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Global Warming

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Global Warming

The world has been experiencing a rise in temperatures for the past few decades, which is

a major threat to the climate. Industrial growth has been a major contributor to global warming.

For the past 40 years, the world has encountered an increase in temperature by 0.18 degree

Celsius (NRDC.org, 2021). Since 2005, the world has experienced some of the hottest years. If the

situation is not controlled, the world is at risk of facing major climatic changes.

Causes of Global Warming

Global warming arises when harmful gases such as carbon dioxide are collected in the

atmosphere forming a layer that traps solar radiation and sunlight. In normal cases, radiations

from the earth disappear into space causing a cooling effect. However, with the new layer of

gases, the radiations are trapped leading to high heat concentration. The formation of a gas layer

and the trapping of solar radiation are referred to as the greenhouse effect. Apart from carbon

dioxide, other gases causing the problem include nitrous oxide, methane, carbon monoxide, and

synthetic fluorinated gases. The gases are emitted by automobiles and industrial plants.

Excessive use of fossil fuels to power engines has been the major source of greenhouse gases.

Sources of greenhouse gases have been ranked according to their percentage; transportation

29%, electricity production 28%, and industrial activities 22% (NRDC.org, 2021).

Global Warming and Weather Change

Different parts of the world have been experiencing extreme weather that is associated

with global warming. An example is a long drought that occurred in California in 2015. The

drought led to the worst water shortage in the region was last encountered in over 1200 years ago

(NRDC.org, 2021). Another weather effect that has developed is increasing ocean temperatures
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which translates to tropical storms building more energy. That is, a category 3 storm is now

easily converted into a category 4 storm that is very dangerous to the environment once it hit.

The change has been faced in North Atlantic, where hurricanes have increased their frequencies

for the past 3 to 5 decades. Other effects include disappearing glaciers, rising sea levels, heavy

rains, forest fires, allergies and asthma, and disruption of animal habitats.

Controlling Global Warming

People should cut off using fossil fuels and use alternative sources of energy such as

renewable energy. The types of energies are called green energy and they are derived from

water, wind, or sun (Al‐Ghussain, 2019). Firms should invest in buying solar panels that convert

solar radiation to energy or solar-powered cars that are directly charged by the sun. Besides,

people should adjust their methods of handling waste such as plastics and chemicals. Burning the

wastes emits harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide that lead to the greenhouse

effect. Instead of burning, waste materials should be recycled or reused, which will protect the

environment from harm. Additionally, people should invest in planting more trees in their

compounds. The initiative will help reduce the number of harmful gases that are released into the

atmosphere. Trees and other vegetation use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and they

release oxygen, which is harmless when released into the atmosphere.

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References

Al‐Ghussain, L. (2019). Global warming: Review on driving forces and mitigation. Environmental Progress

& Sustainable Energy, 38(1), 13-21.

NRDC.org. (2021). Global Warming. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101