The Earth is growing warmer and warmer. "Global warming" is also used to refer to increases in average temperature of the air and sea at Earth's surface. Since the early 20th century, the global air and sea surface temperature has increased about 0.8°C. And of course, as soon as we started noticing this phenomenon, we started to scientifically analyze the data available to understand the possible causes of this phenomenon.
Now, the entire phenomenon is called “climate change”- so that it takes other related phenomena, such as hurricanes, monsoon variations, tidal waves and typhoons into account as well. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was formed by many nations to study the causes and effects of global warming in 1988.
The IPCC produces reports that support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is the main international treaty on climate change.The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic [i.e., human-induced] interference with the climate system". It took many years to convince the public at large (indeed much of it is still not convinced) that human activity can, and has, messed with the climate. But it is now scientifically accepted that due to the Industrial Revolution and increase in overall population, the level of greenhouse gases (gases like carbon-dioxide and methane which trap heat) has increased and is leading to the unprecedented acceleration in increase of surface temperature. Temperature changes vary over the globe. Since 1979, land temperatures have increased about twice as fast as ocean temperatures (0.25°C per decade against0.13°C per decade). Ocean temperatures increase more slowly than land temperatures because of the larger effective heat capacity of the oceans.
More on Greenhouse Effect And Global Warming
The impacts of climate change tend to vary from region to region. Observed events are:
Such change in temperature is of much concern because it threatens the food security of regions due to failure of crops. It also leads to species loss due to loss of habitat- there are entire species being wiped out because the forests or glaciers which were their home now lie destroyed.
While many political and social discourses are ongoing about this increasing problem, the solution lies with all of us. Until we reduce consumption of goods that cause pollution and make a real effort to live in a way that is healthy for the ecosystems around us, no Kyoto protocol can mitigate the pollution we have caused. It is not about saving the Earth- the Earth will be fine. It is about saving species- including our own.
Now, the entire phenomenon is called “climate change”- so that it takes other related phenomena, such as hurricanes, monsoon variations, tidal waves and typhoons into account as well. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was formed by many nations to study the causes and effects of global warming in 1988.
The IPCC produces reports that support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is the main international treaty on climate change.The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic [i.e., human-induced] interference with the climate system". It took many years to convince the public at large (indeed much of it is still not convinced) that human activity can, and has, messed with the climate. But it is now scientifically accepted that due to the Industrial Revolution and increase in overall population, the level of greenhouse gases (gases like carbon-dioxide and methane which trap heat) has increased and is leading to the unprecedented acceleration in increase of surface temperature. Temperature changes vary over the globe. Since 1979, land temperatures have increased about twice as fast as ocean temperatures (0.25°C per decade against0.13°C per decade). Ocean temperatures increase more slowly than land temperatures because of the larger effective heat capacity of the oceans.
More on Greenhouse Effect And Global Warming
The impacts of climate change tend to vary from region to region. Observed events are:
- Melting of polar ice caps
- Change in precipitation
- Changes in sea level
- Expansion of subtropical deserts
- Increase in frequency of extreme weather events (for example, hurricanes, ocean acidification, droughts and flash floods)
Such change in temperature is of much concern because it threatens the food security of regions due to failure of crops. It also leads to species loss due to loss of habitat- there are entire species being wiped out because the forests or glaciers which were their home now lie destroyed.
While many political and social discourses are ongoing about this increasing problem, the solution lies with all of us. Until we reduce consumption of goods that cause pollution and make a real effort to live in a way that is healthy for the ecosystems around us, no Kyoto protocol can mitigate the pollution we have caused. It is not about saving the Earth- the Earth will be fine. It is about saving species- including our own.
