Global warming is an issue that has raised a lot of concern through out the world. It has drawn some controversies where many practices have been put into place in the attempts of combating while other people feel that it is a natural phenomenon where is little to be done. Global warming is referred as the climatic change as a result of increased temperatures on the earth surface.
Adverse effects have been felt in the whole world thus calling for the environmental sustainability through sustainable developments. Human activities which are referred to as anthropogenic factors are the major causes of global warming which have resulted into some effects such as sea level rise as natural factors are not known to account to the greater effects (Houghton, 2004).
The discussion illustrates on the cause of global warming. Therefore, the discussion evaluates on the major impacts of global warming in the environment.
To start with, global warming is believed to increase sea temperatures which in turn results to the rising of the sea level. This effect further result into flooding where properties are destroyed, vegetation and land, loss of habitation to the wildlife and the displacement of people which increases the number of the environmental refugees.
Sea level rise results from the increase of sea temperature out of the increased atmospheric temperatures. Global warming has also resulted into sea ice melting thus promotion of sea level rise. Ice and glacier from the mountains also melts due to the increased atmospheric temperature which find their way into the sea thus increase in sea level rise.
The vegetation has dried up in many areas which has further led to the increase of desertification and also continuous occurrence of prolonged droughts as a result of global warming.
Due to the high release of greenhouse gases through the anthropogenic activities, there has been depletion of the ozone layer. Carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere has been a major contributor to global warming. As the temperatures warms, phytoplankton growth decreases thus reduction of food availability to the aquatic animals.
Aquatic animals such as fish are one of the sources of food to humans and therefore decrease in their food results to their reduction thus, shortage of food to human beings. Global warming has also been as a result of direct reach of the ultra violet rays into the earth surface which is a threat to the human health. There are some diseases which thrive very well in the warm conditions.
Out of increased global warming, mosquito borne related diseases increases such as malaria (American College of Physicians, 2007). Global warming has also resulted into water shortages through the drying up of rivers which is a great threat to the human health.
Drought occurrences have increased of which they are also caused by global warming, this has further led to decreased food availability thus causing starvation to humans, and the worst of it all is when there has been death occurrences as a result of the same.
It is a fact that cannot be denied that global warming has resulted into many environmental impacts which cannot be ignored. On the other hand, there are some naturally occurrences which do causes related effects as those of the global warming. For instances, hurricanes are known to result into flooding out of the sea level rise.
When this flooding occur, properties are destroyed, there are also habitats destruction, breakout of diseases such as the water borne diseases, loss of lives and also the displacement of people thus leading to the environmental refugees. Monsoon rainfall has also resulted into flooding and these rains do have the same effects as those that are caused by hurricanes.
Therefore, political fear has taken the advantage in the overemphasis of global warming thus the effects which are not caused by global warming are always associated with the same. Some water bodies have been known to swell naturally without any cause of global warming.
Urban centers where there are a lot of developments are believed to be the major contributors to the global warming effects. Cities however preserve more heat as compared to rural areas. On the other hand, anthropogenic factors as discussed above have been known to be the major cause of global warming. Consequently, natural factors which consists the greater effects are overlooked.
However how much we try to compact anthropogenic factors, global warming effects may never at any time be reduced. Solar cycles have a lot of influence in reverence to radiation that reaches the earth surface.
Thus, solar activities have a lot of influence on global warming (Fred, 2005). Volcanic eruptions are also known to cause climate changes through planet cooling. Therefore, evaluation of the major impact of global warming should go beyond the anthropogenic factors which have been over emphasized.
Global warming is a world environmental issue that cannot be solved over night because the damage which is felt is already too large. For instance, even if emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases was stopped, sea level rise effects in Bangladesh would continually be felt. Therefore, coping strategies are needed as global warming is not in the face of just going away very soon.
However different ways to compact the effects of global warming should be put into practice. In the acts of these practices being put into place, people should be on the other hand be prepared to deal with effects of the global warming while developing different ways of adapting in to the new form of life (Inman, 2009).
To prevent ourselves from direct sunlight, it is important to make use of sun screens, to avoid the spread of water borne diseases, water purifications is therefore necessary and also vaccinations of the diseases associated with global warming. Out of the decreased water availabilities, it is also good to practice recycling of water as one of the method of coping with water shortages.
In conclusion, there is a need to promote environmental awareness on environmental conservation. In these awareness programs, causes and the effects of global warming should fully be exposed and also promotion of different ways of reducing these effects. No one can negate the fact that anthropogenic activities have contributed much on global warming effects.
Active environmental policies can serve as interventions to avoid further global warming. For instance, when one pollutes the environment, the environmental policies such as the polluter pay principle, demand for the pay against the damage like the emission of greenhouse gases.
As people avoid such cost, then they will use greenhouse free substance. Population increase is one the major cause to the acceleration of anthropogenic activities therefore, if reduction of global population is achieved then these effects would also be reduced.
Reference List
American College of Physicians. 2007. Facing an Uncertain Climate. Current Clinical Issues, 153-156.
Fred, P. (2005, December 2). Climate change: Menace or Myth. 1-7.
Houghton, J. T. 2004. Global warming. London: Cambridge University.
Inman, M. 2009. Where Warming Hits Hard. Climate Chang , 18-22.