The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago… had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands. -By Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923

The scorching heat of the summers that made you sweat like never before, the extended monsoons in several parts of India, the every year shrinking season of winter all have a one common reason that researchers around the world are trying to measure and quantify. The concern is Global Warming that is fast changing the earth and the changes are becoming more and more evident with every passing decade. We all need to understand what is it and how it is effecting our mother nature.

Higher temperatures are melting the glaciers, sea levels are rising, climatic patterns are changing, the earth is becoming warmer than before, and amidst all this the wildlife is struggling to keep itself flourishing. Green house gases have been said to be the main cause of global warming. We as humans emit these gases in innumerable ways like through our automobiles, factories, and energy production or through the appliances of luxury kept at our houses like the refrigerators and the air conditioners. Carbon-dioxide is the gas most held responsible for global warming followed by methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxides. These gases in the atmosphere trap the heat from the sun and thus cause warming up of the earth.

A debate that kicked off more than hundred years ago

Greenhouse effect was first studied by the scientist named “Joseph Fourier” in 1824, who stated the importance of the greenhouse effect in keeping the earth a livable place otherwise it would have been a cold planet with probably no life on it. Further in 1895 Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius first underlined that humans are enhancing the green house effect by continuously emitting carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere around. The debate continues till now but the understanding of the effects and causes of global warming has come to higher level.

A matter of deep concern

The scientists have stated a concern on the earth’s rising temperatures. Since the 1800s the temperature of the earth has risen by 0.6o Celsius and the scientists fear that it may rise up to 5.8o Celsius by the end of this century. Even if we reduce our carbon emissions drastically, the emissions that have long remained uncontrolled during the last few centuries will cause its effects to be felt for over the decades to come. The change due to the effects of global warming would affect the fundamental system of the ecology. The life on the earth that all circulates around the systems of nature can get affected adversely. It may even lead to disruption of the ecological chains that provide us with food and water. The environment would face added stresses like decline in water sources and quality, desertification, the depletion of the protective shield of ozone, pollution of water, land and air and deforestation.

People living around the North Pole will be most affected as the frozen layer of soil and water beneath the earth’s surface is continuously thawing. This will cause damage to the terrain which will in turn ruin the buildings, roads and all the infrastructures raised by man. Not only the North Pole but the effects of global warming will be faced by all humanity that exists on earth. All will be affected by the ill effects of the rise in sea level.

There has been an international debate on global warming and the focus has been on reducing the green house gases emissions. Emissions have to be cut down to reduce the risks at present and in future. Just as major decisions are made well in advance analyzing all the aspects of production, cost and implementation, the steps regarding the control on carbon emissions have to be well planned and executed in time to reduce the consequences and high costs. Adaptation of measures at a later stage when the conditions may have worsened many folds could turn up into sky high expenses. If the current climatic conditions are taken care of it will benefit the vulnerable life today and in the coming generations. The more we strengthen the programs for reducing climatic stresses today the more fruitful will be the results with a healthier natural environment to live.

Rainfall patterns have been changing around the world. As the warming continues it will cause more precipitation in the regions of Southeast Asia. The flora and fauna of a place is decided by the climatic conditions of a place. Many plants for example can only exist within a certain narrow range of temperature, while some plants are seasonal and grow under a certain regions which witness an adequate amount of precipitation. The rise in sea level has caused the mean global sea level to rise from 9cm to 88cm at present and that is increasing continuously. This will have impact on the weather pattern, freshwater supplies, accelerated erosion, loss of wetlands and mangroves, ocean currents, more flooding in the coastal areas.

Flooding, landslides, melting glaciers and sea level rise pose a widespread risk to human settlement and health. Rise in snow fall will lead to rise in mudslides. Coastal communities lie at a risk of destruction due to flooding. With a badly managed present system of drainage and sewage that is exposed every time when the clouds pour more than normal, one can imagine the pathetic conditions of sanitation and health due to flooding. The risks that we may in future can be reduced to a significant level through careful planning and that is well implemented.

I have listed the impacts of rise in temperature that are already being felt across the globe aor are expected in short in the following points-

• The melting of glaciers and ice at the poles of the earth.
• Due to the decrease in ice cover in Antarctica there has been a sharp decrease in the number of penguins.
• Some animals have shifted to farther regions in search of cooler places for their survival.
• The warming trends have made our earth prone to danger of more hurricanes, floods, landslides and draughts will be common.
• These calamities may lead to the spread of epidemics like malaria.
• Rainfall and snowfall patterns have changed in various regions influencing the crop production and forest cover badly.
• Change in ecosystem may lead to some unexpected changes on the earth. With the melting of ice we lie at a risk of losing some utter cute animals like the polar bear and the penguins.

The steps that can be taken to reduce the risks-

• The most important step is to check carbon emissions in the countries. With a permissible carbon limit set it is important for countries to implement the limitations to an effective extent.
• Increasing forest cover by planting trees and curbing deforestation are measures that will be helpful in the long run.
• Improvement in energy efficiency measures.
• Investing in green and clean measures.
• Taking small steps at your home itself to conserve energy, like using CFLs, switching off electrical appliances when not in use and planting more trees.

With the current policies to reduce global emissions still the emissions are expected to rise in the coming times. We humans are the core of the problem so it’s we who have to take up the responsibility for protecting the earth so that life exists peacefully for the years ahead.