Human Impact on Global Warming
Global warming is the increase in global temperature. It has been caused by the rise of greenhouse gases (GHG) that have produced by the burning of fossil fuels and biomass along with deforestation. These greenhouse gases trap heat into the Earth’s atmosphere and thus have caused global temperature to increase; the most potent of these is carbon dioxide (CO2). The sudden rise in global temperatures has been responsible for changes in the environment such as precipitation, sea level and snow/ice cover. Global warming has been suspected to be the cause of stronger storms and hurricanes. Humans are negatively affected by global warming because of the weather extremities such as extreme heat and frigid temperatures.
In certain regions of the world there are abnormalities within the environment caused by global warming. Areas such as the Mediterranean lack precipitation while places in Northern Europe are experiencing too much precipitation. These erratic weather patterns have a substantial effect on agriculture and life. The rise in greenhouse gases not impacts the temperature but causes an increase in air pollution. Humans are also at risk for the loss of land because of rising sea levels. Low lying places such as marshes and coastal areas can be overtaken by the ocean if temperatures continue causing polar ice caps to melt. Countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand are endangered by the rising sea levels because of their low land levels.
The environment will be impacted by the depletion of ozone because of the lack of protection from solar rays. In the future if action is not taken to prevent global warming, the rise in temperatures will interfere with seasons, making winters typically warmer. Precipitation in certain areas is expected to increase but in others it may severely decrease. Storms and hurricanes are expected to increase in strength because of the availability of warmer water. In order to combat global warming people can recycle plastics, tins and paper. Families are also encouraged to conserve water and electricity that put a strain on resources. Taking mass transit and/or carpooling helps conserve gasoline that produces carbon dioxide.
Certain individuals do not want to reduce the effects of global warming. Normally it is because their business is somehow contributing to global warming and it would cost them valuable profits to accommodate to eco-friendly methods. Oil companies such as Exxon-Mobil make massive amounts of money and the conversion to more green energy sources would harm their business. People do not want to reduce the effect of global warming because green products are generally more expensive than their more harmful counterparts.
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