Small Impact Teen: April 2012

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has gathered together the world’s most prominent climate scientists, who vigorously researched the possibility of global warming, and concluded their discoveries in a lengthy synthesis report. Conclusively, more than 95% of all the leading climate scientists are all pointing in the same direction: there’s an overwhelming burden of evidence that shows that the climate is changing, temperature is increasing and with it, detrimental effects follow. They also conclude that humans are the main cause of this issue, mainly through burning fossil fuels.

The “Industrialized Perspective” proclaims that applied science could satisfy human wants and garner prosperity, security and comfort. Sadly, we have paid a price. Smog-covered cities, polluted waterways, devastated forests and chemical dumps litter our environment. The beauty of nature is deteriorating, and so is nature’s capacity to sustain life. Man has placed himself in the danger of losing his humanity. Nature’s resources are not unlimited, but we show no heed to our actions. Economic benefits became the chief motivating force overlooking basic social values. Spiritual considerations, as well as moral and human factors are uprooted. The foundation of the problem is the belief that the means to achieve human well-being lies in increased production and consumption. Nature must be conquered and made subservient to the satisfaction of our desires.

Society’s demands for energy, transport and commodities have been easily satisfied by availability of cheap fossil fuel. Reliance on fossil fuels as our primary energy source has caused immense damage to human and environmental health, and is consuming health care and environmental damage re-construction dollars. It affects our ecosystems and the sustainability of life-forms. Forecasts indicate that unless steps are taken to reduce fossil fuel consumption, areas like Greater Vancouver will see a 60% increase in particulate emissions over the next 25 years, with corresponding increases in respiratory illness, hospitalizations and health care costs.

Global warming can be defined, hesitantly, as “A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants”.

Research, both scientific and observational, has concluded that the Earth is a warmer place, due to increasing change of climate. Ten out of the eleven hottest years on record have occurred in the last two decades. Scientists globally with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tell us that during the past 100 years, the world’s surface air temperature increased on average of 0.6 degrees Celsius. Even one degree can affect the earth radically. In Canada, the average temperature for the first six months of 1998 was 2.7 degrees Celsius above normal, and in some areas of the Northwest Territories, 5 degrees Celsius above normal. There have also been temperature increases in the Arctic- spring arrives a week earlier. Drought, forest fires, severe storms, melting polar ice caps and the retreat of alpine glaciers also serve as observational evidence that the climate is changing. The earth’s climate is not just warming- it is becoming more unstable and unpredictable. Recorded below are prominent evidences that Global Warming is indeed happening.

Causes:

The earth’s climate changes naturally. Some of these solar cycles- like the four glacial-interglacial swings during the past 400,000 years- extend over very long scales and can have large amplitudes of 5 to 6 degrees Celsius. For the past 10,000 years, the earth has been in the warm interglacial phase of such a cycle. Other solar cycles are much shorter, with the shortest being the 11 year sunspot cycle. Other natural causes of climate change include variations in ocean currents (Which can alter the distribution of heat and precipitation), the release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands, and large eruptions of volcanoes (which can sporadically increase the concentration of atmospheric particles, blocking out more sunlight).

Still, for thousands of years, the Earth’s atmosphere has changed very little. Temperature and the balance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases have remained just right for humans, animals, and plants to survive. But today we’re having problems keeping this balance.

The Greenhouse Effect

When the sun’s radiation reaches our atmosphere, some is reflected back into space and some passes through and is absorbed by the earth. Certain molecules in the atmosphere, called greenhouse gases, including water and carbon dioxide, allow sunlight to pass through them, but tend to reflect infrared or heat. Without greenhouse gases, Earth’s average temperature would be –19 degrees Celsius instead of +14 degrees Celsius—33 degrees Celsius colder!. Because greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth a part of the heat radiation, which would otherwise be lost to space, the higher the concentration of green house gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more heat energy is being reflected back to the Earth.

Because we burn fossil fuels to heat our homes, run our cars, produce electricity, and manufacture all sorts of products, we’re adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. By increasing the amount of these gases, we’ve enhanced the warming capability of the natural greenhouse effect.

The main contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide ) Globally, it accounts for over 60% of the enhanced greenhouse gas effect. In industrialised countries, carbon dioxide makes up more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The following are the highest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions:

•Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants:

•Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation

•Methane emissions from animals, agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabeds

•Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland

•Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands

Text Box: More Floods:
Warming of the seas creates ‘thermal expansion’- where warm water begins to take up more space than cool water, making the sea’s surface level increase. Thermal expansion has already raised the height of the oceans by 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20cm), according to National Geographic.
Steadily melting glacial ice also adds significantly to the elevation in water surface level, and many low-lying or coastal communities and facilities will be under threat of eradication should the sea levels continue to rise.
Destructive storms
The destructive power of hurricanes has increased by some 50% in the last 30 years, a figure that is closely connected with the rising temperature of the ocean
-Warmer waters and more hurricanes:
As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes.

Text Box: -Spread of disease:
As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with them.
-Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves
Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe.
-Economic Consequences
Hurricanes cause billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these.

Tsunamis

An increase in tsunamis may happen due to the fact that changes in the temperature of the oceans may affect streams and underwater geophysical masses producing environmental conditions that may precipitate seismic movements at a given place.

Cold Waves

A cold wave is characterized by a major plunge in temperature over a 24 hour period. It can be a devastating shock for crops and commerce, and also bring death and injury to humans and animals through accidents, hypothermia and starvation. More than 150 people lost their lives during the 2009 to 2010 winter after record low temperatures and abundant snowfall caused disruption to much of Europe .

More dangerous thunderstorms

A consequence of the increased amounts of humid air generated by global warming is that more thunderstorms will be triggered.

Death by smog

A powerful combination of vehicular fumes, ground-level ozone, airborne industrial pollution and the stagnant hot air associated with heat waves, smog represents an immediate and chronic health threat to those living in built-up urban areas.

Fires and wildfires

Dry areas of land already vulnerable to wildfires are likely to be ravaged by even more frequent and destructive episodes. In 2007, more than 3,000 fires brought destruction to Southeastern Europe thanks to a long summer that created arid and parched conditions.

-Polar ice caps melting:

This raises sea levels-. If all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet (National Snow and Ice Data Center), melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance (alter ocean currents, which regulate temperatures), endanger several species of animals, and intensifies global warming: if the ice caps melt, the only reflector is the ocean. Darker colors absorb sunlight, further warming the Earth.

The Effects:

More Floods:

Warming of the seas creates ‘thermal expansion’- where warm water begins to take up more space than cool water, making the sea’s surface level increase. Thermal expansion has already raised the height of the oceans by 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20cm), according to National Geographic.

Steadily melting glacial ice also adds significantly to the elevation in water surface level, and many low-lying or coastal communities and facilities will be under threat of eradication should the sea levels continue to rise.

Destructive storms

The destructive power of hurricanes has increased by some 50% in the last 30 years, a figure that is closely connected with the rising temperature of the ocean

-Warmer waters and more hurricanes:

As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes.

-Spread of disease:

As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with them.

-Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves

Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe.

-Economic Consequences

Hurricanes cause billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these.

Tsunamis

Cold Waves

More dangerous thunderstorms

A consequence of the increased amounts of humid air generated by global warming is that more thunderstorms will be triggered.

Tsunamis

Cold Waves

More dangerous thunderstorms

A consequence of the increased amounts of humid air generated by global warming is that more thunderstorms will be triggered.

Death by smog

Fires and wildfires

-Polar ice caps melting:

Loss of biodiversity and animal extinction

Loss of habitat for polar-ice edge communities such as polar bears is perhaps the most obvious consequence of having a warmer climate. Animals that are entirely dependent on cold environments will retreat to more northerly locations as the planet heats up – leading to encroachment upon other eco-systems and displacement of other animals from their natural habitat. A strong connection between oceanic warming, declines in reproduction and increases in mortality rates among seabirds, seals and sea lions has already been observed.

Death of ocean life

The world’s oceans absorb roughly 30% of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide that seeps into the atmosphere, and so inevitably, as more fossil fuels are burned, ocean life will continue to suffer the negative consequences of global warming.

Animal attacks

Animals that are driven from their natural habitats or normal migration routes by environmental factors could easily come into contact with human settlements, leading to many deaths among humans and already endangered animals.

Diminished food and water supplies

With greatly reduced rainfall, more severe droughts and loss of soil fertility, food and water supplies would soon diminish, resulting in higher prices, famine, disease, malnutrition, starvation and, ultimately, death.

Migration, conflict and wars

Countries and factions would seek to control precious, dwindling resources and provide safety and shelter for their own people – perhaps at the cost of others. Simultaneously, previously heavily populated places would become uninhabitable due to heat or other factors, displacing millions of people. Even now, relocations are taking place. Mumbai’s population is estimated to become swollen by a further 7 million people by the year 2050.

More outbreaks of deadly diseases

The Deadly Dozen is a group of 12 diseases that have been identified as those most likely to spread due to global warming. It includes Avian ‘Flu, Cholera, Plague, Ebola and Tuberculosis. Other sources of serious illnesses are exacerbated by the effects of pollution and the release of CFCs that harm the ozone layer.

Desertification

Elevation in atmospheric and ground-level temperatures is likely to aggravate soil and vegetation loss in already hot climes

Increased volcanic activity

The shifting pressures brought about by the lightening of the vast ice sheets allows the Earth’s crust to ‘bounce back’ and can cause eruptions in unexpected places – like the one experienced during Iceland's Gjálp eruption, where magma reached the surface at an unusual intermediary point between two volcanoes.

In the face of this overwhelming, international issue we can feel utterly helpless. But we can, and essentially need to establish a "green revolution". I want to be part of the new revolution.Do you?

References:

20 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming." Environmental Graffiti. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/5-deadliest-effects-of-global-warming/276>.

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