Short Essay on Global Warming
Man’s interference in nature has resulted in a number of problems; global warming is one of them. Global warming means the gradual warming of the earth’s surface owing to greenhouse effect. It poses a serious threat to environmental sustainability.
The immediate cause of global warming is the thinning of the ozone layer over the atmosphere that limits the greenhouse emissions and keeps the earth cool and congenial. The root of the problem lies in large-scale pollution.
Now, global warming adversely affects our environment. We are already receiving danger signals. The glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at a faster pace. Since 1993, the world’s oceans have been rising 0.2 cm per decade. Topographical changes, irregular monsoons, sudden floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis are the outcome of global warming.
Global warming is a global problem. All nations should fight it together. Our motto must be to ‘maintain a sustainable world’. And this can be done only when we learn to live in harmony with nature.
Long Essay on Global Warming
By global warming is meant an increase in the globe’s mean temperature. It occurs due to the buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gases (ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons-CFCs, carbon dioxide, methane, and of course, the main contributor-water vapour) and the negative effects of rising temperature like melting glaciers, higher levels of oceans or changing precipitation patterns.
Global warming means that the rising temperature can bring about effects which could bring about extinction of life. It is expected that life has become extinct for seven times in the past 500 million years. The reasons for the earlier extinctions of life are not yet properly known, but the emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere is certainly going to wipe all species from the earth, hence the cause of concern. However, it is not being given a proper thought by those who are causing havoc with the ecosystem.
The modern lifestyle has been a source of climatic and atmospheric conditions. The emissions and concentration of carbon dioxide has increased over 30% during the last 30 years chiefly due to industrial revolution. Rich countries are not willing to reduce these emissions. They argue that they would be faced with acute unemployment and diminishing of modern facilities. But they comfortably forget that if life itself gets wiped out from the earth, what would be the basis of their standing? There is another aspect of the problem. The present dangerous level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is not likely to strike ominously for another two centuries, and it is for sure that the present leadership of the world is not going to survive over such a long period. But they should not forget that it would be their own progeny which will have to bear the brunt of their doing.
As for India, global warming is likely to bring many problems. Even an increase of a degree in the temperature would make the ocean waters soar by one metre. This would suffice to drown as much as 4200 sq miles of coastal area in water needing displacement of almost 50 lakh people. The recent cyclone in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in 2013, in which few casualties occurred only because of the preventive steps, is a pointer in the direction where global warming can take us.
The world is well aware of the problem. The only problem is that appropriate steps are not being taken to ensure continuation of life on the earth. The first World Climate Conference was held in 1979 under the aegis of the UN recognising the problem as serious. In 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 154 nations and European Council signed the UN Framework convention on Climate Change agreeing to take suitable steps to stabilise greenhouse gas emission to the level of 1990 by the year 2000. Of course, it could not be brought about. Further, according to Kyoto Protocol signed in 1997, it was felt that limits on the emission of greenhouse gases should be made legally binding and internationally enforceable. However, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, that is America, has not signed the treaty on the grounds that it would severely affect its economy. It comfortably forgets what would become of its economy when the world itself ceases to exist. The World Summit in Johannesburg in September 2002 too has failed to convince all the member countries to sustainable development.
The time is running out fast. If something concrete is not done to restrict global warming, the day may not be far when this world would be annihilated, as our ancient scriptures have described. It is our duty at least to leave the earth in the condition in which we inherited it, if not improving upon it. We have no right to bring about its destruction under any argument.