Composition | Global Warming

Global warming means that the Earth's air and oceans are slowly getting warmer. This change is causing a permanent shift in the Earth's climate. In the past century, the Earth's average temperature has gone up by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit, with most of that increase happening since 1980. This global warming is causing imbalances in nature and has big effects on life, like more heat waves, storms, and floods.

There are many causes of global warming, but the main one is the increase in greenhouse gases. These gases come from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, as well as cutting down trees. They create a greenhouse effect that traps heat and leads to global warming. The four main greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone.

When we mine for coal and oil, we release methane into the air. Methane also comes from natural gas leaks and landfills. Cutting down too many trees is another problem because trees help remove carbon dioxide and release oxygen. When there are fewer trees, carbon dioxide levels go up and the greenhouse effect gets stronger.

Nitrous oxide from fertilizers, refrigerants, and industrial processes is another cause of global warming. There's also methane trapped in ice called methane clathrate. As this methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, global warming speeds up even more.

When ice caps and glaciers melt, they can't reflect sunlight back into space anymore. This means that the Earth gets warmer because the dark oceans absorb more heat from the sun. Global warming also affects the weather. Some areas get more rain, while others suffer from drought. Seasonal changes become unpredictable, and unexpected thunderstorms can happen.

Burning wood releases carbon into the air, which raises the temperature. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are another problem. They were a major cause of recent abnormal warming. CFCs don't trap heat themselves, but when they reach the stratosphere, they break apart ozone molecules and deplete the ozone layer.

The effects of global warming are serious. It can lead to more diseases like Lyme disease, dengue fever, and malaria because the mosquitoes that spread these diseases thrive in warmer temperatures. Flooding and damage to water systems also make it easier for diseases to spread. Rising sea levels from melting glaciers and ice caps can cause floods and force people to move away.

When fresh water from polar ice caps mixes with saltwater oceans, it changes the ocean currents, which affects temperatures worldwide. This disrupts ecosystems and endangers plants and animals in polar regions. The ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. But human-made gases are damaging the ozone layer, contributing to global warming and posing a threat to life on Earth, like skin cancer.

To prevent global warming, we can reduce the burning of wood and use cleaner alternatives like LPG stoves or bio gas plants. We should also use fuel-efficient cars, bio-fuels, and electric vehicles to reduce emissions. Saving energy at home by turning off unused systems and using energy-efficient appliances helps too. Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power can reduce pollution.

It's important to remember that we share the Earth with other species, and if we disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, all life, including humans, will be threatened. Planting trees is a great way to help because they absorb carbon dioxide and reduce its levels in the atmosphere. Just one tree can absorb about one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.