The greenhouse effect occurs when sunlight penetrates the atmosphere; however, when it returns to the surface, it can’t escape back into the atmosphere. The extra heat in the atmosphere has led to the planet’s average temperature increase over time, known as global warming.
The earth is warming, and humans are mostly to blame. It is crucial to know the consequences, complications and causes of global warming so we can take action to protect the well-being of our planet.
The global warming phenomenon and the beloved planet
Global warming refers to the ongoing warming of the globe. Global warming is also known as climate change.
Global warming triggers changes in the climate and poses an imminent threat to life on earth through massive floods and extremely severe weather.
The earth is warming to the extent many species can manage, changing or destroying habitats, reducing food availability, and leading to droughts and other types of extreme weather. It is even directly impacting species that cannot bear the heat.
The species of plants and animals on earth will be gone in 2050, and 70 per cent by the end of the century. A catastrophic loss of biodiversity would irreparably reduce biodiversity, perturb ecosystems and cause enormous hardship to the human race across the globe.
The first species significantly and clearly in the wake of global warming is located in the Arctic, where the impacts of warming temperatures are evident earlier and much more strongly than elsewhere.
Global warming is causing ocean acidification, a grave threat to marine life. CO₂ produced by humans that are released into the atmosphere ultimately ends up in our oceans, affecting the chemical makeup of seawater. It makes it more acidic and reduces seawater chemicals that can harm marine life, such as crabs, corals and starfish. They require a shell and skeleton to live.
Causes of global warming
From the mid-to in the late 19th century, human activity has pushed climate change to unprecedented heights, and the earth is warming faster than at any other time in human history. The temperature is increasing.
Global warming results from many factors that are not necessarily natural, and some are damaging as a direct result of our modern lifestyles. It’s a simple fix to address the issue. Still, a thorough list of the primary human-made and natural causes of global warming reveals that it’s difficult to manage an environment that favours growth over sustainability.
Natural causes of global warming
It’s a natural phenomenon; however, the rate at which we’ve increased the speed and impact can’t keep up with the pace of neutralizing nature’s effect on the earth.
Human-made causes don’t only cause global warming; nature too contributes.
The following are the main natural causes of global warming:
1. Volcanic eruptions
When a volcano erupts, it is not common to ignite a candle in the town. The smoke and dust released by volcanoes are absorbed into the atmosphere and impact the climate.
Volcanoes are not responsible for the extreme heat we see today. Volcanoes release CO₂ and other greenhouse gasses when they explode and can contribute to global warming when sufficient. However, the effect over the long term of volcanic eruptions over the past 200 years has yet to be enough to warm the climate significantly. Furthermore, the sulfate particles that are released by volcanoes stop sunlight.
2. Water Vapours
Water vapour is the gaseous condition of the water. It’s present in the atmosphere and can impact the weather and climate. As our planet gets warmer, it can evaporate more water from the surface and disappears in the air. Because water vapour is one of the types of greenhouse gas, as more water vapour is present in the atmosphere it is, the more global warming it creates.
The rising levels of water vapour don’t cause global warming. Instead, it is an effect of it.
It cannot evaporate as quickly or easily from the air in high temperatures. The water vapour can absorb the earth’s heat and stop it from venting into space. It causes the atmosphere to warm more, releasing more water vapour.
3. Permafrost Thawing
Permafrost can be described as the soil or rock containing an ice layer frozen for up to two or more years; with global warming, permafrost melts and releases gases back into the atmosphere.
Permafrost is a frozen layer of about 25 per cent in the Northern Hemisphere; rises, it stores carbon and methane.
As permafrost cools, the plant matter in the soil, known as organic carbon, cannot break down or decompose. When permafrost melts, microorganisms begin to degrade the organic matter. This process releases methane and carbon dioxide gasses into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
4. Forest fires
Forest fires generate large quantities of carbonaceous fumes. These gases escape into the atmosphere, raising the earth’s temperatures, which causes global warming.
The smoke from the fires releases carbon-rich smog into the air and the new forest grows slower and can’t resist the oxygen-rich fresh greenhouse gases. Natural forest fires are eventually extinguished however they release polluted gases into the air as dust.
Human-driven causes of global warming
1. Deforestation
Plants are the main supply of oxygen. They absorb carbon dioxide, and then release oxygen into the atmosphere, thereby keeping the balance in the atmosphere. The forest is being cleared for a variety of commercial and domestic uses. It has caused unbalance in atmospheric conditions, and this causes global warming to increase.
If vegetation is cut down or burned, carbon stored gets released into the atmosphere in the form of CO₂, which is a major contributor to global warming.
2. Use of Vehicles/Transportation
Most cars or trucks, planes and planes are fueled by fossil fuels. That is why transportation is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically carbon dioxide emissions. Road vehicles are the bulk of the emissions due because of the burning process for petroleum-based substances like gasoline within internal combustion engines. However, emissions from aircraft and ships continue to increase.
Transportation is responsible for more than 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions resulting from energy which, in turn, causes global warming. The trends suggest an exponential rise in energy consumption for transportation over the next years. The study found that transportation was the main cause of 33.3 per cent of all emissions contributing to global climate change.
3. Chlorofluorocarbon emissions
In the process of overusing refrigeration and air conditioners, the human population adds CFCs into the air, which can affect the ozone layer in the atmosphere. The ozone layer protect the earth’s surface from ultraviolet radiations emitted by the sun. CFCs have led to the loss of the layer, which allows ultraviolet radiation to be absorbed, leading to the earth’s temperature.
The usage of an AC system for cooling is crucial, but it’s extremely polluting, accounting for approximately 10% of global CO₂ emissions. It is more than three times the amount generated by shipping and aviation.
4. Industrial Development
The facilities and factories which produce our products are important sources of greenhouse gases.
The bulk of industrial emissions originates from manufacturing low-carbon products, such as essential chemical compounds, steel and iron concrete, cement glass, aluminium, and paper.
Global warming is responsible for 44 per cent of global warming emissions. Coal and oil are the most hazardous, creating all kinds of damaging emissions to our environment.
One way to lessen our industry’s carbon footprint is to improve efficiency with new technology and rethink how we consume.
5. Agriculture Fertilizers and Farming
It is impossible to support the entire world population if we do not apply fertilizers to our crops. The most distinctive thing about fertilizers is that they create nitrogen oxide when they are taken up in the soil. Nitrous oxide is more harmful by 300 times as much carbon dioxide. The EPA is adamant that the agricultural sector’s fertilisers are a major contributor to global warming.
Animals, including cattle and sheep, create methane, a greenhouse gas. Australian agriculture is responsible for 16 per cent of our emission of greenhouse gases.
6. Fossil Fuel burning
Gas and oil are utilized every day in nearly every business. It is mostly used for building construction, vehicle manufacturing, power generation, and even power generation.
When we burn coal, gas and oil, which is often the case, it causes a worsening climate crisis. Consumption of fossil fuels can be an issue for wildlife and the natural environment since it kills plants and reduces the population of areas due to the toxic effects.
Coal burning in power plants accounts for around 45 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions.
Explaining and discussing the human factors that lead to climate change isn’t about trying to shame people or penalize people for their decisions. It’s about understanding the root of the issue to develop effective solutions about global warming.
Scientists believe that humans cause the majority of global warming
In the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the IPCC’s human emissions and activities have generated more than all of the temperature rise that has occurred since 1950.
The Carbon Brief examines how each of the main factors that affect the earth’s climate can affect temperatures separately and how they will be predicted to affect long-term changes in global temperatures. The climate is reliable.
In reality, as NASA’s Dr Gavin Schmidt points out, the IPCC’s top estimate was that humans were the primary cause of around 110 per cent (ranging between 72% and 146 per cent) of the observed warming as a result of natural factors that cause less cold over the last 50 years.
In the last 50 years, the amount of solar energy reaching the earth has diminished little, but temperatures have increased significantly.
The overall warming associated with human activities is consistent and with observed temperature increases, indicating that 104% of the warming originates from human activities since the start of the “modern” period in 1950 (and 103% since 1850). It is similar to the amount reported in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
A contribution from human activity greater than 100 per cent is likely due to natural climate shifts resulting from volcanism. Solar activity could have led to some cooling over the last 50 years, offsetting certain human activity-related warming.
There is some uncertainty regarding the significance of natural variability; however, researchers have suggested that ocean fluctuations and other elements are unlikely to be responsible for more than a minor portion of global warming.
Closing words:
We are now aware of the reasons for global warming and can determine how much each one of them is a factor in the overall impact of global warming.
Earth’s climate has been changing numerous times in the past 800,000 years thanks to natural cycles and fluctuations; the global warming cycle is directly related to the human-caused activity. The future of the earth is in our control.
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