Global Warming. What are its contributors and its effects? Well, despite the international focus on man-made related causes (such as factory and motor waste gases), there are natural causes. One of these causes is the fact that the sun sometimes gives out more or less radiated energy over an 11 year cycle but most experts on the topic agree that natural reasons are too insignificant to cause such a drastic increase in temperature. Increasing greenhouse gas emissions do provide a sufficient explanation on the increase of temperature and most experts agree that human activity in the primary cause. A rise in carbon dioxide, for example, is on the rise due to the burning of fossil fuels and wood to provide fuel (The US is responsible for 36% of all greenhouse gases).
So, the Earth is getting warmer, isn’t that a good thing? I mean, we can utilise resources that were previosly inaccessible due to being buried under ice and some countries could grow a wider range of crops, right? Well, events could go two ways. In 2008, the global C02 levels reached around 380 ppm. If the concentration went above 550, it’s predicted that global temperature rise could potentially be 6C or more. This could lead to large migrational issues and conflicts due to stresses over resources and that millions of people would lose their home due to sea level rise (caused by the melting ice caps) and therefore in turn creating econimic losses and changes to settlement patterns.
So then, is humanity doomed? Well, there are ways to manage this, for example, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions we could find alternatives to replace fossil fuels or develop carbon capture technology. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. Take wind power, for example. It creates a completely clean source of energy but it doesn’t always create sufficient energy or sometimes, none at all.
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