Essay Example on Global Warming: A Growing Concern in Our World

The issue of global warming is a growing concern, as the Earth's temperature has hiked by 0.80 C (Harvey 107). Yearly, human-related doings contribute to more than 30 billion tons of Carbon (IV) Oxide to the atmosphere. Global warming is now happening at a faster rate than a few decades earlier, and human actions are to blame for this. Many climatic changes currently being witnessed can be directly linked to global warming. Many researchers and scientists are concerned about the negative impacts that climate change has had on our planet. With these causes, global warming will keep on causing environmental harm and changes in the climate. Unlike the other planets in the solar system, the world has relatively mild, constant temperatures because of its atmosphere (Murante et al. 1). A thin layer of gases covers our planet, thus shielding it from adverse solar radiation. However, human activities have continually depleted this thin layer of gases (the Ozone layer) and replaced it with harmful gases, resulting in global warming. Drawing from research evidence is beyond doubt on the reality of global warming as a confirmation by climate scientists. Collectively, research is objective with compelling information on the need for humanity to adopt changes to reduce the heat-trapping prevalence of the greenhouse gas emissions as supposed with uncertainty from the scientific community on the extent of implications (IPCC, 2013). With destructive human behavior and natural changes, adverse impacts in the environment and subsequent global warming are expected, unless something is done to curb this. We are at a phase of climate change where we must control the rate of environmental pollution. In finding a solution to global warming; it is a threat to our survival due to the increased greenhouse gas emission resulting to global warming threatening the quality of life in the globe and America, and the scientists are seeking intervention measures to curb future effects. Global warming can be addressed through two main methods: through mitigation and adaptation. These two methods call us to change to lower our ecological footprint in the pursuit to curb the greenhouse gases emission. To spur change on lifestyle the guiding principle advocates for sustainable consumption through creating awareness to our peers on the need to utilize the resources at our exposure sustainably.

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Objectively, the systematic policies enacted to manage the prevalence of climate change which leads to polarization the imminent problems. To address the negative implications of climate change, Urry argues that sociologists have the chance to outline ideas and policies connected to climate change and energy securities. Urry study, "Global warming involves an unprecedented speeding up of the rate of change in natural processes, which now converges with the (previously much faster) rate of change in human societies, leading to a crisis of adaption" (23). It also posited that generally, most analytic thinking on climate change written by scientists (either for other scientists or for governments) are uninformed by the social sciences. The first step towards recovery is to reduce greenhouse gases' emissions, adopt the use of clean, renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.), and to use energy-efficient appliances. The top cause of global warming is greenhouse gases' emissions, mainly from industries and motor vehicles (Murante et al. 1). Therefore, if we are to take steps towards saving our planet from the adverse effects of global warming, we must be prepared to reduce these emissions. What Urry meant by this is that human-related activities are to blame for this change so as to power their modern lives. To support this, Vardy argues that global warming is being proliferated by carbon emissions results from combustion of fossil fuels and heavily impacts the environment by increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere damaging the atmosphere and has resulted to increased global temperatures causing extreme climatic conditions. (14). Crespo et al. argue that "Extraction of fossil fuels and production of greenhouse gas in large from industrial processes lead to global warming. To meet the demand-supply of enough energy across the globe, fossil gases are largely extracted without following given guidelines, which leads to the increase in absorptions of carbon dioxide in the air and contributes to rising of high temperature" (7). This argument is factual since the extraction of fossil fuels and the subsequent burning does not only release greenhouse gases but also generates a lot of heat that is released to the atmosphere. With increased population across the globe, more land has been destroyed to pave the way for agricultural land and urban growth. The Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), on the contrary, disputes the IPCC findings that climate change is mainly due to human activities (Vardy et al. 15). Increased solar radiation and naturals causes such as volcanic eruption can externally influence the problem of climate change (Crespo et al. 7). There are many causes of global warming; some of them associated with Earth's natural causes and others related to destructive human habits. These natural causes, however, are steered by continued disruption of the ozone layer caused by industrialization, such as petroleum gas emission and massive metal extraction around the globe. Most countries turn a blind eye to given laws that regulate environment destruction for faster economic gain from the immense industrialization, which eventually leads to the destruction of the ozone layer, and the result is global warming and natural disasters.

Considering my individual case on energy and food consumption levels the world would not live for long. If all humanity consumed at the same rate as we do, we would require more than two planets to sustain in a very short duration. Undoubtedly, if we aspire to provide our future generation a good life we need to change our lifestyles towards sustainability so as not to deplete the resources provided by nature. Increased population requiring high productivity and high consumption rates only makes the prevalent situation of climate change worse and it threatens our existence and sustenance of the planet. Global warming should be addressed through adaptation and mitigation. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), global warming mitigation involves the approaches meant to reduce greenhouse gas amounts in the atmosphere to a smooth level that will avert harmful interfering with the environment system (Bergesen et al. 16). The mitigation approaches are usually meant to prevent, reduce, and correct the impact of greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere.

These include the interventions of human beings to reduce emissions at a personal level or augment the sinks of greenhouse gases. Augmentation of carbon sinks is intended to lower the rate of increasing CO2 through adoption of techniques and technologies geared towards creating artificial carbon sinks referred to as "negative emissions". As of current, although still in developmental stages, technologies lead to combination of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) (Fuss, S., et al 2014). On the other hand, adaptation is meant to address changes in natural or human systems in actual or projected climatic stimuli or their impacts that control harm and takes advantage of beneficial opportunities. The two approaches (mitigation and adaptation) depend on each other; hence the policymakers need to have a systematic assessment of the implications of temperature variation and the long-term responses. I propose that the government should take action on law enforcement meant to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. It is also essential to increase public awareness of climate change via radio, television, and printed materials. More importantly, countries all around the world should cooperate to make contributions to carry out effective policies so that the harmful impacts of climate change can be relieved. As argued by Arent (2011), "Governments should encourage their citizens to adopt the use of renewable energy, a move that will ensure the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels." We solely depend entirely on the nature's providence. The resources that we exploit to satisfy our needs are all provided by the environment. Referring to the relationship of climate change and the sustenance of the environment, there is a potent threat. Exploiting renewable energy is the hope for our planet since we will significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Findings explained above will be supported by scientific data research in tackling global warming intensely by looking at the industrial effect on the planet earth. If the current portion of fossil fuels' usage is kept up and its demand increases by 200% by 2050, CO2 emissions will incredibly outperform the measure of carbon that can be discharged if the worldwide average temperature rise is to be constrained to 20C. Rising of temperatures is as a result of increased concentration of greenhouse gases at the ozone layer which then traps the radiated heat from the surface of the Earth. Globally, global warming and climate change is being experienced at all levels. Evidently, the earth is warming as observed from the space satellites. Temperatures have risen drastically in the over centuries. A case in point, the year 2014 was named to be the hottest year ever recorded (NASA& NOAA, 2014) since 1880 when recording started. In the near future if not action is taken to mitigate climate change there would be extremities of natural occurrences (Harvey 107). There are various methods for reducing emissions for the energy sector, outstandingly lessening the measure of energy expended and diminishing the net carbon emissions. Alternative energy sources decrease the number of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The clean energy sources (mentioned earlier) do not produce harmful toxins to the atmosphere that can lead to global warming. Another advantage of clean energy sources is that they are sustainable. Fossil fuels will continue to deplete; thus, are left with no option but to turn to renewable sources. The Ecological Footprint developed tech allows an individual to formulate an action plan to help achieve a low ecological footprint in the effort to conserve the environment. The action plan is a formulation focused to change the current lifestyle. Reducing our energy consumption ought to be the first agenda. It will be making sure that any time a person is not in the room all electronic appliances are switched off, changing the bulb and acquire one with not more than 5watts as the lighting will just be enough. The resolve for reducing energy consumption will be even outside the confines of our daily lives and extended to the working place and other utilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the community of scientists and environmental conservation activists is on the same wavelength in regards to the harsh truth of global warming and the association of human factor in it. The research proposed in this paper has just imprinted the surface of what is an unpredictable line of scientific research. Global warming is a significant risk, and suitable solutions must be taken to handle this issue. Climate changes related to global warming are not only negatively affecting human beings but also animals and plants. A close examination on the ecological footprint transportation and energy sector are some of the major culprits largely dependent on fossil fuels to foster production. With increase in temperatures heat waves will continue to occur frequently and for longer periods and are expected to be severe, frequent occurrence of floods and damaging of the co...