“We believe when we see; We learn when we do…”.
Our ancestors had handed over the planet Earth to us, so cool and green.
We are polluting the environment—sometimes intentionally, sometimes ignorantly. Pollution is one of the current evils brought about by the growth of science and technology. It harms the health and well being of all life forms on the Earth.
Greenhouse gases including the CFC11 and the CFC 12 make the Earth hotter and hotter by absorbing maximum quantity of thermal radiations of the Sun. These gases permit the rays of the Sun to penetrate and enter the Earth’s atmosphere but do not let them escape from the earth’s atmosphere once they enter it. This is causing what is termed as the Greenhouse effect which is responsible for the rise in atmospheric temperature all over the world. The rise in temperature disturbs the rain cycle, the ecological balance, the cycle of seasons, etc. It adversely affects vegetation and agriculture. Thus, we have to face frequent floods and droughts across the world. With the increase in temperature and the melting of glaciers, even the snowfall has reduced in the frequency of its occurrence and intensity.
The winter temperatures are showing a gradual increase with warming up of the planet. There is also rise in humidity because the rise in temperature increases the rate of evaporation at the surface. Governments should work against the emission of the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) by improving the vehicular standards, creating awareness among the people, selling eco-friendly appliances; and encouraging recycling of materials such as plastic, paper, metal and glass. By controlling our environment and the immediate surroundings we can breathe pure air, drink pure water and live in noise-free environment in times to come. Such efforts are needed by the people at the grassroot level. Only then we can combat this problem in an effective way.
Global warming is the increase in the Earth’s mean surface temperature because of the effect of GHG. These gases absorb long wave radiations and further warm up the atmosphere. The main greenhouse gases are Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluoro carbons (HFCs), and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
The impact of any greenhouse gas is based on the magnitude of the rise in its concentration, its duration in the atmosphere and the wavelength of radiation that it absorbs.
The results of global warming are rising sea level, changes in rainfall patterns, melting of the ice peaks, melting of glaciers, spread of diseases, loss of plankton, etc.
Global warming doesn’t just mean warming, which is why “climate change” has become the trendier term among researchers and policy makers. While the globe is becoming hotter, this temperature increase can have paradoxical effects, such as more serious snowstorms. Some people argue that the Earth will heal itself, through its natural process for removing this human caused CO2 from the atmosphere. Working on the timescale of thousands to millions of years, the University of Pittsburgh’s Werne said, “So, Yes the Earth will heal itself, but not in time for our cultural institutions to be preserved as they are.” A relevant proverb says, “Alert today; Alive tomorrow”. We all should take necessary steps to protect our Earth from Global Warming not only for ourselves but also for the future generations.