Global warming

One of the contemporary issues facing us right now is global warming. Its effects on animals and on agriculture are indeed frightening, and the effects on the human population are even intimidating. Global Warming is the increase of Earth's average surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. The main causes of global warming are Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic sea beds Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands

The major effects of global warming are

1. Rising Seas--- outpouring of fresh water marshlands (the everglades),

low-lying cities, and islands with seawater.

2. Changes in rainfall patterns --- droughts and fires in some areas,

flooding in other areas.

3. Increased likelihood of extreme events--- such as flooding, hurricanes,

etc.
4. Melting of the ice caps --- loss of habitat near the poles. Polar bears are

now thought to be greatly endangered by the shortening of their feeding season due to decreasing ice packs.

5. Melting glaciers - significant melting of old glaciers is already

observed.
6. Widespread vanishing of animal populations --- following widespread

habitat loss.
7. Spread of disease: - migration of diseases such as malaria to new, now

warmer, regions.
8. Bleaching of Coral Reefs due to warming seas and acidification due to

carbonic acid formation --- One third of coral reefs now appear to have been severely damaged by warming seas.
9. Loss of Plankton due to warming seas ---

In different parts of the world, there have been various weather events that at first thought would question global warming. For instance, some regions have experienced extremely cold winters (sometimes record breaking), while others have experienced heavy rain. The following lists are the top global warming events occurred in 2010.
1. Russo-European: - Asian heat waves: - A severe summer spawned

drought, wildfires and crop failures across western Russia, where more than 15, 000 people died. All time high temperature occurred in many cities and nations in the region. China faced locusts swarms during July.
2. Pakistani flooding late July into August: - Rainfall related to the Asian

Monsoon was displaced unusually westward, and more than a foot of rain fell across a large area of the Upper Indus Valley. Subsequent flooding down the Indus River killed 1, 600 people and displaced millions. 3. China drought: - A persistent drought centered in the Yuan Province was touted as perhaps the worst in this region in more than 100 years. Major crop losses and lack of drinking water created severe problems for local residents.