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Usually when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is that of the weather. Presently the weather is now more than just a conversation starter, it has become a matter of concern to people all over the world. What happening to our weather? According to a meteorologist from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, when we observe global weather - the extremes in precipitation, floods, droughts, storms, we can rightly say that these extremes have quadrupled over the last 50 years.
A great deal of people feel that the usual weather patterns are a result a global warming, the so-called greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the earth experiences because certain gasses in the atmosphere (water, vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, etc.) trap energy from the sun. Without these gasses, heat would escape back into space and the Earth's average temperature would be about 330C colder.
Many people suggest however than man has tampered with this natural process. For example a magazine commented that for decades human factories and cars have spewed billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Many scientists fear that the increased concentration of greenhouses gas has prevented additional thermal radiation from leaving the Earth. In essence, these gasses are trapping excess heat in the Earth's atmosphere in the same way that a windshield traps solar energy that enters a car.
Although sceptics say that only a small percentage of greenhouse gas emissions are man made, there is new evidence to state that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributed to human activities
Reports say that the global temperature has increased between 0.4 and 0.80C since the late 19th century. Many scientists believe that this small rise could cause significant changes in the weather. An article has predicted that the number of deaths related to heat waves might double by 2020. Also mosquito borne diseases are projected to become increasingly prevalent since mosquitoes proliferate faster and bite more as the air becomes warmer. Finally, there are the effects of droughts and floods both of which can result in polluted water supplies
Since many view the problem as man made, they tend to believe man can solve the problem. A number of communities have already established laws to limit pollution emissions from cars and factories. However such efforts have little impact, this is because pollution is a global problem so the solution would have to be global. In 1992, the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro convened. Ten years later, in Johannesburg, South Africa, the World Summit on Sustainable Development took place with about 40,000 delegates attending. Such conferences have done their part to bring about a consensus among scientists. Some antipollution measures are very costly and most developing nations cannot afford them. Some fear that energy restrictions will send industries to poorer lands where they can operate more profitably. Governments of poor nations usually find themselves caught in a bind. If they want to improve or protect their nation's economic interests, the environment suffers. If they push for stricter environmental protection, the economy suffers. Man must commit heart, soul and body to improving the weather. Action needs to be taken now. We must start planning for the future. A scientist once said that even if pollution ceases today, the effects of past abuses to the atmosphere would still last for at least another 100 years. So therefore, the time to act is now!
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