Global warming: a human impact Essay

According to Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, global warming was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824 and investigated quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896 and is stated as the warming of planet’s surface due to â€Å"emission of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases. † Thus global warming can be described as an increase in average temperature of the earth’s surface air and oceans in recent times and its predicted continuation. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted a rise in temperatures by 1. 1 to 6. 4 ° C i. e. , 2. 0 to 11. 5 ° F between 1990 and 2100. The global average atmospheric temperatures near the earth’s surface rose from 0. 74  ± 0. 18 ° C i. e. , 1. 3  ± 0. 32 ° F in the last century. The general scientific opinion prevailing on the climatic change is that â€Å"most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. † Certain human activities such as burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and agricultural activities result in release of green house gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Natural phenomenon such as solar temperature variations and volcanoes too had an impact on global warming. This rise in global temperatures has serious implications such as rise in sea levels, changes in pattern of precipitation thus leading to droughts, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes and ice shelf disruption such as the Larsen Ice Shelf. Other implications could be variations in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduction in summer stream flows, extinction of species and increase in the range of disease vectors. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) stated that global warming could also lead to â€Å"deadly heat waves and spread of disease. † Extreme heat waves in 2003 caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and over 1500 deaths in India. Dengue fever virus carrying mosquitoes survived previously at an altitude of 3,300 feet but recently they were found at 7,200 feet in Andes Mountains of Colombia, similarly malaria was detected at higher altitudes in Indonesia. Disease-carrying mosquitoes are spreading as climate shifts allow them to survive in formerly inhospitable areas. Mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever viruses were previously limited to elevations of 3,300 feet but recently appeared at 7,200 feet in the Andes Mountains of Colombia. Malaria has been detected in new higher-elevation areas in Indonesia. Wikipedia the free encyclopedia stated that more than 160countries signed the Kyoto Protocol an international agreement to combat global warming. The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the countries ratifying this protocol are committed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and five other green house gases. Developing countries such as China and India which rank second and third largest CO2 behind the US are exempted from meeting the emission standards in this protocol. Increase in CO2 leads to its dissolution in ocean water and forming carbonic acid resulting into ocean acidification meaning a change in pH of ocean waters and consequently a total change in the eco-balance leading to disappearance to certain species of living forms in the ocean. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), simple measures such as usage of renewable sources of energy like sunlight, wind, wave energy and replacement of decade old coal burning power plants with cleaner and efficient ones would curb the global pollution and help in reducing carbon dioxide pollution positively. Concluding the paper I would like to state that sincere efforts are required to made by the governments in countries like the US, China, India and Japan to minimize pollution with the help of governmental and non-governmental organizations for a better life to future generations. Works Cited Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Global warming (2007). Page retrieved on March 8, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Global_warming Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Kyoto Protocol (2007). Page retrieved on March 8, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol Natural Resources Defense Council. Global Warming Basics (2007). Page retrieved on March 8, 2007 from: http://www. nrdc. org/globalWarming/f101. asp Natural Resources Defense Council. Consequences of Global Warming (2006). Page retrieved on March 8, 2007 from: http://www. nrdc. org/globalWarming/fcons. asp.