Global warming has become most intractable issue faced by the world leaders. Scientific community deems that there is strong correlation between global warming and changes in climate. Since the industrial revolution, fossil fuels have been used by humans indiscriminately and incalculable of carbon dioxide was given off. The rate of warming in the last 50 years was double the rate observed over the last 100 years. (Holli Riebeek 2007)Skeptics may criticize the global warming as natural phenomenon and the slight increasing in global temperature will not cause any destructive impact on our planet. However, continuous warnings from venerable scientists and authoritative statistics have shown us global warming is truly happening now and deteriorating at an unimaginable rate. Thus, concerted moves should be taken as soon as possible to combat this problem before catastrophic consequences of global warming in term of climate change befallen on human beings.
One of the most significant impacts of global warming is the rise of sea level. The escalating global temperature melts the glaciers and ice sheets as well as expands the water volume, leading to rise in sea level. (Chris Woodford 2006) For instance, the Larsen-B Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula collapsed over 35 days in early 2002, prompted by 3°C of warming since the 1940s. (Holli Riebeek 2007) In the 2007 documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth- a global warming, Al Gore pointed out the global warming contributes to the melting of land-based ice shelf in both poles, especially Arctic icecap and Greenland. If half or whole of the Greenland is melted, most of the low-lying countries and coastal cities with high population such as Florida, San Francisco, Shanghai will be completely submerged beneath seawater. Unavoidably, millions of homes and buildings will be demolished and washed away.
Global warming also brings calamitous impacts on human being and ecosystem. Flora and fauna may unable to cope with the sudden climate change and erratic weather pattern quick enough, eventually end up with extinction. For examples, around 50 percent of breeding habitats for some birds may disappear in Arctic. (Chris Woodford 2006). Plus, coral reefs all over the world are bleaching due to the global warming, causing fish species which rely on coral reef on jeopardy. The rate of species loss is 1000 times greater than the natural background nowadays. On the other hand, global warming also triggers breakout of 30 types of new infectious epidemics in the last quarter of century. There is also resurgent of diseases which were once under control. In 1999, the West Nile virus had spread throughout the United States due to increased temperature which favors the migration and mobility of vectors. (Al Gore 2007)
In order to arrest the problem of global warming to its core, reduction of greenhouse gases emission needs to be placed at its priority. In case of individual effort, we should use more efficient electricity appliance and end-use efficiency in our daily life, renewable technology, passenger vehicle efficiency, carbon capture and storage technology as well. We can replace the incandescent lamps with energy-saving fluorescent lamps, switch to renewable energy, bicycle, walk, or take the public conveyances instead of using cars, and cut down the usage of air conditioner. Besides, it is crucial for government to partake in solving global warming issues. They should gesture their efforts by supporting environmental conservation projects such as Kyoto protocol or have their own acts to deter the issue from becoming even severe.
All in all, global warming is not merely a regional issue, but worldwide. Al Gore had quoted a thought provoking sentences in his talk, “Humanity already possesses the fundamental scientific, technical, and industrial know-how to solve the carbon and climate problems…” (Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow 2004) Indeed, the solution is on our own hand! We just need to have the substantial determination in resolving the issue. Without any further hesitation, all the countries should act together to figure out the problem and secure our future before it arises disastrous consequences on our only planet, earth.
One of the most significant impacts of global warming is the rise of sea level. The escalating global temperature melts the glaciers and ice sheets as well as expands the water volume, leading to rise in sea level. (Chris Woodford 2006) For instance, the Larsen-B Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula collapsed over 35 days in early 2002, prompted by 3°C of warming since the 1940s. (Holli Riebeek 2007) In the 2007 documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth- a global warming, Al Gore pointed out the global warming contributes to the melting of land-based ice shelf in both poles, especially Arctic icecap and Greenland. If half or whole of the Greenland is melted, most of the low-lying countries and coastal cities with high population such as Florida, San Francisco, Shanghai will be completely submerged beneath seawater. Unavoidably, millions of homes and buildings will be demolished and washed away.
Global warming also brings calamitous impacts on human being and ecosystem. Flora and fauna may unable to cope with the sudden climate change and erratic weather pattern quick enough, eventually end up with extinction. For examples, around 50 percent of breeding habitats for some birds may disappear in Arctic. (Chris Woodford 2006). Plus, coral reefs all over the world are bleaching due to the global warming, causing fish species which rely on coral reef on jeopardy. The rate of species loss is 1000 times greater than the natural background nowadays. On the other hand, global warming also triggers breakout of 30 types of new infectious epidemics in the last quarter of century. There is also resurgent of diseases which were once under control. In 1999, the West Nile virus had spread throughout the United States due to increased temperature which favors the migration and mobility of vectors. (Al Gore 2007)
In order to arrest the problem of global warming to its core, reduction of greenhouse gases emission needs to be placed at its priority. In case of individual effort, we should use more efficient electricity appliance and end-use efficiency in our daily life, renewable technology, passenger vehicle efficiency, carbon capture and storage technology as well. We can replace the incandescent lamps with energy-saving fluorescent lamps, switch to renewable energy, bicycle, walk, or take the public conveyances instead of using cars, and cut down the usage of air conditioner. Besides, it is crucial for government to partake in solving global warming issues. They should gesture their efforts by supporting environmental conservation projects such as Kyoto protocol or have their own acts to deter the issue from becoming even severe.
All in all, global warming is not merely a regional issue, but worldwide. Al Gore had quoted a thought provoking sentences in his talk, “Humanity already possesses the fundamental scientific, technical, and industrial know-how to solve the carbon and climate problems…” (Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow 2004) Indeed, the solution is on our own hand! We just need to have the substantial determination in resolving the issue. Without any further hesitation, all the countries should act together to figure out the problem and secure our future before it arises disastrous consequences on our only planet, earth.
