Global Warming: A threat to mankind

-Golam Mahmood (shawon); 11th batch, MBA (SIM)

The term "global warming" refers to the increase in the average temperature of global surface air
and oceans. Global warming is the warming near the earth's surface that results when the earth's
atmosphere traps the sun's heat. The earth is getting warmer. The changes are small, so far, but
they are expected to grow and speed up. Within the next fifty to one hundred years, the earth
may be hotter than it has been in the past million years. As oceans warm and glaciers melt, land
and cities along coasts may be flooded. Heat and drought may cause forests to die and food crops
to fail. Global warming will affect weather everywhere, plants and animals everywhere, people
everywhere; humans are warming the earth's atmosphere by burning fuels, cutting down forest,
and by taking part in other activities that release certain heat trapping gases into the air.

One major cause of global warming is the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and
natural gas that were formed from the remains of plant material deposited during the earth's
carboniferous period. We have known for only a few thousand years that coal, oil, and natural
gas can be burned to provide energy. It was not until the mid-1800s, however, that we began to
burn very large quantities of these fossil fuels. The worldwide consumption of fossil fuel has
increased dramatically. Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels is not the only thing that we humans
are doing to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In many parts of the world
today, forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Enormous numbers of trees are being cut
down, both to provide timber and to clear the land for farming or ranching. This destructive
process is called deforestation. In order to clear forests for agriculture, people cut down and burn
all the trees in area. When the flames die down, nothing is left but acres of blackened, lifeless
countryside. The fire destroys all the plants and kills or drives off the animals. Because there has
been little attempt to replant trees in deforested areas, the world's forests are disappearing very
quickly.

If we can reduce the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere, we probably can slow the rate
of global warming and climate. There are a number of things that we can do to prepare for the
changes that are coming. If we act now, perhaps we can "soften the blow" of the greenhouse
effect. In the future, the weather cold change much more dramatically from year to year than it
does now. As global warming alters habitats, many kinds of animals will be on the move, but all
sorts of barriers will stand between them and a new place to live. To help animals get around
these barriers, it might be necessary to set up migration corridors that connect natural areas with
one another. Without human intervention, many kinds of plants also may not survive as the
earth's climate changes. Forests, in particular, may need our help. If climate changes come
rapidly, few tree species will be able to spread into new areas fast enough to keep up with
changing conditions.

Some observers refer to the displaced in south Asia as among the world’s first climate
refugees. Low elevation, increased river flow, encroaching ocean water, displaced rural
populations. It has been predicted that global warming will make this the new pattern across
thousands of miles of coastline in south Asia and other heavily populated areas. Bangladesh is
getting to pioneer this new pattern of social disruption.

The majority of the land in Bangladesh is either below, at, or barely above sea level. And if it is
true that sea levels will rise in the next 40-50 years, then half of Bangladesh will be under water.
There are already instances where busy streets and towns near the ocean have been flooded and
forced to evacuate. The country faces a huge humanitarian crisis of epic proportions if global
warming is not combated. Millions of refugees from Bangladesh will likely move across borders
in neighboring countries India and Myanmar. Not only is Bangladesh rife with environmental
catastrophes, the population density of the country is the highest in the world. Making it an
incredibly lethal and deadly combination that will not only impact Bangladesh but all of South
Asia and Southeast Asia for many generations forward. According to UC Davis, approximately
75 million (half) of Bangladesh's population would emigrate due to sea level rise.

The terms "global warming" and "greenhouse effect" have become common topics of
conversation worldwide. Synonymous with climate change and pollution, this issue is the
contributor for mass speculation. Every individual has the ability to help ensure the health of our
environment and awareness and education is the first step. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the
sole fault of large corporations that our environment is in crisis. It is us, the individual consumer.
Without our need and demand, these companies would not be producing ecologically harmful
products. Information is our best defense and making more environmentally sound decisions our
best offense. There are many substitutes for products and merchandise that would be more
environmentally safe, it is just a matter of knowing what they are.

Avoid chlorine at all cost! Use of any chlorine compounds is very harmful to the environment
including bubbles in plastic foam, spray paint, fire extinguishers, bleach and a multitude of
discarded household and industrial chemicals. Phosphates found in many laundry detergents and
soaps contribute to water pollution and should be avoided. Aresols such as air fresheners and hair
sprays can contain butane/pentane which contributes to air pollution and should be avoided.
What out for products that are "bleached" white (ie.baby wipes, writing paper) and look for
companies that offer the same products which are whitened with peroxide and chlorine dioxide
which is less harmful to the environment. It is very important to keep up on the maintenance of
our refrigerator and air conditioners as they can leak very toxic and harmful chemicals. Furnace
maintenance will help to reduce the amount of heat we need, thus reducing fossil fuel
production.

Planting trees is hugely beneficial to the world in the face of accelerating climate change. There
is now a strong international scientific consensus that human activity is causing global warming.
A substantial reduction in the planet’s forest cover over recent centuries is a major contributor to
this climatic change. At a local level, tree-planting on deforested lands creates further
environmental benefits. Forests play a vital role in regulating water supplies, helping to minimize
both water shortages in times of drought and damaging floods in heavy rains. Trees also reduce
soil erosion, thereby conserving soil quality upstream and water quality downstream. Forests also
provide habitats for a wide array of plant and animal species, a number of which are threatened
with extinction by deforestation. Thus sustainable forestry can provide additional climate change
and local environmental benefits in the longer term. Once harvested, the wood from the trees
may be used either as a source of renewable energy, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels, or
for construction materials or furniture-making, thereby reducing deforestation elsewhere.