Understanding Global Warming and Its Effects
The answer to the question of what is global warming is not hard to imagine if one has a few basics about this. This is when carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons and other pollutants converge in the atmosphere, and they form a kind of a heavy blanket that in turn makes the planet warmer. This has many effects like melting ice in the arctic, depleted water levels, floods, famines and droughts.
The issue of global warming is very serious and in fact, it is a threat to humanity. It does not matter whether it is a theory or not, but the truth is that the effects are dire. That is why the race is on to find the solutions to curb the escalation of warming. There has been the constant rise in temperatures with time. It is important that a solution be sought fast so that we can arrest this condition before it gets out of hand, if it already hasn’t.
Everyone has to know as much as they can about global warming, its effects and its causes. This way, they can all play their small part in preventing the escalation of the problem.
What are the main causes of global warming?
There are many causes of this, but the main culprit is carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It leads to the depletion of the ozone layer. When the ozone layer is not effective anymore or when a hole is torn in the covering, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are bound to penetrate, and therefore, they bring about serious effects like skin cancer on people and animals. They also affect cell development and growth in all living things, including plants.
What are the main sources of carbon dioxide? There are many, but more than 40 percent of CO2 that is emitted to the air is from factories. Another high percentage is from motor vehicles and the other percentage comes from other small sources. Aircraft contribute about 5% of all carbon dioxide that is emitted to the atmosphere. While these numbers may not be very correct, they serve well to show whom the major culprits of global warming are. Knowing the causes is the first step towards curbing the ill.
Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is when heat is trapped in an enclosed in a place, and the heat is reflected back and forth. This raises the temperatures, and that is exactly what happens when the air is trapped in the planet without an escape. The temperatures rise, and this affects the climate a great deal. The bad thing is that the effects of global warming are felt everywhere, and therefore, it does not matter where most of the greenhouse gases are being emitted. Their dire effects will be experienced the whole world over.
Permafrost or ice that has stayed below the freezing point for many years starts melting thanks to global warming. This releases more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and in turn, the greenhouse effect is multiplied. Therefore, one effect of global warming leads to another bigger one, and the trend continues and who knows, in years to come, this could just render some places on the planet inhabitable.