English

Running Head: GLOBAL WARMING 1

Global warming

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Date of submission

Introduction 3

Causes of Global Warming 4

Primary causes 4

Carbon dioxide from combustion of gasoline 5

Methane produced by animals 6

Secondary causes 7

Deforestation 7

Increased use of chemical fertilizers 7

Effects of global warming 8

Rise in sea levels 8

Increased intensity of storms 8

Crop failures and starvation in future 9

Extensive extinction of species 10

Disappearance of coral reefs 10

Conclusion 11

References 12

Appendices 13

Global warming refers to the observed and extended increase in the earth's normal and regular temperatures of the atmosphere and water bodies especially the oceans and seas. The problem of global warming has resulted to various negative ramifications affecting humankind. The problem of global warming was mainly addressed with a core purpose to come up with mitigation measures on how to reduce it. This topic of global warming has various limitations because there are no sufficient relevant sources on the subject and the available sources are preserved. This issue requires intensive research mainly by experts in the field of science, this kind of the investigation requires a lot of expenditures. Expenses include cost and time required to complete an important study. Global warming was experienced in the 20th century when the earth's normal temperature rose by 0.60 Celsius from the average temperature of oceans and the atmosphere.

Global warming distracts the average living conditions since the temperatures increase to extreme limits. Global Warming depletes the Ozone layer which is meant to protect human being from the effects of direct rays of the sun. The Ozone layer is very significant and needs to be preserved to avoid the effects of direct sunshine which causes sunburns on human skin (see Appendix 2). It is clear that global warming has been increasing to a greater extent since the 18th century. The core reason behind this tremendous increase is the new developments in technology and setting up of industries. Industries emit dangerous gasses from burning fossils fuels, gasoline hence producing carbon dioxide which depletes the Ozone layer which is purposely meant to shield the earth from direct sunshine. This paper discusses the various causes and effects of global warming and recommends means and ways that this problem can be regulated to enhance comfortable living.

Causes of global warming are divided into two segments; primary and secondary causes. The segmentation is necessary because it enables scientist and the state at large to evaluate which of the causes to regulate first. It is a majorly human influence that has resulted in 50% increase in global warming over the years from the 18th century to 20th century.

Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants using fossil fuels as a source of energy

In recent years most of the power plants in the U.S have adopted to the use of coal as a source of energy to produce electricity. Coal is a non-renewable energy, and therefore it emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, coal alone contributes to 93% of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere. Coal is not only dependent on producing energy for personal use but commercial use as well and hence the amount of coal needed for combustion is high. Electricity production contributes to global warming because 40% of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere comes from power plants (Casper, 2010). Industries need to shift from this method of producing electricity because the burning of coal is highly dangerous considering the amount of Carbon dioxide it emits. A lot of Companies have been set up to produce electronic gadgets, and therefore the level of consumption will continue to increase in the coming years hence demanding more power production. The state should shift from the combustion of coal and seek other environmentally friendly means of power production since the country is becoming more dependent on electricity.

This source of energy is responsible for 33% of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. A lot of people are purchasing cars due to the modern car culture and the increased need for internationally sourced goods. The more the population is increasing, the more the demand for cars for transportation and manufacturing hence increased use of fossil fuels such as gasoline. This increased demand for cars will highly affect the atmosphere due to increased emission of carbon dioxide leading to global warming. It is impossible to regulate how people purchase cars. Therefore, the state should adopt ways to mitigate the effects accompanied by fossil fuels combustion (Wood, 2005).

Methane is among the dangerous greenhouse gasses with strong effects on the atmosphere. Methane is commonly emitted when anaerobic decomposition occurs, this kind of decomposition occurs when there is insufficient oxygen to break down organic matter. Anaerobic decomposition occurs in cases like rice paddies whereby organic matter is broken down by bacteria in oxygen-starved conditions. Methane is also produced in the bodies of herbivores animals whenever they break down the food they consumed under insufficient oxygen. Anaerobic decomposition mainly occurs in their intestines hence leading to the emission of methane which leads to global warming. The rate of global warming caused by methane emission is increasing tremendously due to the increment in the total quantity of concentrated livestock production. There is a compound of methane in the Arctic seabed called methane clathrate, and it normally contains high levels of Methane. The rate of global warming increases whenever methane escapes where it was trapped in the ice. Methane follows carbon dioxide regarding effects it causes leading to global warming. However, it's emission are from natural causes and hence difficult to mitigate.

Cutting down of trees for wood and fuel are among the primary reasons why people practices deforestation. Forests are important to our daily lives because they are responsible for the removal of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, people consider the commercial use of forest to be more significant as compared to its environmental. Forests have commercial uses such as the production of paper products, use of tropical forest lands for their commodities such as oil and wood. Deforestation affects the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in two major ways. The first effect is that deforestation leads to reduced removal of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while the second is that deforestation releases a lot of carbon dioxide that the trees had stored. This two effects of carbon dioxide result to global warming because there will be fewer trees to capture the amount of carbon dioxide as well as store it.

A lot of farmers in this era are opting to use chemical fertilizers on their croplands as compared to the traditional use of manure. This increased use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in increasing in global warming because they create dead zones in the water bodies especially the oceans. Nitrogen fertilizers highly affect the rate of heat storage of farmlands as compared to carbon dioxide hence leading to runoff of excess fertilizers. The use of chemical fertilizers also affects human health via the water they consume; this is because excess fertilizers rich in nitrate absorb into the ground water contaminating it. Human beings should reduce the activity of cutting down trees to mitigate global warming and its adverse effects.

The increase in temperature leads to melting of ice sheets which later cause a substantial increase in sea levels. Global warming leads to the melting of ice sheets in the East coast of the U.S leading to an increase in sea level which displaced millions of people. The Antarctica and Greenland are among the countries which have suffered this adverse effect of global warming. An increase in sea level is very dangerous because it displaces people while destroying their original habitats (Haldar, 2011).

It has been proved recently by scientist that global warming is responsible for the increased occurrence of killer storms. Hurricanes and cyclones are more severe in the 20th century as compared to the way they were in the 18th century and beyond. The wind speed of tropical cyclones has increased with global warming respectively since early 19th century; this is because of the increase in ocean temperatures. The increase of ocean temperatures caused by global warming is responsible for the severity of storms like hurricanes and cyclones. Storms were not severe as they recently are this is because the ocean temperatures were low hence regulating the wind speeds of tropical cyclones.

Research shows that global warming individual results to the death of 300, 000 deaths annually worldwide. Future predictions show that the climate will change within 100 years living people with no choice but to move their families to milder climes. There are high chances that global warming will affect a total of 3 billion people of the total population due to desertification and its related effects. The climate will change in the future due to deforestation hence affecting crops and water supplies (Houghton, 2009). Global warming will cause people to live in the polluted environment due to water shortages that lead to poor drainage. The ecosystem will be unstable considering that water is essential for sustenance. All these effects of global warming will lead to one core outcome which is economic underdevelopment. Economic development will be hindered because the government will focus on mitigating food shortage rather than promoting growth.

The increase in temperature caused by global warming had already led to the distinction of valuable species like dinosaurs, and research shows that more than a million species will be extinct by 2050. Diversity population of species is very essential because it promotes the tourism sector hence earning the economy revenue crucial for development. The first extinction was the Holocene which started at the end of the last ice age causing the extinction of almost all of the megafauna animals. This Holocene extinction was primarily caused by the increase in human population and their expansion. The climate change which is likely to occur due to global warming is a significant threat to a lot of species surviving on Earth since their habitats will be destroyed. The list of endangered species is increasing becoming significant due to deforestation that destroys their habitat and source of food.

Coral reefs population is likely to vanish due to the increased temperatures in the ocean as well as the increase in acidity caused by excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The increase in sea temperature is very dangerous to the ocean and its entire ecosystem because it bleaches the corals (Ward, 2016). There are a lot of species living in the ocean which highly indeed on coral reefs for their survival, therefore disappearance of coral reefs will highly affect the ocean ecosystem. The increase in temperature and acidification of water bodies especially the ocean will result in the disappearance of coral reefs within the next 50 years.

Table 1: increase in temperature in degree Celsius in the last 150 years

Table 1: increase in temperature in degree Celsius in the last 150 years

It is evident that global warming is a serious factor that is treating not only animal prosperity but humans too. Global warming needs to be mitigated to a certain level to avoid the above-discussed effects. The state is required to develop laws and regulations which restrict industry practices that cause global warming. Industries should adapt to renewable sources of energy for energy production. Coal and other nonrenewable sources of energy are not environmentally friendly and hence should be restricted. The state also needs to fund scientists so that they can undertake research on ways to mitigate global warming and its accompanying effects. Apparently, research in this field is not complete due to insufficient funds. A lot of resources should be allocated purposely to scientists who will aid the world to understand on means of saving its prosperity. A program should be started with a core purpose of replacing non-renewable energy with renewable energy since it is more environmentally friendly and does not emit hazardous gasses to the environment. It is clear that most of the causes of global warming are due to human influence and therefore it is the human kind to save its generation. Farmers should adopt to the historically known human manure to avoid contaminating water bodies. There is also need to opt for other sources of paper and wood products other than cutting trees, this is because only trees can 100% be able to reduce carbon dioxide level from the atmosphere.

Casper, J.K.(2010). Changing Ecosystems: Effects of global warming. New York: Infobase Pub

Wood, W. W (2005). Global warming: A natural phenomenon, not manmade.Victoria, B.C: Trafford

Houghton, J.T, (2009). Global warming: The complete briefing. Cambridge University Press.

Ward, P.L (2016). What causes global warming? Greenhouse gasses or ozone layer depletion?

Haldar, L. (2011). Global warming. The causes and consequences. New Delhi Mind: Melodies

Appendix 1

Information regarding the increase in temperature discussed in table 1 was retrieved from a report published by Nature. The report indicated how temperature has been increasing tremendously in the past 150 years hence resulting in global warming.

Table 1: increase in temperature in degree Celsius in the last 150 years

Appendix 2

Fig 1: A graph showing increase in earth’s temperature (0C) since the 18th century to 20th century retrieved from Nature

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Date: December 29, 2016