What Is Global Warming and Why Is It Important For

Life On Earth

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the rise at average temperature of earth's atmosphere as whole in a long period of
time. Since the beginning of industrialization, human activities has been much effective on planet.
Because of increasing emission of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbon, which
are called greenhouse gases, temperature is rising by trapping the heat in the atmosphere near to the
earth’s surface.

There are more humans on earth than ever before and there are more sources of greenhouse gases like
factories, cars, planes which didn't use to exist roughly a century ago. Much more energy is required
than ever before in human history because of machines and vehicles being produced and used. For that,
humans have been using fossil fuels as primer sources of energy. Fossil fuels are not source of
renewable energy but also are big pollutants on our environment. They give significant amount of
greenhouse gas to the atmosphere which cannot be taken back easily.

Fossil fuels are not the only reason of why a Global Warming is taking place. Human waste like garbage,
especially plastic pollutants and oil are two of big causes of Global Warming. Deforestation and power
plants are also major leading causes. It has been accepted by most scientists and experts that there is
global warming and the main cause of it are anthropogenic activities.

Is there really a Global Warming, what do you think?

I don't see global warming as a matter fact of being agreed on its existence. It has been recorded by
World Meteorological Organization that 2016 was the warmest year of all the time since 1880, second
warmest was 2015 and third warmest year was 2017. 2018 is expected to be listed in 4th place
unfortunately. There is global warming, by considering the fact that there is a tracked correlation
between increasing concentration of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere and the rise of average
surface temperature by 0.8 Celsius degrees, from 13.2°C to 14°C in last 14 decades.
This might seem to be a small change but the reality is that this change is the cause of significant
regional climate changes on any small part of the earth differently. It's not hard to realize how great
danger we are in when we take a look at rise at frequency of weather related disasters. It has been
claimed by World Meteorological Organization that the average surface temperature might rise by 0.5°C
in next 12 years. Considering 0.8°C rise in 14 decades in the past, 0.5°C in only one decade is quite
worrying. This shows how the processes is fastening itself and becoming more unstoppable by time.

If there is, what can you do as a Meteorologist to prevent in the

future?

The change is almost at the point where there is no turn back. Good thing is that we are able to raise
awareness among more people than we could before and slow down this change. Hopefully stop it in far
future with a possibility.

As a meteorologist I see myself someone who should be taking a bigger responsibility by any simple way
we can think about. To make a major step we should inform people about the upcoming danger. On TV
channels, social medias and even outside on billboards the information about this change must be given
to the majority of people who aren't aware of the danger. This way more people would take
responsibility and reduce the use of any material that harms the environment. New laws could be
enacted by governments with the help of meteorologists. The use of renewable energy can be raised.
Unfortunately most of these steps must be taken on international levels with government's response
otherwise the preventions might not be as effective.

What potential effects it might have?

Global warming causes unlikely atmospheric events to be more often than regular, frequent droughts
and heat waves are two of these severe events. Desert regions are growing in subtropical latitudes,
polar ice covers and Himalayan glaciers are melting not only on seasonal periods but also by yearly
periods, leading ocean and sea levels to rise and become major threat to the coastal urbans. Agricultural
lands are becoming less fertile, regions of semi-arid climates are having warmer summers but also
colder and harsher winters. The annual average precipitation is on a decrease on continental climate
regions. These events are threatening life on earth in any way possible.
How Earth and people could suffer from the effects?

Sea levels will have risen by 0.4 to 1 meters in next 80 years. This is not a sudden rise so throughout our
lifetimes we are going to see the effects of higher seas all over the world. This means many of Earth's
coastal regions will become uninhabitable. Islands such as Maldives and low level altitude coast regions
and even whole countries like Netherlands and Denmark would disappear. This would cause around 200
million people to become refugee and be in force of moving to inner lands. Major important cities like
Beijing, New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Istanbul would all
be in danger of reclaimed by sea. These metropolitan areas are world’s biggest manufacture, business,
technology and science centers. A significant slowing down at manufacturing, technology and science
will lead current problems not to be solved at all but actually create newer issues. Only this would lead a
big economic crises and make people suffer directly. Less food and products will be generated because
of decrease at manufacturing and fertile lands. We would be dealing with increase in food prices. People
who are not able to afford their fundamental needs will be the majority and this might lead big protests
all around the world making all nations to have political issues. Political issues could lead civil and then
finally even international wars.

Threats will not only apply to humans but also animals and wild life. The effects on non-human lives
could be even harsher. More species will be in danger of extinction because of environmental changes
on their habitats. New epidemics could occur due to poor living conditions. There are historical
evidences of how the rise of temperature caused Malaria related deaths in Britain, a total of 8,209
deaths due to malaria were reported between 1840 and 1910. All these deaths showed a positive
relationship with the mean temperature and total precipitation. It was calculated that an increase or
decrease of 1 degree was responsible for an increase or decrease in malaria deaths of 8.3% and 6.5%.
Assuming that the impact of temperature would partly be the same, and that global warming continues
at the same pace, by the year 2050 there could be an increased risk of malaria in most parts of the
world.

References:
National Geographic
Britannica.com
World Meteorological Organization
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration