ESSAY FOR SBI PO - GLOBAL WARMING

Global Warming

Throughout its long history, Earth has warmed and cooled time and again. Climate has changed when the planet received more or less sunlight due to subtle shifts in its orbit, as the atmosphere or surface changed, or when the Sun’s energy varied. But in the past century, another force has started to influence Earth’s climate and it is humanity

How does this warming compare to previous changes in Earth’s climate? How can we be certain that human-released greenhouse gases are causing the warming? How much more will the Earth warm? How will Earth respond? Answering these questions is perhaps the most significant scientific challenge of our time.

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels. The global average surface temperature rose 0.6 to 0.9 degrees Celsius (1.1 to 1.6° F) between 1906 and 2005, and the rate of temperature increase has nearly doubled in the last 50 years. Temperatures are certain to go up further.

Causes of Global Warming

There are natural causes that contribute to climate fluctuation, but industrial practices are behind the recent rapid acceleration in global warming. The demands of a growing population have led to deforestation, burning fossil fuels, and intensive farming. These activities all produce greenhouses gases in our atmosphere - gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun instead of radiating it back to space. This causes the earth’s atmosphere to heat up in what is known as the greenhouse effect. In just 200 years, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased by 30%.

Impact of Global Warming

Climate change has already had an impact on people’s livelihoods, as well as on our wildlife and environment. Forest fires continue to threaten already endangered species, while changing climates and landscapes drive animals out of protected areas in search of water and inhabitable terrain. The cost of climate change is mounting but the level of impact depends on the rate of increase in the earth’s temperature. A one-degree increase will have a serious ecological impact on the entire world. Climate change will cause some regions to become wetter, and others warmer. Sea levels will rise as glaciers melt, while some regions will be more at risk of heat waves, drought, flooding and natural disasters. Climate change could ruin food chains and ecosystems, putting whole species at risk of extinction.

Remedial steps to prevent global warming

If we all work to plant more trees, practice less of deforestation and try to limit the release of greenhouse gases we stand a chance of slowing down the increase in the earth’s temperature. If we become more aware of how we use energy in our daily lives, and support companies that commit to climate action, we can help build a brighter future for our planet.