Global Warming is a problem of great significance today because it does not so greatly endanger our life today but can have dangerous consequences for future generations. It has been proved that global warming emissions stay in the atmosphere for centuries and today we can decide whether we would reduce the use of energy which leads to these emissions or will continue consuming way of life and inherit our children and grandchildren spoilt air, land and water. “We have the technology to increase energy efficiency, significantly reduce these emissions from our energy and land use, and secure a high quality of life for future generations” (Global Warming). Today we choose future for the future generations and these are not just pathetic and nice words.
Today the existence of global warming is obvious. Scientists try to find answer how much this process is caused by people’s interaction with nature. Observing and analyzing possible consequences of global warming scientists have definitely found the “human fingerprints”. During the last 100 years people have produced a lot of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and as a result of it the average temperature has warmed up by over half a degree. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate presented information in 2001 that the man contributed greatly to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide which gets into the atmosphere because of fossil fuels reminds a blanket ”“ it covers our surface, keeps it warm and does not allow getting this warmth back into the atmosphere. Today the level of carbon dioxide is higher than during the last 650,000 years (cited in Global Warming). Burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas influences our atmosphere and so the responsibility for the global warming in the 20th century lies on people. Nowadays the air temperature has become much warmer because the heat can not go back into space.
Burning fossil fuels is not the only source for extra greenhouse gases. While driving cars and cutting down forests people also heighten their contents in our atmosphere. Extra greenhouse gases increase the greenhouse effect. The use of oil in transport industry causes serious damage to the environment and this problem can not be neglected any more. Not only land and atmosphere but also water is greatly influenced by the global warming. In the recent years there have been observed the measured increases in water temperature. The oceans and rivers have observed approximately 20 times as much heat as our atmosphere and this has definitely had consequences for water inhabitants and plants. Water resources of course won’t stay the same because of the greenhouse effect. Global warming   causes the increase precipitation and evaporation and as a result the lakes and rivers levels become lower.
Lower water level will influence navigation, operation of hydroelectric power stations and water quality. It’s obvious that the water supplies for industrial and agricultural uses will reduce. Some regions will be flooded in winter and spring much earlier than nowadays and it will just worsen water supplies in summer. “Some countries of the world are like people fighting on a large boat. In the middle of their battle over how to catch the biggest fish, they look up and realize that the fine boat is sinking, and everyone is going down. Their next fight will be for basic survival, and they will need to rely on one another, floating far from shore in the angry sea” (Quotes about Global Warming).
People will seriously consider the problem of global warming when it would be really threatening.
However, together with human factors the climate is greatly influenced by the natural ones. Natural factors can include ice and snow cover, volcanic eruptions, the energy of the sun, e.t.c. Human factors can be presented by different kinds of pollutions ”“ air, water and land pollution ”“ emissions from plants and cars, soot particles, e.t.c.
Human activity has moved the so-called “tropopause” which is one more evidence of human negative interaction with the nature. The lowest layer of the atmosphere is the troposphere, which controls the Earth’s weather, and the next layer is known as the stratosphere. Between these two layers there is a boundary ”“ the tropopause. In the recent decades this boundary has shifted by about 900 feet (Global Warming). This is also a mark of human activity.
The affect of human and natural factors is obvious, the question is which factors influence the global warming more.
The scientists in their research decided to compare three human climate drivers(ozone depletion, emissions and pollution) and two natural climate drivers (volcanic eruptions and solar changes). Natural solar changes have warmed up both, the stratosphere and the troposphere in the recent decades. However, human activity has led even to the greater warming of the troposphere because of the increased number of heat-trapping emissions and reduction of ozone, as a result. “Over the period 1979-1999, a study shows that human-induced changes in heat-trapping emissions and ozone account for more than 80 percent of the rise in tropopause height” (Global Warming).
The researches show that human factors are more dangerous because they bring more harm and only accelerate the greenhouse effect.
If this process does not stop, by the end of 21st century the temperature of our atmosphere will be warmer then now.
It may sound not very frightening but in fact it is very dangerous and can cause irreversible global changes. Global warming will have impacts on the sea level, storms and floods and rainfalls. It goes without saying that it will also affect human health, water supplies, agriculture and animal life. The future changes of climate can be predicted with the help of computers. At first scientists calculate how much pollution will be produced by the mankind and then they have a possibility to find how this pollution will influence the Earth’s climate. If people do not stop to pollute the atmosphere, as they do it today, by 2100 the average temperature may be 3°C warmer then today. It will be very harmful for the plant and animal species. It even may happen that some of them will vanish from the face of the earth. The global warming doesn’t endanger only some species of plants and animals. If the atmosphere becomes warmer because of human pollution droughts, storms, tornadoes, heat waves and floods can be much stronger and occur more frequently. Because of the warming more water will evaporate from rivers and oceans and the humidity in the air will increase. It means that in some places it will cause frequent landslides and floods and in others it will lead to droughts. It is obvious that the level of the sea will not stay constant if the global warming continues. Only during the 20th century sea level has increased by a quarter and it is only the beginning. For the past 100 years sea level has been rising about 2 mm each year and the end of the century changes are evident. The melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland will rise sea level in the 21st century (Holt, 315). Consequences of this process may be terrible ”“ some towns and even countries will be flooded. All in all it’s only scientists’ predictions and they will not come true if we stop the pollution of our environment but most people agree that the global warming will take place in the 21st century. Scientists predict that the speed of changes will be fast, much faster then the speed of other natural changes that have taken place in our history. A lot of people are not aware about the global warming and do not pay much attention to this problem but I think that it is just the right time to be careful and attentive and stop jokes with nature. Consequence of the enhance of global warming will be not just dangerous. Global warming endangers human life and this problem requires immediate solution (cited in Global Warming).
As it was proved above, global warming is influenced by both, human and natural factors. If we cannot control natural factors, we should pay great attention to the human activity that can increase the process of global warming. First of all, people must be responsible for the things they produce, sell and consume. Modern technologies can help to use less fossil fuels and, so, reduce global warming. “Yet nanotechnology will eliminate the need for fossil fuels within 20 years. If we captured 1% of 1% of the sunlight (1 part in 10,000) we could meet 100% of our energy needs without ANY fossil fuels” (Global Warming). The second step can be the usage of clean and renewable energy. For example, solar or wind power stations. It is also better to take care of your car, because a well-tuned car consumes less gasoline and so produces less carbon dioxide. If possible, try to eat and buy organic food which does not have chemicals and pesticides.
Compact fluorescent bulbs last more than ten times more and use muss less electricity that usual light bulbs ”“ be aware of this fact. Low-flow showerheads will help to save water which we so often lose with any necessity. It is also necessary to pay special attention when you buy electronics. Mare sure that the models you choose are energy-efficient ”“ it will make profit for you and for the environment. At home also be sure that you do not spend energy for nothing. The next step is protecting forests. Plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen.
Cutting down forests we are reducing our and children’s life (Ten Things You Can Do to Help).
Every person can do something and only then we all can overcome these global difficulties. Encourage your parents to share their trips with other people and drive slowly as it reduces the production of carbon dioxide. You can save energy at home. For example, turn off the light when you do not need it and you will save energy. If everybody acts in such a way, we’ll need less energy, coal and gas. This way less carbon dioxide will be produced.