CSS/PMS/PCS Competitive Exams

Global Warming/Climate Change

1. What is Global Warming?
2. Causes of Global Warming
1. Factories and Industries
2. Use of Fossil Fuels
3. Use of Chemicals
4. Deforestation
5. Depletion of Ozone Layer
3. Effects
1. Increase in Global
Temperature
2. Thawing Glaciers
3. Rise in Sea Levels
4. Hurricane
5. Process of Decomposition
4. Summits
1. Earth Summit 1992
2. Kyoto Protocol 1997
3. Copenhagen Summit
2009
4. Paris Summit 2015
5. Suggestions
1. Reducing Fossil Fuel
2. Alternative Source of
Energy
3. Zero Carbon
Technology
4. Growing More Forests
5. Solar and Geothermal
Energy
6. Conclusion
Global warming is the gradual warming of the lower layer of the
Earth’s lower atmosphere. The factors that contribute in it are
primarily carbon dioxide and to a lesser extent methane. The
burning of fossil fuel like coal produces carbon dioxide as by
product which is the chief contributor in global warming. It is a
threat to the life of humans and animals. In order to gather all
information about global warming, United Nations formed a
group of scientists called the International Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC). The long terms effects of global warming is the
change in the average temperature of the globe which is called
climate change.
There are some major causes that contribute in the global
warming. The chief reason of the global warming is the dirt
produced by the industries and factories. Factories need large
amount of fuels like coal for power and electricity required by
the machines to work. The burning of these fuels produce large
amount of carbon dioxide that traps the radioactive rays and
warms the atmosphere. The developing nations generate
electricity from the coal which releases huge amount of carbon
dioxide. The vehicles especially old vehicles also release carbon
dioxide because of burning of fuels. Deforestation increases the
amount of CO2 in air.
The other gases that contribute in the global warming are
methane released from landfills and agriculture, nitrous oxide
from fertilizer, gases used for refrigeration, and industrial
processes. Besides, the use of chemical fertilizers including
nitrogen-rich fertilizers produce nitrogen oxide which has the
higher capacity of trapping the heat. Its run off goes to the seas
and oceans that creates “dead zones” in the oceans. Moreover,
the hole producing in the ozone layer due to chlorofluorocarbon
(CFC) is also the matter of concern related to global warming.
The hole permits the ultra violate rays to reach the Earth easily
and increase its average temperature.
The scientific consensus on climate change is that human
activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global
average temperatures over the past several decades. Now, the
debate has largely shifted onto ways to reduce further human
impact and to find ways to adapt to change that has already
occurred. Otherwise, its severe effects will lead the world
towards unlivable atmosphere.
In case of failure, the global temperature will increase between 2
and 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century. Sea
levels are projected to rise between 7 and 23 inches without the
melting of Greenland and Antarctica by the end of the century.
The increase in sea surface temperatures suggests an increase in
hurricane strength in the North Atlantic. Higher air temperatures
will also be felt in the soil, where warmer conditions are likely to
speed the natural decomposition of organic matter and to
increase the rates of other soil processes that affect fertility.
To cope with these challenges, the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development was held in 1992 known as
Earth Summit 1992. 172 governments participated in it with 108
sending their head of state or government. The summit
concluded with some points to be considered; the scrutiny of
pattern of production of poisonous waste and toxic materials,
the replacement of coal consuming power plants with
environment friendly system, the system to reduce vehicle
emission. The summit led to the formation of Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol is the protocol to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aimed at
fighting global warming. It was initially adopted on 11
December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and entered into force on 16
February 2005. It is an international environmental treaty with
the goal of achieving “stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentration in the atmosphere at the level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
In 2009, the United Nations Climate Change Conference took
place in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was agreed in the conference
that developed countries must make commitments to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and developing countries must report
their plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions to the UN by 31
January 2010. The poor nations must abandon their greenhouse
emission sources and for that the poor nations had to get the
compensation.
The Paris summit took place to tackle the issue in 2015 but the
implementation of the above discussed agreements need focus
on priority basis.
In order to tackle global warming, the use of fossil fuel must be
reduced and for that; not building any new coal-burning power
plants, initiating a phased shut down of coal plants starting with
the oldest and dirtiest. As we know that tropical deforestation
and emissions from agriculture represent nearly 30 percent of the
world’s heat-trapping emissions, the forest degradation and
deforestation must be avoided. Furthermore, for energy
generation, the alternative must be used as it can be generated
through wind, solar and nuclear power plants that are
environment-friendly systems to generate required energy.
A successful global compact on climate change must include
financial assistance from richer countries to poorer countries to
help make the transition to low carbon development pathways
and to help adapt to the impacts of climate change. The
transportation sector’s emission can be controlled by switching
vehicles to low carbon fuels and replacing the old vehicles that
emits large amount of CO2 as compared to new vehicles. There
should be result-oriented research on whether solar energy could
be used to run vehicles. The geothermal energy can also be used
to generate electricity and rarely for cooking purposes too.
In fact, global warming is a serious threat to the world but it can
be reduced to the safe level if the guidelines given by UN
agreements are implemented successfully. One can expect the
world as safe haven only if international community
acknowledge the danger of carbon emission and adopt the ways
to reduce it.