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The Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (EPIC) concludes that anthropogenic greenhouse gases are expansible for most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the twentieth century, and that natural phenomena such as solar variation and volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1 950 and a small cooling effect afterward. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 40 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. Pick] Cause of global warming The Green house gases are the main causes of the global warming. The green house gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are playing shards in the present times. These green house gases trap heat in earth’s atmosphere and thus result in increasing the temperature of earth. The excessive emission of these gases is the major cause of global warming. The major source of carbon dioxide is the power plants. These power plants emit large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation.
Coal is the major fuel that is burnt in these power plants. The coal gives out eighty percent more carbon per unit of energy it produces as compared to natural gas. Another major source of arbor dioxide in the atmosphere is the emission from the cars and other vehicles. About twenty percent of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere comes from burning of gasoline in the engines of the vehicles. Effect of global warming polar ice caps melting The ice caps melting are a four-pronged danger. First, it will raise sea levels. There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet. Luckily, that’s not going to happen all in one go! But sea levels will rise. Second, melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance. The ice caps are fresh water, and when they melt they will desalinate the ocean. The desalination of the gulf current will “screw up” ocean currents, which regulate temperatures. The stream shutdown or irregularity would cool the area around north-east America and Western Europe.
Third, temperature rises and changing landscapes in the artic circle will endanger several species of animals by changing their habitats. Only the most adaptable will survive. Fourth, global warming could snowball with the ice caps gone. Ice caps are white, and reflect sunlight, much of sunlight is reflected back into space, further cooling Earth. If the ice caps melt, the only reflector is the ocean. Reduction in water supplies Sea level rise is projected to increase salt-water intrusion into groundwater, affecting drinking water and agriculture in coastal zones.
Increased evaporation will reduce the effectiveness of reservoirs. Increased extreme weather means more water falls on hardened ground unable to absorb it, leading to flash floods instead of a replenishment of soil moisture or groundwater levels. In some areas, shrinking glaciers threaten the water supply. The continued retreat of glaciers will have a number of different effects. In areas that are heavily dependent on water runoff from glaciers that melt during the warmer summer months, a continuation of the current retreat will eventually deplete the glacial ice and substantially reduce or eliminate runoff.
Extreme weather Increasing temperature is likely to lead to increasing precipitation but the effects on storms are less clear. Extra tropical storms partly depend on the temperature gradient, which is predicted to weaken in the northern hemisphere as the polar region warms more than the rest of the hemisphere. Based on future projections of climate change, the EPIC report makes a number of predictions. It is predicted that over most land areas, the frequency of warm spells/heat waves will very likely increase.
It is likely that: ; Increased areas will be affected by drought ; There will be increased intense tropical cyclone activity ; There will be increased incidences of extreme high sea level (excluding tsunamis) [Pick] Storm strength leading to extreme weather is increasing, such as the power dissipation index of hurricane intensity. Solution Government policy The technology and ingenuity already exists to reduce the threat of global arming. This includes solutions that will stimulate the American economy by creating jobs, saving consumers money, and protecting our national security.
By investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as increase the efficiency Of the cars we drive, We can take important Steps to reducing our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels that are contributing to the threat of global warming. By using energy more efficiently and using more renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and bio-energy, we would significantly reduce our emissions of green-house gases. Here are some easy steps we can take: ; Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb. Choose energy efficient electrical appliances when making new purchases. ; Look for the Energy Star label on electrical appliances to choose the most efficient models available. ; Do not leave electrical appliances on standby (e. G. TV). ; Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full. ; Take a shower instead off bath. ; Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when we ; Buy fresh foods instead of frozen food. (Frozen food uses 10 times an. More energy to produce. ) ; Drive smart. Get the engine tuned up and keep the tires inflated both help fuel efficiency. Drive less. When possible, choose alternatives to driving (public transit, biking, walking ) Reflection Global warming is not a strange topic to us anymore. In our daily lives, there are a lot Of advertisements, billboards, etc telling us that our Earth is threatened by global warming. Global warming is becoming worse and worse, but no one seems care about it. It is said that the government should bear the greatest responsibility for global warming. Although, the government usually shows advertisements on TV, but the government does not hold enough campaigns for citizens.
So, citizens do not have a sense to be environmental friendly. I deem that the government can set a policy to encourage people to save energy. The less energy is used, the less green- house gas is emitted. It can contribute to reduce the green-house gases. The policy is when one flat uses less electricity comparing to the same month of the past year. The family can get $0. 1 for reducing 1 kHz. It is a win, win policy. On one hand, the use of fossil fuel and petroleum can be reduced. Less green-house gases are evolved. On the other hand, families can save more money and build a sense to be environmental friendly.