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Shocking Global Warming Facts
Of all terrible things, shocking global warming facts are the most alarming. Global warming is posing an existential threat that is haunting the very existence of humans on Earth. It is a process of the Earth getting hotter and bitter for the existence of life.
Shocking global warming facts include the latest projections pointing to an increase of 3° Celsius global temperature by 2100, which will sink and decimate cities like Miami, Mumbai, Karachi, Osaka, Alexandria, Lagos, Dhaka, New Orleans, and countries like the Maldives.
The global temperature is increasing at a severe pace, and it not only has changed the patterns of weather but also caused very detrimental hurricanes, typhoons, floods tsunamis earthquakes avalanches, etc.
Hazards of Carbon Emission and Greenhouse Gases
There are many reasons behind climate change, namely the excessive emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. One of the shocking global warming facts is that in 2019, about 43.1 billion tons of CO2 from human activities were emitted into the atmosphere, the highest point in human history.
This unchecked carbon emission is the prime source of global warming that has sped up in the wake of the industrial revolution’s global interconnection.
The greenhouse gases trap the sunlight within the atmospheric layer of Earth, and mother earth has become a pressure cooker. One of the shocking global warming facts includes the exorbitant use of fossil fuels in the heavy machinery, propelling jets, vehicles, and factories, that have increased the carbon emission manifold.
Deforestation is the Death of Earth
The relentless deforestation is yet another conspicuous cause of global warming. Deforestation refers to cutting trees and converting forests into human habits or into an industrial unit (Hassan, 2020). It is serious because forests have many benefits.
On the one hand, they absorb carbon dioxide and many other forms of pollution. There are reports that show forests decrease air pollution and noise pollution, which is the single most important need of human beings. Further, they give us oxygen which is synonymous with life (Hassan, 2020).
Moreover, deforestation causes soil erosion and deposition coupled with reducing storms, incoherent weather patterns, etc. It means storms will neither be too often nor will they be unexpected.
Therefore, deforestation, an important aspect of global warming, is a major threat to life. Like other things, humans (political leadership, business tycoons, and the common people) have become selfish and indifferent which is posing an existential threat to life.
Fracking, a Silent Assassin
One of the shocking global warming facts includes new forms of technology that are significantly contributing to climate change. For instance, fracking, a process of drilling down into the earth to release gas is harmful to the environment. One of the main pollutants released in the fracking process is methane.
It is the most used and useful method to extract oil and gas from deep shale wells. As a matter of fact, fracking is contributing to nearly 13 million metric tons of methane. It is an extremely anti-human and anti-environment gas (Horton, 2019).
He also reveals that this emission of methane gas is 84 times more harmful than the emission of carbon dioxide for 20 years. It is due to these factors that the global temperature of Earth is increasing at an alarming rate.
Earth is Becoming a Pressure Cooker
Apart from that, the temperature of the Earth has continuously been increasing in the wake of heavy industrialization and urbanization. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a subsidiary body of the UN is comprised of a group of nearly 1300 scientists who are experts in climate change, and their analysis and reviews are incredibly upsetting and deadly (IPCC, 2019).
In a recent report, they alarmed the world that the temperature of Earth is set to increase from about 2.5 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius. Notably, Earth cannot afford an increase in average temperature beyond 14 degrees Celsius. NASA Predicts that at the current pace, the earth will be 3.5° Celsius by the end of the 21st century.
Industrialization was a Double-Edged Sword
Moreover, from 1870 to today the rise in temperature has not been more than 1.3 degrees Celsius. Alarmingly, the global temperature is shooting up to an uncontrollable height in recent decades.
There is a consensus that the global rise in temperature can only be affordable if it goes up to 1 degree or a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
This dream seems unrealistic in the wake of the recent revelations about climate change. NASA shows temperature will increase by over 3 degrees by the end of this century. It explains why a host of flora and fauna will have been extinct in the next 6-7 decades. Perhaps, in the long run, the menace of Global Warming will engulf life itself.
Rise of Sea Level will Engulf Coastal Areas like Miami Mumbai, Karachi, Maldives
One of the shocking global warming facts includes the ever-increasing sea level in recent times. A recent report of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change shows that the rising sea level can prove to be a detrimental thing.
This is since it not only can cause massive human migration but can also destroy many cities and their economies (UNFCCC, 2019).
According to the estimate, nearly 49% of the global population will be affected if the process of sea rise continues unabated. These are those cities and islands that are very close to any sea or ocean.
If the temperature keeps on rising at the current pace, nearly 3.2 millimeters a year surge will be seen in the sea level each year which means the destruction of the global social and economic system.
The sea will engulf cities like Miami Mumbai, Karachi, and countries like the Maldives if no significant changes are made shortly. Therefore, the world must grapple with the menace of Global Warming at the earliest.
Climate Change is an Ignored World War
Climate change has become a major factor behind the killings of millions of people. As a matter of fact, it is as deadly as were the World Wars in the 20th century. For instance, global warming, which includes unexpected patterns, severe heat, unexpected tsunamis, dangerous hurricanes, etc. has become a not-so-silent assassin.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 250,000 additional deaths are due to climate change each year, especially due to diseases such as malaria, asthma, diarrhea, heat strokes, malnutrition, and unexpected weather patterns. In 2003, over 70,000 people lost their lives due to unbearable heat waves (Hassan, 2020).
Despite the wide-scale disruptions caused by climate change, humans have not done any to redress this issue. People consider traveling on public transport a disgrace and instead use their own vehicles which are the major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. Today, human apathy has become a taproot of many social evils.
How to Forestall the Impacts of Climate Change? Green Technology
The first important solution to address global warming is to adapt to green technology. It is a technology that minimizes pollution without having to have compromised the benefits that current machines or systems are offering.
For example, oil is a very useful thing, from transportation to running industries. One of the shocking global warming facts is that oil consumption is booming for decades. Global consumption of oil has steadily increased over the last three decades, totaling 4.01 billion metric tons in 2020. Realistically, oil has many substitutes, especially solar energy.
Windmills instead of Coal-run Electric Grids
Instead of coal-run electric grids, there can be windmills that work perfectly well without making the earth warm. Similarly, gas is, to a great extent, a better substitute because it causes far less pollution than oil.
Shale Gas and Natural Light can Reduce Carbon Emission
Some scholars even say shale gas can be a far more useful and less pollutant, and; therefore, it can be used as a form of green technology. Another possible form of green technology is to use natural light, instead of bulbs that release gases that increase the temperature of the earth.
Oil and Energy Mafia is not Letting Green Technology Prevail
According to the United Nations Organization, green technology is one of the most viable solutions to combat global warming. That is why it is a much-needed action to timely address and redress the issue of climate change.
Despite the workable substitutes, the global oil, and energy mafia is not letting green technology prevail.
Carbon Emission Reduction
The second important solution will be to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, Chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and other harmful gases. These gases are exceedingly warmer and deadly dangerous. Some experts call them anti-life gases. These gases are one of the major factors in the ever-increasing temperature of the earth.
That is why efforts should be made to drastically cut short the emission of these gases. One of the shocking global warming facts is that people are not doing what they can easily do to forestall climate change effects.
For instance, it is suggested that people use natural fertilizers such as manure to make land more fertile instead of using harmful fertilizers. The sprays can be improved and made in such a way that no side effects are there which leads to global warming.
Some people regard gases, especially shale gas helpful in reducing carbon emissions. If it is true, then substantive actions may be taken at the earliest to reduce carbon emissions.
Therefore, it is pertinent to mention that reducing carbon emissions is the single most effective and workable way to combat global warming.
Reforestation
Deforestation is one of the major factors behind the climate change phenomenon. One of the shocking global warming facts is that deforestation increases about 10% each year. To undo it, reforestation is an all-important part of the solution to combat the lurking threat of global warming.
Reforestation means planting more and more trees and building natural habitats such as forests, pastures, and green fields. This is very helpful because it will increase the amount of oxygen on Earth.
This will subsequently cut short the amount of carbon dioxide on earth. This is exactly what human beings are looking for, increasing the amount of oxygen and reducing the emission of carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases. It needs no further explanation that reforestation is a panacea to many serious challenges.
At first, it will reduce carbon emissions and increase the amount of oxygen. Secondly, it will help reduce soil erosion which is a serious challenge. Another important help will be the reduction of noise pollution, air pollution, and other forms of pollution. It is a fact that trees are regarded as air cleaners.
One of the shocking global warming facts includes millions of avoidable deaths each year due to various above-mentioned forms of pollution especially noise pollution and air pollution let alone the physical and psychological disorders caused by them.
It is possible when a large-scale reforestation campaign is run (such as, the “Billion Tree Tsunami” Initiative taken by Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan).
Also, the increased trees mean more space for birds, animals, insects, and other living beings, which will save other species from getting endangered or even extinct. In short, reforestation is an all-important part of the solution.
Reduction of Pollution
The fourth important solution is serious efforts should be made to minimize pollution. Pollution is probably one of the most under-discussed topics that deserve our utmost attention. One of the shocking global warming facts is that climate change is nothing but a blanket of pollution that traps heat around the earth.
There are various forms of pollution and all of them are damaging the earth and causing global warming. Firstly, there is air pollution which is the most important form of pollution. As air is becoming worse and worse; full of dust, dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide, etc. the temperature of the earth is constantly increasing due to this.
It is because when the sunlight enters the atmosphere, some of it should reflect, some should get in, and some of it should be absorbed.
Air pollution has made a thick layer that has reduced the amount of sunlight that reflects. It means more than required sunlight/heat is trapped in the atmosphere.
This is making the earth warmer each day; colloquially termed the greenhouse effect. In other words, due to air pollution, the earth has become a pressure cooker.
Therefore, substantive actions should be taken to make the air cleaner and purer. It not only saves humans and other living beings from many physical and mental diseases, but it will also reduce the pace of global warming.
Conclusion
It is quite conspicuous that Earth is faced with a big challenge of global warming. This dangerous phenomenon is caused by the fast pace of industrialization, which has increased the use of fossil fuels, and resultantly the emission of greenhouse gases has increased many a time like carbon dioxide and methane gas.
From the dense smoke of chimneys to the dangerous gases from different factories, there are many reasons for the rise in temperature on Earth.
One of the shocking global warming facts is that if the temperature keeps on rising at the current rate, from 2.5 to 4 degrees Celsius temperature can increase which will not only displace millions living near the water bodies but also the unusual climate patterns that can bring vast destruction.
The need of the hour is to take substantive action and move beyond knowing global warming facts, by cutting short the carbon emission to save human life on Earth. It is the duty of countries like The United States, China, Japan, and many others to do away with this predicament.
References
European Commission (2021), Causes of climate change
Horton, Melissa (2019) What Are the Effects of Fracking on the Environment? Investopedia
Kintisch E., (2015) Climate Change. A cold, creeping menace.Science. 11;349 (6253):1152. DOI: 10.1126/science.349.6253.1152. PMID: 26359381
IPCC (2019) Climate Change and Land, An IPCC Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.
NASA (2021), What is Climate Change?
NASA (2021), Is it too late to prevent climate change?
Papalexiou et al., (2018), ”Global, regional, and megacity trends in the highest temperature of the year: Diagnostics and evidence for accelerating trends”. Earth’s Future, 2018; 6:71–79. DOI: 10.1002/2017EF000709
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNO (2019).
WHO (2018), Climate change and health
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