of the sea level. More disturbances in climate patterns have been greater in the previous years. These are environmental changes brought by this problem on global warming. Being Environmentally Conscious What are the ways to be conscious and aware of our impact on earth? People have to find ways or alternative energy resources. In the US for example the energy related activities account for over three quarters of human generated greenhouse emission, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Enhanced energy efficiency is found to be one of the cheapest, most effective and safest ways to reduce global warming. Buildings should practice energy efficiency. Cutting the fuel cost on the road by effective gas mileage will also help. Making home appliances more energy efficient will significantly lessen energy consumption. (wecansolveit. org, 2008) Adoption of renewable resources will help break the addiction to fossil fuels like coal and oil by switching to renewable energy. These include wind power, solar thermal, solar photovoltaics and geothermal power. (wecansolveit. org, 2008) Campaigns like â€Å"Zero Waste for Zero Warming† should also be supported. Landfills were found to be the largest source of methane (CH4) in the US, a global warming gas 23 times more powerful than CO2. Toxic dumps, landfills and incinerators must not be tolerated. People should learn to recycle and avoid littering. We can also use cloth bags as shopping bags to minimize waste. We need to promote green homes and businesses therefore taking monitor of our own carbon footprint. (Global Day Action, 2007) The Outcome If We Don’t Change Things: Who and What Will Be Affected? Severe weather changes will be the outcome if global warming will not be resolve early. These includes climatic change that will contribute to more destructive hurricanes and floods like Katrina, Gustav and Ike that cost millions of damages to property and life. Severe droughts will be experience in other parts of the world, deadly heat waves, wildfires and ocean temperatures rising. It will also affect the precipitation by increasing about 5 percent in atmospheric water vapor over the oceans increasing the risk of heavy rain and snow events. Scientist also predicted that the global average sea level will rise by 7 to 24 inches by 2100 due to thermal expansion alone. Arctic’s average temperature increases are nearly twice that of the rest of the world. The arctic sea ice could virtually disappear during the summer of 2020. Melting of permafrost will continue. This permafrost is ice that has permanently frozen into the ground. The permafrost traps methane and when the melting continues it will release more of it into the atmosphere. Melting due to climate change is expected to reduce the size and extent of the polar ice caps, even taking to account the potential of more snow and ice accumulation atop the ice sheets due to increased precipitation. Temperature changes in the Arctic Circle also cause polar bears to die. Also temperatures below oceans caused destruction of coral reefs. Ecosystems will also be affected because of floods and drought could lead to the risk of extinction for some animals and plant species. Agriculture and farming will also be affected due to weather extremes. Human health will also be greatly affected which will result in increases cases of malaria and dengue outbreak. Heat-related illness and cold related illness will increase. (EPA, 2008). Sandra Steingraber the author of Living Downstream also mentioned that the increase in cancer cases is attributed to environmental influences. The US Climate Policy The United States Federal Government has established a comprehensive policy to address climate change. This policy has three basic objectives namely: slowing the growth of emissions, strengthening science, technology and institutions and enhancing international cooperation. The federal government is implementing this policy through voluntary and incentive based programs and has established major government-wide programs to advance climate technologies and improve climate science. (EPA, 2008) Some of these policies include the national goal to reduce emissions intensity, current and near tem greenhouse gas reduction initiatives, climate change technology program, climate change science program and international cooperation like the IPCC and the Asia Pacific Partnership on Ocean Development and Climate. Action on global warming by cities and local government includes building codes, zoning, transportation systems and electricity production campaigns. These include local regulation requiring newly constructed homes to be more energy efficient, a city or local subsidy to encourage homeowners to install electricity generating solar panels, local regulations requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20% of their electricity from wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources. , changing the city’s or town’s zoning rules to require neighborhoods have a mix of housing, offices, industry, schools and stores close together to encourage walking and decrease the need for using cars among other regulations or local climate change policies. (American Support for Local Action on Global Warming) Conclusion Global warming is a real problem of our times. Some are skeptics and believe it is just a kind of â€Å"hysteria† by some scientists. Even if Al Gore emphasized global warming in his documentary film â€Å"The Inconvenient Truth† many still have doubts if it is real. Nature or what we call â€Å"mother earth† like humans need to be taken care of. It is our responsibility to manage our earth’s natural resources and to preserve our planet making it a livable place. If people will continue to abuse the environment and become careless in throwing toxic waste and emitting toxic gases our planet will eventually come to destruction someday. The predictions may not be far from real for us at the moment but it doesn’t mean we should neglect our responsibility in protecting our environment. There is still time for people to reduce the outcome of this event. People should start thinking seriously on how they can contribute in solving and altering the increasing scenario of global warming. Reference â€Å"American Support for Local Action on Global Warming† (2008) Yale School of Forestry And Environmental Studies. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://environment. yale. edu â€Å"Citizens’ Groups Reject Dirty Waste Technologies, Call For â€Å"Zero Waste for Zero Warming† (2007) Global Day Action Against Waste and Incineration. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://gda. no-burn. org â€Å"Enhance Energy Efficiency† (2008) Solutions-wecansolveit. org. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://www. wecansolveit. org â€Å"Frequent Questions† (2008). Climate Change. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://www. epa. gov â€Å"Global Climatic Disruption- Scientists’ Statement† (1997) Wood Hole Research Center. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://www. whrc. org â€Å"U. S. Climate Policy and Actions† (2008) Climate Change-U. S. Policy. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://www. epa. gov