G lobal warming is the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide emissions from burning of fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. Greenhouse effect gets created when the sun powers the Earth’s climate, radiating energy at very short wavelengths. Roughly, one-third of the solar energy that reaches the top of Earth’s atmosphere is reflected directly back to the space. The remaining two-third is absorbed by the surface, and to a lesser extent, by the atmosphere. To balance the absorbed incoming energy. the Earth must on average. radiate the same amount of energy back to space. The Earth radiates at much longer wavelengths than the sun. Much of this thermal radiation emitted by the land and ocean is absorbed by the atmosphere, including clouds and re-radiated back to Earth. This is called greenhouse effect.
Global warming
Though
natural greenhouse effect makes life possible as without it, the natrage temperature at Earth’s surface would be below the freezing point of water. However, human activities, primarily the burning of Fossil fuels and clearing of forests, have greatly intensified thei hatural greenhouse effect, causing global warming. Most scientists believe that the warming of climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns such as more hurricanes and droughts, longer spells of dry heat or intense rain, glacial retreat, rise in sea levels and superstorms, ecosystems impact etc.
The world has already witnessed and is witnessing the repercussions of global warming. Extreme weather conditions have been recorded, summers have prolonged and winters have become warmer. Sea levels have risen putting low-lying areas at risk. Glaciers started receding long time back. Droughts are a common occurrence in many areas. Nearly one-third of coral reefs have been severely damaged by warming of seas. This escalation of greenhouse effect is all human induced.
The global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of mass-scale industrialisation that contributes immensely to air pollution, deforestation, land use change etc. Humans must limit those activities which release greenhouse gases in the environment.
We should avoid using fuel run vehicles when the distance can be easily covered on foot, use of public transport should be encouraged, we should use non-CFC cosmetics, plant more trees and check the pollution emitted by industries. The world too, has not turned a blind eye to this problem and many countries have joined hands to control global warming. In 1997, an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, came into force as Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol commits its parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets. India too, is a participant to this agreement.
Some of the measures commonly and globally adopted to check climate change are carbon offsetting that is using alternative energy like solar, wind, tidal etc. Then issuing carbon caps and ceilings is another method. Another method is emission trading that is selling and buying of carbon caps amongst countries and companies. The world is also waking upto the need of afforestation and all countries have decided to have a minimum of 33% of green belt. Thus, global warming is wreaking havoc on the Earth’s environment and all countries and people should join hands and cooperate with each other to tackle this serious environmental condition.
