Global warming refers to the phenomenon due to which the average global temperature rises by a few degrees over a specified period of time, or as the time passes. The concern that this raises is that if the temperature keeps on rising every few years or so, it is not hard to imagine what would be its effects to the global climate and environment over the next few decades. The rise of a few degrees in a few years is not much of an issue; however, if this rise is consistent, that is where the concern of most of the researchers and scientists lies.
Natural climate change occurs when the processes of nature impact a certain region or the entire world and cause the climate change. There are many examples of the natural climate change. For example, when sunlight enters the realm of the earth and the energy, which comes with the sunlight, is absorbed by the earth, the earth warms up and this may be a cause for the natural change in the climate. However, the earth’s energy is balanced by other mechanisms, which means that the energy that the earth receives, it may discharge in other forms through other mechanisms. The net change in the climate which happens due to the naturally occurring phenomena is what is known as the natural climate change. For instance, the change in climate due to the volcanic activity, and the change in the sun itself altering the amount of energy that the earth receives. These all are the reasons for the natural climate change (Riebeek, 2010).
Investigating causes of the climate change other than natural factors, it has been evident in the past few decades, especially as technology becomes more and more harmful to the atmosphere, that human activity is one of the major culprits in changing the earth’s. The change in climate, or the increase in the accumulation of greenhouse gases, that happens due to human activity is known as the anthropogenic climate change. The carbon footprint of human beings has been on the rise albeit all the steps taken to reduce the impacts of human activity. The most common causes of anthropogenic climate change are pollution which produces greenhouse gases. The impact of greenhouse gases is that the particles of such gases absorb energy that is reflected from the surface of the earth; as a result, the energy is trapped in the atmosphere of the earth causing the overall temperature to rise. Pollution is caused by power plants, and factories, and other emissions due to human activity such as burning of fossil fuels. Deforestation is yet another factor that is supporting the cause of the global warming. Vegetation helps in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, however, deforestation is reducing the number of trees on the surface of the earth and causing an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide which aids the greenhouse effect (Global Greenhouse Warming, n.d.).
In my opinion, global warming is a reality and it has become more and more important with the advent of new technologies and the modernization of the humankind. Every device that we use, and every action that we take, today is somehow involved in contributing to the ever-increasing emissions due to human activity. From the use of fossil fuels to the increase in the number of pollution causing plants, from deforestation to the excessive dependency on electricity, we are aiding every possible cause that contributes to global warming. There are noticeable events around the world that signify the existence of global warming. Such events include the change in weather, the rise in sea levels, the increase in the number of heat waves around the globe, the increase in storms, and the increase in the severity and the number of droughts.
Although global warming is a serious threat to the well-being of the planet and eventually the human beings, there exist a large number of measures and strategies that have been researched and may be adopted in order to mitigate the effects of global warming. Such strategies include carbon sequestration, carbon taxing, clean coal technology, and higher fuel efficiency standards among others.
One of the most common mitigation strategies that are currently being employed, and further research is being undertaken in, is carbon sequestration, sometimes known as Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration (CCS). Carbon sequestration refers to the capture of carbon dioxide from industries, the transport of the captured CO2, and its storage in deep underground rock formations (US EPA, n.d.). Carbon sequestration seems to be a fairly effective strategy to mitigate the disastrous effects of global warming by reducing the greenhouse effect through the reduction of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Although the costs associated with this strategy may be high, it may offer significant reduction in the effects of global warming.
A better strategy than carbon sequestration is to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide from industrial plants and processes. The national climate assessment in 2014 identified certain other strategies including the reduction of carbon emissions from industries (Abdelhamid, n.d.). The reduction of carbon emissions from industries is a better alternative, since it targets the root cause rather than mitigating the effect of the root cause. The costs associated with this strategy are also apparently lower than carbon sequestration. This might prove to be one of the life-saving strategies for the planet earth in the long run.
The global warming phenomenon calls for a need for the change in the policy that the world holds towards it. The policy changes might include the change in emission levels for industries, the carbon footprint of the average human being, the emissions from the ever-increasing vehicles in the world, and other such policy changes. Every single person in the world would need to contribute towards the cause in order for it to show fruitful results.
References
Abdelhamid, A. (n.d.). Global Warming Mitigation Strategies from the 2014 NCA. InspiredEconomist.com. Retrieved from http://inspiredeconomist.com/2014/10/29/global-warming-mitigation-2014-nca/
Global Greenhouse Warming. (n.d.). Anthropogenic Climate Change. Global-Greenhouse-Warming.com. Retrieved from http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/anthropogenic-climate-change.html
Riebeek, H. (2010). Global Warming : Feature Articles.
US EPA, C. C. D. (n.d.). Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration.
