ENGLISH LANGUAGE

FIRST YEAR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

NAME

ACHOL ABEL MANYUON JOK

INDEX NUMBER

4198
 GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is the gradual increase in temperature of the

earth’s atmosphere. Over the past fifty years, the average
global temperature of the earth’s atmosphere has increased at
the fastest rate in the recorded history. Scientists believe the
trend is accelerating and unless this global warming emission is
curbed, temperatures could rise up by 10 degrees Fahrenheit
over the next century.

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air
pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and
absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the
earth’s surface. Normally, this radiation would escape into
space but this pollutants, which can last for years to centuries
in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet/earth to
get hotter. That is what is known as the greenhouse effect.
This can be caused by both humans and natural activities such
as volcanic eruptions. However, scientists believed that the
human activities are the major cause and contributors to this
global climate change. These activities include the followings;

deforestation which is the cutting down of trees in large

numbers. By doing this we are reducing the amount of oxygen
in the atmosphere and increasing the level of carbon dioxide
since trees release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide for
photosynthesis (process by which green plants make their own
food using carbon dioxide and sunlight).

Another activity is industrialization which involves setting up

large manufacturing plants for example factories and nuclear
plants which release harmful gases hence intensifying the
effects of global warming. Other human activities include
transportation and extraction of minerals from the earth’s
surface.

The impact of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-

flung future, the effects of this disastrous global warming are
appearing right now. The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice,
and setting animals on the move. Many people think of global
warming and climate change as one, but scientists prefer to use
“climate change” when describing the complex shifts now
affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems or the
changing climate trends brought about by global warming. In
other word global warming causes climate change but not the
reverse. climate change encompasses not only rising average
temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife
populations and habitants, rising sea levels and a range of other
impacts. All these impacts keep emerging as humans through
their activities continue to add heat trapping greenhouse gases
to the earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists have already documented these impacts of global

warming as caused by human activities; ice is melting
worldwide especially at the earth’s north and south poles. This
includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering west Antarctica,
Greenland and Artic sea ice. In Montana’s glacier National Park,
the number of glaciers has greatly declined to fewer than thirty
from the more than a hundred and fifty back in 1910. Much of
this melting ice contributes to sea level rise. Global sea levels
are rising with an estimation of about 0.13 inches (3.2
millimeters) a year, and the rise is covering a faster rate in
recent years. These sea levels rising can be of great danger to
humans since it brings about disastrous floods.
Rising temperatures are affecting wildlife and like their
habitants. Vanishing ice has challenged some species of animals
like the penguins, polar bears in the Antarctica continent,
where some populations in the western peninsula have
collapsed by ninety percent or more. Other effects could take
place later this century if global warming continues. These will
include hurricanes and storms that are likely to become
stronger.

Less fresh water will be available since glaciers store about

three quarters of the world’s fresh water. This will affect
agriculture since farmers depend on fresh water for plant
growth resulting into food scarcity and famine. Less fresh water
will also threaten some fish species that survive on freshwaters.

Ecosystem will continue to change; some species will move

farther north or become more successful, others such as the
polar bears won’t be able to adopt and could become extinct.
Scientists report that global warming has been escalating since
the Industrial Revolution. Governments are trying to reduce
carbon-dioxide emissions. With the speed of destruction of
Earth’s ecosystem, the survival of many species, including
human beings, is threatened. In order to solve this danger, we
have to reduce the consumption of energy and use the
alternative energy resources. If we calculate the present energy
price, alternative energy must be more expensive than fossil
fuels. However, if we consider the negative price which is
caused by global warming, this result might be different. Now I
would like to propose some solutions:

Reduce the use of fossil fuels; these are natural fuels like coal,
gas formed in geological past from remains of living organisms.
The burning of these fuels release more carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere causing the greenhouse effect as mentioned
earlier.

Find alternative energy which are renewable and have less

carbon emissions. These include solar energy from the sun,
hydroelectricity generated from moving water, wind energy
and other alternatives will ensure human survival through the
21st century and beyond. In these alternative energy resources
one cannot recommend nuclear power as an alternative energy
resource because many people have experienced accidents and
atomic bombs. However, there other alternatives such as wind
power, tidal power, and solar power. Many people believe that
these are expensive. Why not calculate the cost of global
warming into the expense of using fossil fuels? Which is
cheaper? In some industrialized countries, those experimental
power sources have succeeded as profitable solutions. If we
impose taxes on fossil fuels that will match the expenses we are
going to pay to restore our planet, people will be eager to
change their use of fossil fuels to new alternative energy
resources.

Recycle usable resources, in many industrialized nations, they

do not collect bottles, cans and newspapers for the purpose of
recycling. However, this is done in many cities in the united
states. The same thing can be done in other industrialized
nations without hesitations. In some states of the U.S., people
pay five-cent deposit when they buy beer and other beverages.
In order to get the money back, people collect cans and bottles.
Human beings are egoistic: we have to give ourselves some
kind of monetary incentive for this to work.

Planting Trees to help combat global warming. Just as

deforestation causes global warming, afforestation and re-
afforestation reduces it. Trees (forest) have a prolonged effect
on climate. They cool the air through the process of
evapotranspiration; they reduce air pollutants including carbon
dioxide a known greenhouse gas through photosynthesis; and
their dark, dense leaves absorb sunlight that warms the planet.
Green transportation is another good way on how to prevent
global warming from getting worse. You can consider using a
hybrid or electric vehicle instead of a motorbike or car or at
least you can drive less and find out more changes to ride a
bike, walk. Using public transport instead of your personal car
or motorbike also contributes to limit the greenhouse gases on
the air. All these actions can help to limit emitting the
greenhouse gases on the air, one of the main causes leading to
global warning.

Lastly Population control through family planning measures.

The less the human population the less the consumption of
fossil fuels and the less the rate of carbon dioxide emission to
the earth’s atmosphere hence reducing global warming. A
perfect example of a country with population control policies is
china. The country has a one child policy this however, does not
reduce population but reduces the birth rate and later, the
population will naturally go down because the population
growth rate (birth rate minus natural mortality rate) becomes
negative.