Is Green House Gases And Global Warming A Real Threat? Essay

Human beings are about to encounter the worst catastrophe apart from the bubonic plague which characterized the middle ages. This threat is the global warming. So many people are still on the debate on whether global warming is taking place and also on the potential effects it has on the environment. However, most scientists and researchers are in agreement that, global warming is already taking place and it is going to increase uncontrollably in future. The world leaders have an option to view it as a real threat to the existence of man or decide to ignore it to the detrimental of the human race (Phil, par 1). Though some have doubted the existence of green house gases and global warming, this essay shows that they are indeed are reality. Lately, the world has been characterized by so many debates on whether global warming is real or not, debate that does not exclude even the scientists. There are several facts that scientifically prove that global warming is real. These include several human activities that lead to emission of certain gases in the air, for example fuel burning. Burning of fuels such as coal and wood emit gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (Phil, par 2-4). These are what are called green house gases. Research shows that the amount of these gases emitted in the air is increasing in the atmosphere. These gases absorb sun’s radiation and this means that the amount or radiation in the atmosphere is increasing, resulting to the increase of atmospheric temperatures. This increase of temperatures has been associated with natural disasters such as flooding, crops failing and ice ages. Since people now know that global warming is real, they may not know all its impacts but they are sure that these impacts are going to be detrimental to the existence of human race and thus people cannot assume that it is not happening (Phil, par 2-4). In addition, a new green house gas has been discovered and identified and it is said to be potent. Trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride is said to worsen the global warming process since it is 18,000 times capable of trapping the sun’s heat in the atmosphere (BBC News, par 3). The scientists who discovered it went further to say that the gas has been in the atmosphere for the last 40 years but its molecules continue to increase in number at the rate of 6% every year. Although its level is still low, its effects are significant to global warming process (BBC News, par 4- 5). One thing that is really frightening is the effects and consequences of these gases and the global warming at large. First, the temperature in the world is staggeringly increasing and it will continue to rise up, resulting to climatic changes all over the world. This will definitely lead to increase in the amount of rainfall in some areas while other areas will be deprived of it hence farming will be negatively affected. Food growing seasons in some areas will shorten while in other areas will lengthen. This will make it too difficult to predict the changes in the climate (Phil, par. 3). Another consequence will be the melting of the polar ice caps and this will take place at a higher rate than expected, hence making the oceans to rise slowly. It may lead to another Tsunami and people living in the coastal cities will be forced to move or evacuate the areas to other areas on raised ground. No one can predict the height that the oceans will increase up to, but the fact is that more land meant for human habitation will decrease. Consequently, the land available for farming will reduce and this will affect the amount of food produced for the survival of man. To make the matters worse, already most people do not engage in farming activities. The moment the little land available for these activities reduces, man will definitely starve (Phil, par 4). In addition, the melting of polar ice will decrease the reflection of sunlight back to the space, causing the earth’s temperature to increase at a very high rate. Just beneath these receding caps, there is organic matter which if exposed to the air, will also emit these gases. This will definitely complement the human activities that lead to the same. The warming on the earth surface will lead to more polar ice melting and this will affect the oceans in two ways. First, the oceans will be diluted, this referring to the desalination of the waters (Phil, par 5-6). Secondly, the temperature of these ocean waters will go down due to the water that is coming from the ice. Consequently, the ocean currents will be affected and since the ecosystem in the world is known to be regulated by these currents, there is bound to be another ice age in the world. Global warming will lead to another ice age! This poses the question on whether man is equipped enough to survive years of ice age. No one knows for sure when this will occur but one thing is a fact; the agriculture that is being practiced right now cannot sustain man during that period of ice age. This threatens the existence of man since ice age is capable of causing his extinction (Phil, par 5-6). Research shows that naturally, ice age follows the cycle of increases in temperatures. However, this time the temperature increases are not natural but man-made. The green house gases that are released into the atmosphere are man-made. Due to this, the scientists believe that the expected ice age will occur unexpectedly sooner as compared to other times in history (Phil, par 7). Moreover, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) carried out a research and the finding confirmed that, these green house gases are a real problem and a threat to the future generations. The administrator of the agency, Lisa Jackson, read the statement and said that the levels the gases have reached are very high compared to the past and this accounts for the recent droughts, flooding and storms that have been experienced in the world. This climate change worsens the problems that man is currently facing for example poverty, environmental degradation, conflicts due to water scarcity and generally, social tensions (Condon, par 3-8). In the 1986, scientists from eleven countries came out to warn the humanity over their increasing activities that result to global warming. These activities include; deforestation, burning of fossil fuels and automobile use. The activities intensify the effects of green house gases. Inter governmental panel on climate change (IPCC) predicted that the amount of Carbon emissions in the air will double by the year 2100, catapulting the temperature levels from 2 to 10 degrees centigrade (Enotes, par 1-5). This will account for the future’s heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires among other extreme weather conditions which result to more deaths, economic crisis and infectious diseases. Years 1990s can bear witness to these predictions since it was the hottest decade ever. For example, in the year 1998 in England, four million people were left without power due to ice storm that characterized the month of January. The same year, Brazil and Mexico reported fires in their rain forests for the first time; heat waves characterized Middle East and also Texas, and unexpected windstorm led to Europe to incur damages costing $4 billion in the following year (Enotes, par 1-5). A factual thing is that, man is not in control over the reality of global warming. So, in other words, he is left with the option of either to act or not to, to mitigate the effects of global warming. If man decides to act irrespective of whether global warming is real or not, he will definitely have 50% assurance of existence but if he decides not to act, the vice versa is also true (Phil, par 7). Conclusion In conclusion, the world may be divided over the reality of global warming and green house gases but the fact is that, global warming has been proven to take place and the world has started to feel its effects. The future has also promised the devastating consequences of this process if man does not act and hence it is a real threat to the future generations and the existence of man. Work Cited BBC. New Green House Gas Threat. BBC News. 27 July, 2000. Web. 6 July, 2010, . Condon, Stephanie. EPA Calls Green House Gases a Public Threat. CNET News. 17 April, 2009, . Enotes. Is Global warming a threat? Enotes, 2010. Web. 6 July, 2010, . Phil, B. Global Warming: Mankind’s Greatest Threat. Phil for Humanity. Guide for the Survival of Humankind and Improving the World, Society and Yourself, 2010. Web. 6 July, 2010, . Phil, B. Proving Global Warming. Phil for Humanity. Guide for the Survival of Humankind and Improving the World, Society And Yourself, 2010. Web. 6 July, 2010, . Phil, B. Why We Must Ac to Prevent Global Warming, 2010. Phil for Humanity. Guide for the Survival of Humankind and Improving the World, Society and Yourself, 2010. Web. 6 July, 2010, .