Global Warming

1. Introduction Global warming refers to warming of the earths atmosphere because of increases in the concentrations of one or more of the greenhouse gases primarily as a result of human activities. 2. Causes of global warming Global warming is a result of the greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases, being lighter than air, naturally rise up the outer limits of the earths atmosphere and then settle there, creating an impenetrable barrier that traps heat from being able to escape into space, holding it hostage within our environment and warming the temperature in the process. There are many sources of greenhouse gases which include; Carbon Dioxide from Power Plants: Nearly 40% of our carbon dioxide emissions come directly from the process of burning fossil fuels in order to generate electricity. Of that almost 40% of our CO2 emissions directly attributed to generating power, over 90% of it comes from the burning of coal. Coal emits 25% more carbon per unit of energy than oil and 70% more carbon than natural gas. Carbon Dioxide from Automobiles: Approximately 1/3 of the carbon dioxide emissions released into our environment comes from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of automobiles, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, trucks and of course, motor sports. As motor sports (racing) continue to grow in popularity, the huge amount of fuel being used continues to grow annually. Just NASCAR alone, which is only one of numerous racing associations, admits that it burns over 1 million gallons of gas per year when you combine the gasoline used for the racing, trials, practice runs, etc. That doesnt even take into account the gas spent traveling, hauling the cars, equipment, team and tools for each car back and forth to the track Carbon Dioxide from Airplanes: The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that aviation currently is responsible for just under 5% of global warming and that the figure could very well rise to approximate 15% by the year 2050. Carbon Dioxide from Buildings: Scientists claim that something so very mundane as the regular maintenance, temperature control and cleaning of buildings structure actually account for nearly 12% of carbon dioxide emissions. Methane: Carbon dioxide is not the only Greenhouse Gas that the planet is contending with these days. While carbon dioxide may be primary greenhouse gas, methane actually is 20 times more effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the earths atmosphere. Emissions of methane released into our atmosphere have risen 145% in the last 100 years. Methane naturally occurs as part of the biological processes behind everything from bovine flatulence to the organic bacteria and sulfurs commonly found in bogs, springs, and wells. Methane is a natural form of gas that is released in rice paddies as well as the composting and decomposition of organic matter. However, methane gas is also released during the processing and preparation of fossil fuels.

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Water Vapor: Believe it or not, something as natural and simple as water vapor, is the most prevalent and effective greenhouse gas on the planet. But, much of the cause behind its increasing levels entering the atmosphere is due to already increased global warming that has taken place, due to increased levels of Carbon dioxide, methane as well as other greenhouse gases. Water vapor is responsible for 2/3 of the heat currently trapped in the Earths atmosphere by all greenhouse gases. The hotter the atmosphere gets, the higher the level of relative humidity which holds the heat in even better. Nitrous Oxide: Yet another of the infamous Greenhouse Gasses, Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a colorless, non-flammable gas with a slightly sweet odor. Most commonly known as laughing gas and used as a medical anesthetic, nitrous oxide is naturally produced by oceans and rainforests. Nitrous oxide is naturally broken down in the atmosphere through chemical reactions that occur with sunlight. Some of the most prevalent man-made sources of nitrous oxide are agricultural fertilizers, nylon, catalytic converters and nitric acid, along with the burning of organic matter. Deforestation: According to National Space Agency, besides, human caused carbon dioxide emissions released into the environment, deforestation actually now is the 2nd most prolific cause of atmospheric CO2 influx. Deforestation is responsible for nearly of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere. The planet cuts and burns nearly 34 million acres of trees each year, including millions of acres of rainforest, equal to the size of the entire country of Italy. The process of deforestation is doubly dangerous for the planet, because not only are we adding millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, but we are also wiping out the most effective cleansers of that deadly CO2 gas, the trees and plants that naturally thrive by consuming the carbon dioxide and offering up pure, clean, breathable oxygen as a free byproduct of the plant life cycle. Melting Permafrost: Permafrost is the frozen soil throughout the arctic and sub-arctic regions, that contain all kinds of organic matter such as all kinds of frozen plants and animals that have been frozen solid and held inert for 30,000 years. Approximately 25% of the land mass of the Northern Hemisphere is permafrost, or soil with a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) or less. 3. Effects of global warming Global warming will have effects on;

a) Agriculture
It affects agriculture in two ways; by fertilization effect of carbon dioxide and also the climate changes which will affect growth and yield of plants. The changes that occur to agriculture are as a result of rainfall and temperature. Decreases in crop yields will occur due to heat stress and decreased soil moisture as well as related problems of soil erosion and drought. It also causes the growth of weeds due to carbon dioxide fertilization effect. When crop yields fall then there are increased prices and this has economic impact on consumers. It may also cause an increase in sea level which could result in salinization of ground water which will have an effect in agriculture and the water supply.

b) Health
Global warming causes an increase in mortality rates arising from coronary heart disease and stroke increases at the extreme cases. Severe air pollution affects those suffering from respiratory heart problems such as asthma and those severe effects may cause death. It may also cause flooding of certain places due to rise of sea level. This can cause death directly and indirectly through disease.
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c) Ecosystem
Global warming causes climate changes which enhance the risk of extinction and therefore loss of biodiversity. This is because warming causes temperatures to rise for example average changes in the temperatures of 0.1 to 1.0 oC per decade exceeds by factor of 100 to 1000 the capacity of natural communities to migrate. This extinction will result in habitat, predator-prey relationships and physiological factors. These results into pole ward migration of forests which cause loss of certain species e.g. forest are replaced with savanna.

d) Physical elements
Changes in temperature and precipitation impact geophysical attributes of the catchment areas and can have major implications for land water-interactions. If an area were to receive less precipitation, soil moisture and vegetative cover would be decreased and there would be higher sediment yields to streams and lakes. In addition during the period that precipitation has declined any increase precipitation also causes an increase in erosion and sediment yields. 4. Mitigation measures 1) Turning or transforming the biosphere into a sink through afforestation and re-afforestation which enables uptake of carbon dioxide form atmosphere. The carbon dioxide taken out by growing trees and other forms of vegetation could then offset remaining energy related emissions. 2) Reduction in fossil fuel related emissions beyond that of the 50% scenario should accompany the reafforestation measure. Emissions must be reduced so that a balance between source and sink is achieved and no subsequent rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration occurs. 3) Balance rising emissions of methane and nitrous oxide against the decline of chlorofluorocarbon concentration. By reducing the annual increase in methane and nitrous oxide concentration linearly by 25% of the present day figure balance could be achieved. 4) Elimination of the production of chlorofluorocarbons and all ozone depleting chemicals and avoiding substitute that are greenhouse gases. This can be done by agreeing to global and national limits on greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging industries and countries to meet these limits by selling or trading greenhouse gas emission permits in the market place. This approach stimulates companies to develop new technologies that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and increase their profits. 5) Funding the transfer of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies from developed countries to developed countries.

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List of References Drake. F (2000). Global warming: the Science of Climate Change. Great Britain: Arnold Publishers Jeremy. L (1989). Global warming: the Green Peace Report. New York: Oxford University Press Tyler M.G (1931). Living in the Environment: Belmont Wadsworth