Global warming and people going green Essay

The natural environment is the home of all living and non living organisms. Natural resources are available to human beings without clear cut boundaries in the natural air, water and climate. Natural environment has a source of energy, radiation and electric charge and all these are not as an influence of human activity but by the existing nature of our planet. It is the vast creation that makes man enjoy and take pleasure and therefore needs to engage in preserving and enhancing the natural environment. Great challenges have faced our natural and original environment and consequently destruction, pollution, and loss of life has been seen to occur through the influence of human activity. Pollution in the air, water, and in the environment in general has been evident through the combustion of fuels and other non recyclable material. Water, land and air have not been conserved and this poses a great danger on the existing ecosystem. Man’s interferance has threatened the existence of species and has led to some of them being endangered or extinct. This is a direct impact that shows that man has had disrespect of biodiversity and ecosystems in which human beings and other living organisms depend on. Human’s activities have been linked to be an environments big challenge. The release of carbon dioxide from green houses has been on focus as this is a human and natural environments interaction with gases has caused climate change. These strong concerns are associated to greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Global warming has been associated to the rise in the temperature on the earth’s air and oceans. Large heat capacity on oceans have caused the sea level to rise and cause extreme weather changes. As a result of such environmental concerns various governments have signed the Kyoto protocol so that they can plan on reducing green house emission. http://www. globalissues. org/EnvIssues/GlobalWarming. asp It is important at this juncture for man to understand that he has a direct influence to the changes that occur on the earth surface and should take caution about them. Climate may change but not exclusively by atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide from green houses. The attribution of global warming can be linked to the industrial era where man has been vigorous in their activity and have had no knowledge on the impact they have to the natural environment. The absorption of atmospheric gases contributes to warming the lower atmosphere and surface of the planet. During the absorption and emission process of infrared radiation warming occurs. (Weart 2003). Water vapour, carbon dioxide gas, methane and ozone are the major green house gases responsible for the warming effects. This is attributed by increased human activity in the industrial revolution such as agriculture, green houses, motor industries among others, deforestation. One among the greatest human activities that have markedly increased gas emission is the burning of fossils. Use of fossil fuel is hence seen to be contributing factor with such fossil fuel reserves increasing their emissions through the increased and extensive use of coal and tar sands. Evaporated water forms gas in to the atmosphere and as a result more water evaporates and hence there is more effect than due to carbon emissions alone. From the clouds, emitted infrared radiation exerts a warming effect and when they reflect sunlight they emit infrared radiations that have a cooling effect. (Weart 2003). Temperatures were relatively stable before 1850 but gradual increase in sea temperature than on land is a natural phenomenon. Land has an effective heat capacity as compared to the oceans which loose heat more readily. Forest clearing and Asian rice irrigation are human influences that William Ruddiman argued that global climate was influenced by these activities. http://www. skepticism. net/global_warming Global warming results to global retreat and sea level rise. The increase in global temperatures can lead also to arctic shrinkage and marked pattern changes in the rainfall. As a result flood or draughts are a common effect of the global warming. These are extreme weather events. Death of animals and vastly the destruction is very enormous. Floods and drought seasons cause low agricultural yield as survival of plants is so compromised and the life of animals is at stake with increase in diseases. With such calamities, adverse health effects, displacement and extreme economic losses destabilize the normal life of the people on planet earth. http://www. skepticism. net/global_warming Human activity have great repercussions on their life with the possible reduction of ozone layer and occurrence of hurricanes and other oceanic interferences that make favourable, the spread of malaria and dengue fever. With political and social debates going on, poor regions such as Africa risk the effects of global warming. The developed world and especially the western part have accepted the idea that human influence is the major influence to climate change. Various nations now weigh the benefit that would result when industrial emissions are limited against the cost they would incur when they adopt new changes. For the sake of regaining back the natural environment, alternative energy sources should be embraced and given chance for observation. Vigorous campaigns that teach on the effect of global activities and emphasize on adaption of stricter measures that would reduce gas emission should receive support worldwide. India and china have a lot of carbon dioxide emissions and the U. S. as well. However, worthwhile ideas and dedications have been recorded in the U. S which is willing to bear the cost and reduce its carbon emission. http://www. globalissues. org/EnvIssues/GlobalWarming. asp Many changes are bound to be realised with the daily effects related to global warming. There is so much uncertainty about other warming signs that may be associated to human activity and resulting to temperature increase. Vector borne diseases are bound to increase due to the migration of the insects from the north regions and especially due to the effect of the warmth increase. As it was recorded in 2004 and 2005, disastrous hurricanes were attributed to the warmer waters on the ocean and no one can anticipate if they will frequent or be stronger as they hit the regions. (Leroux 2005) As a result of global warming serious draughts will have people suffer and especially Africa and in Europe. In general, the effects of global warming can drain the economy at a country as they try to rebuild damaged infrastructure, cure diseases and try to manage such environmental conflicts. Though global warming has been attributed to other activities that do not relate to man, the major intervention by man would be to deal with those that are in their control. Solar variations, volcanic eruptions, orbital forcing, glacier retreats and disease vectors may be associated be causative agents to increased temperature. But a critical look at it lives the question, Should man be ignorant of his activities on the earth? http://www. canadafreepress. com/2007/global-warming020507. html Man should be at the fore front, looking for solutions rather than justifying their non- contribution to the global warming. Small and large scale preventive measures can be put in place to help prevent further harm and create a better place for our children to live in. Without green house emissions temperature would be bearable and more hospitable. Use of fossil fuels used to run cars, heat homes and businesses should be under check so that co2 concentration is reduced. In this breath, use of gas, petrol and diesel as used in petroleum products should be reduced. In the same way that man has been able to affect the planet, they should be able to effect change through change of practise. They should make use of fuel-efficient cars, reduce travel errands, and use alternative means of transport like walking or simply working from the house. At home, one should aim at using energy saving appliances and lighting materials. A great deal of deforestation, industrial activities, mining and agricultural increase has led to gas emission. As a strategy, trees should be planted and deforestation stopped. Deciduous trees should be planted as they contribute to removing 50 pounds of carbon from the air annually. Industrialization should be minimized and compost pits made for waste disposal such as leaves. Ignorance about global warming should be a forgone phenomenon and man should wake up to the call of rebuilding the already damaged environment. Air, water systems and the environment have degraded and the issue at hand is to progress and reverse the erosion that has already taken place. It is of paramount concern, that man should not take chances to involve themselves in activities that compromise the global call to preventing global warming. The risks involved in global warming are far stretching and the effects can be felt for a lifetime. As per the United Nations millennium development goals, solving the environmental problem will be regarded as eradicating poverty. Mankind should aim to reduce fossil fuel imports and preserve the ecosystem through increased awareness campaigns that address the climate change issue. Citizens and companies should embrace anti pollution and global warming prevention measures. (Pringle 2001) Policies at local and national level should be put in operation so that individual activities are governed and implemented at state level. Why would man not be willing to make a better place for him and generations to come? The major step to understand that preventing carbon emission is one of the cheapest interventions that man can use to stop the menace. Invention in new technology of cars and major power plants should have a second thought on the implication it has the future. All in all man should through habitual practice, save energy and have another alternative to use of fossil fuels. In 1990 to 19995, El Nino was a pressure release that was linked to global warming. Heavy rains pounded and several thousand displaced by floods. Death of human and of livestock marked the season. Beside such weather events hurricanes have claimed life, caused destruction and economic loss. http://www. globalissues. org/EnvIssues/GlobalWarming. asp Why would man be willing to risk more? It is the duty of all man to carry aggressive campaigns and appreciate the fact that they caused it to happen and they can make it change for better. With dedication and motivation, such catastrophes can be long forgotten as they work on towards one goal of preventing global warming and restoring the degraded environment. Its effects are disastrous but our control is the way forward. Works Cited Ball T. Global Warming, humans, Carbon Dioxide. The Cold, Hard Facts. Retrieved from; http://www. canadafreepress. com/2007/global-warming020507. htm on Friday, April 11, 2008