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Since the last quarter of the 19th century, the mean temperature of the earth surface has increased from 0.5 – 1.0oF. The ten warmest years of the 20th century all occurred between 1975 and 2000 with 1998 emerging as the warmest year in history. The floating iceberg in the Arctic Ocean and the snow coating of the Northern Hemisphere are gradually depreciating with the global sea level rising with 4-8 inches over the past century. These and more are the ugly consequences of global warming.
Global warming is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere due to Greenhouse effect. Greenhouse effect is the trapping of the sun’s heat in a planet’s lower atmosphere, due to greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet’s surface.
Like other planets, the earth’s surface receives and absorbs radiant heat from the sun and it reflects some of the heat back into space, while the rest is absorbed to warm it. But in the case of global warming, the reflected heat is trapped and retained by earth’s atmosphere. Thus, the earth’s atmosphere acts like the glass in a green house, which lets in heat and light from the sun, but reduces the amount that escapes into space. The implication is that the earth gets warmer, drier and dangerously uninhabitable. This is evident in the horrible climatic changes currently being witnessed in the world especially in the desert regions.
The United Nations Global Deserts Outlook throws new light on the world’s arid regions. Among other findings, the report depicts desert as occupying almost one quarter of the Earth’s land surface - some 13 million square miles – and are inhabited by over 500 million people. It suggests that, consequent upon global warming; inadequate water supply and increased soil aridity threaten to move some countries – including Chad, Iraq, Niger and Syria into water crisis.
Another report from Christian Aid, The Climate of Poverty: Facts; Fears and Hope, predicts that by the end of this century 12 million people in sub- Saharan Africa could die of diseases such as Meningitis directly attributable to horrible climatic changes from global warming. It argues that more millions of people face devastation from climate induced famine, drought, conflict and flood as in the cases of the recent Tsunami and Hurricanes in different parts of the world.
But does this concern us? Of course, the green house effect with its consequent global warming and climatic changes are direct effects of human activities on earth. The green house effect worsens because of the build up of some atmospheric gases. The build up of these gases is highly facilitated by industrial pollution and ecological wastes. Indeed, not all of the atmospheric green house gases are equally effective at absorbing the infrared Radiation from the earth surface. The more effective green house gases are water vapour, Carbon dioxide, Methane and pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Naturally, the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere is very low, but since they have continued to accumulate through industrial pollution and ecological wastes, the globe gets warmer and drier.
There is, therefore, an urgent need for all of us to take effective actions towards curbing global warming by embracing environment-friendly technology in all industrial sectors. There is also an urgent need for a revolution in our understanding of development towards encouraging environmental sustainability.
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Ogonna Nwainya
Ogonna Hilary Nwainya is a young philosopher, information technologist, editor, educator and development activist. He has a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy and Higher Diploma in Mass Communication. He has other Certificates and Diplomas in Linguistics and Computer Application Science. His primary interest is in International Affairs, Youth and Sustainable Development.
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Comments
U.N. Climate Change Conference 2007 Ivaylo Avramov | Nov 30th, 2007
My appeal is that we must not focus on climate problems only, and forget the rest of our priorities, which are all connected - UN MDG describe them quite well. We must solve this chain of problems not one by one (we simply have no enough time for this), but in all fronts - simultaneously.
I am conducting a research in the field of climate change (and what we could do to adapt to it). The study has multiple scientific, social, economic and political aspects.
The details are available at http://www.deserticeproject.com
There you will find a description of the project aimed to fight global warming (and many other related global problems like desertification / drought, food and water shortage, poverty, etc.) by global, complex measures.
The emphasis is on the belief that basically we can react to climate change in two key ways: 1. by intensive greening (more trees and leafs - more absorbed CO2, as well as more jobs, more income and profits, more stable economies and more well living people, etc.); 2. by sophisticated filtering and energy efficient systems not allowing heat-trapping gases to flow in the atmosphere.
I believe that the proposed measures could initiate a serious discussion.
I.Avramov
Sofia
Bulgaria
U.N. Climate Change Conference 2007 Ivaylo Avramov | Nov 30th, 2007
My appeal is that we must not focus on climate problems only, and forget the rest of our priorities, which are all connected - UN MDG describe them quite well. We must solve this chain of problems not one by one (we simply have no enough time for this), but in all fronts - simultaneously.
I am conducting a research in the field of climate change (and what we could do to adapt to it). The study has multiple scientific, social, economic and political aspects.
The details are available at http://www.deserticeproject.com
There you will find a description of the project aimed to fight global warming (and many other related global problems like desertification / drought, food and water shortage, poverty, etc.) by global, complex measures.
The emphasis is on the belief that basically we can react to climate change in two key ways: 1. by intensive greening (more trees and leafs - more absorbed CO2, as well as more jobs, more income and profits, more stable economies and more well living people, etc.); 2. by sophisticated filtering and energy efficient systems not allowing heat-trapping gases to flow in the atmosphere.
I believe that the proposed measures could initiate a serious discussion.
I.Avramov
Sofia
Bulgaria
U.N. Climate Change Conference 2007 Ivaylo Avramov | Nov 30th, 2007
My appeal is that we must not focus on climate problems only, and forget the rest of our priorities, which are all connected - UN MDG describe them quite well. We must solve this chain of problems not one by one (we simply have no enough time for this), but in all fronts - simultaneously.
I am conducting a research in the field of climate change (and what we could do to adapt to it). The study has multiple scientific, social, economic and political aspects.
The details are available at http://www.deserticeproject.com
There you will find a description of the project aimed to fight global warming (and many other related global problems like desertification / drought, food and water shortage, poverty, etc.) by global, complex measures.
The emphasis is on the belief that basically we can react to climate change in two key ways: 1. by intensive greening (more trees and leafs - more absorbed CO2, as well as more jobs, more income and profits, more stable economies and more well living people, etc.); 2. by sophisticated filtering and energy efficient systems not allowing heat-trapping gases to flow in the atmosphere.
I believe that the proposed measures could initiate a serious discussion.
I.Avramov
Sofia
Bulgaria
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