The Unequivocal Truth

Global Warming

“The Earth is in a death spiral. It will take radical action to save us.” 

Ever felt the rain pour relentlessly on a cloudless, summer afternoon? Have you ever witnessed unimaginable heat drenching you in the winters? Chances are you have. These irrevocable changes in the climate are a result of global warming, one of the most alarming and concerning issues threatening the survival of our planet. The earth is both literally and metaphorically melting, burning in front of our eyes and destroying the beauty of nature, the joy unborn eyes will be tragically at this rate be deprived off. Humanity is destroying the earth, the gifts of civilization, fruits of technological advancements are being misused. It is our duty to make a change before its too late. 

What is global warming? 

• In simple terms, global warming is the increase in the overall average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, attributed to the greenhouse effect, increased level of carbon dioxide, ozone depletion and cfcs. The earth is warmer than ever, in the last 40 years the global annual temperature has risen by 0.18 Celsius per decade. from 1500 to 1850, the net average increase in temperature was about 0.1 degrees Celsius.  The 5 warmest years recorded have all occurred since 2015. 

Causes; 

There are a plethora of causes contributing to global warming which stem primarily from imprudent, selfish human activities .The primary causes of global warming are the greenhouse effect, deforestation, industrial revolution, and automobile emissions. 

Greenhouse effect

• The primary cause of global warming is the greenhouse effect. In recent years Global warming has risen tremendously due to the increase in emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide which trap the solar radiation from the sun and do not allow it to escape into space. As a result the surface temperature of the atmosphere increases due to the burning of fossil fuels .In a recent report the largest source of greenhouse gases is transportation 29 percent, electricity production 28 percent and industrial activities 22 percent. 

Industrial revolution

• The dawn of the industrial revolution was one of the first causes climate change. from 1500 to 1850, the net average increase in temperature was about 0.1 degrees Celsius . However since the industrial revolution came into full force, its been increasing exponentially, at a rate of 0.18 degrees per decade and there has been a net increase of nearly 1.5 degrees. The increased living standards, led to the exploitation of fossil fuels like coal petroleum and natural gas which in turn released many harmful gases into the atmosphere(co2,methane) thus contributing to the greenhouse effect. 

Deforestation

• The rapidly diminishing forest cover to satiate human needs and to feed the growing population has adversely affected the environment, depleted the oxygen levels and increased the concentration of carbon dioxide. Trees during photosynthesis produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide hence keeping co2 levels in check. Lack of forest cover results in increase of co2 levels. When trees are cut down, burnt or left to rot, the stored carbon is emitted into the atmosphere. Since 1990, it is estimated that 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses. About 17 percent of forest cover has been lost in the last 50 years, mostly due to cattle ranching . 

Human activities

• Human activities like pollution, burning fossil fuels, cutting trees and farming life-stock have enormously contributed to climate change . The United States is responsible for almost a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and China is the second-largest emitter, followed by the members of the European union. The increase in use of chlorofluorocarbons in recent times(aerosol sprays, coolants, refrigerants) has adversely affected the environment and depleted the ozone layer. The depletion of the ozone layer has let harmful UV rays penetrate the atmosphere.

Written by : Auvi Mukherjee, Aditya Bajaj, Dev Aswani, Azann Qureshi and Aarav Gupta