What are the potential effects of global warming in terms of climate change and how can they be arrested?
In this era of urbanisation, advocates attribute the climate change to global warming. Global warming refers to the rising in global temperature due to the increase in greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide. According to the film, An inconvenient Truth (2007), the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased over 300ppm regardless the record in the past 650,000 years that remained below 300ppm. The projected concentration of carbon dioxide after 50 more years of unrestricted fossil fuel burning is even higher. Therefore, the potential effects of global warming should be cautiously scrutinized so that the appropriate solutions can be implemented to deter the impacts from deteriorating.
Global warming has the potential effect on the average and extreme temperature as well as precipitation. The rising of temperature due to global warming warms up the ocean and Earth. Consequently, the heated water occupies larger volume, causing the sea level rises. According to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), roughly 8 percent of ice in the Arctic has been reduced over the past 30 years. Melting glaciers in Antarctica are also contributing to the substantial rises in sea-level. Prediction proclaimed that Bangladesh or low-lying areas, including Florida, California, and Maldives Island might disappear underwater in the future (Woodford 2006). Besides, the film, An inconvenient Truth (2007) unfolded that ten hottest years have been occurred in the last 14years. The warmer oceans will intensify the storms, hurricanes, tornados and typhoons. Owing to the facts that global warming is not only increasing the precipitation worldwide but also relocating the precipitation, global warming paradoxically causes flooding and drought. Darfur and Niger are the nations that suffering from severe drought due to the desiccation of Lake Chad. Significantly, the erratic weather happens as a consequence of global warming should take into consideration.
With the happening of global warming, the ecological balance of the nature has been affected. Warmer temperatures have altered the growing season in parts of the globe. Flora and fauna that cannot migrate or withstand the rising temperature will be eventually in the brink of extinction. Invariably, the poorest people as part of the complex ecosystem who are incapable in fencing off the climate change are expected to be hit hardest. As tropical temperature zones expand, there will be the outbreak of infectious diseases like malaria. Intense droughts could also give rise to malnutrition. Fresh water will become scarcer as mountain glaciers disappear, particularly in Asia and parts of North America (Riebeek 2007). Chris Woodford (2006) predicted that climate change flooding could cause approximately 100-200 million people permanently homeless by 2100 and more people are expected to suffer serious water shortages thereafter. Subsequently, the ecosystem imbalance due to global warming causes the lives of organisms in chaos.
In order to arrest the intractable problems of global warming, feasible strategies should be adopted. Bob Carter (Nzone Tonight 2008) likens the climate change to the natural hazards that we can neither predict nor control but to adapt. An inconvenient Truth (2007) on the other hand convinced individuals partake in cutting down the emissions of carbon dioxide. The use of high efficient electric appliances, end-use efficiency and passenger vehicle efficiency that adds up to the transport efficiency, renewable technology as well as Carbon Capture and Sequestration are suggested. Besides, he emphasised that political will as part of the renewable sources can solve the issue of global warming.
As a whole, the indiscriminate development on Earth has been worsening the issue of global warming. The potential effects including rising sea-levels, horrendous natural catastrophe and the imbalance of ecosystem had brought detrimental impacts on the population on Earth. Hence, prompt actions should be spearheaded by the authorities with the cooperation of nations to ensure that these potential effects will come to a halt in the foreseeable future.
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