According to the National Geographic Society, global warming is the long-term increase in the overall temperature of the planet (2019). Although global warming has been going on for a long period, over the last hundred years its pace has increased significantly as a result of burning of fossil fuels (National Geographic Society, 2019). This burning of fossil fuels leads to the greenhouse effect- the trapping of sun rays in the Earth’s atmosphere- through the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide (National Geographic Society, 2019).
Over the years, several arguments and controversies have come about over the issue of global warming. Some of the common and misleading arguments are that: carbon dioxide makes only a small percentage of the atmosphere so it cannot be accountable for global warming; rises of carbon dioxide levels are due to increasing temperatures and not the other way around; and finally, the scale of the adverse effects of climate change is most times overplayed and thus urgent action is needless (The Royal Society, 2008).
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The effects of global warming are already significantly felt on our communities, our health, and our climate and immediate action should, therefore, be taken to tackle global warming (Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 2019). One of the solutions to this menace is reducing emissions, which serves to reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases that are in the atmosphere (Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 2019), and thus reduce the greenhouse effect.
A second solution that is ongoing is campaigning for people to stop deforestation. According to the opinion Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), deforestation in tropical regions is responsible for more than ten percent of the world’s heat-trapping emissions and therefore reducing it would play an integral role (Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 2019). Fighting misinformation is another way through which global warming is being challenged. The final solution for global warming is preparing for the inevitable impacts, including sea level rise and growing wildlife risks (Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 2019).
Indisputable evidence of global warming is readily available, and predictions for worsening of the problem have been provided by reputable bodies. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasted the global average rise in temperature from two to three degrees this century (The Royal Society, 2008). This would mean a massive climate change will be experienced on earth to the extent that many people and ecosystems will not be able to adapt (The Royal Society, 2008).
An example of this is that the increasing temperatures may increase the frequency and severity of heat waves, storms, and floods (The Royal Society, 2008). Additionally, there are serious concerns that the rise in greenhouse gases would eventually lead to large-scale and abrupt changes in Earth’s natural systems such as melting of large ice sheets that would be consequential for low lying areas (The Royal Society, 2008).
The available scientific understanding of climate change is sufficient to make people understand the threat of global warming. The task, therefore, falls on humans and governments to take urgent steps to minimize greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere to avert the more severe effects of climate change (The Royal Society, 2008). Additionally, we should be well prepared for the inevitable impacts of climate change that have already been triggered (The Royal Society, 2008). Finally, challenges and debates are how science moves forward, and this will continue even for global warming: however, the current criticisms on global warming are not well founded (The Royal Society, 2008) and therefore do not warrant not taking action against global warming.
References
The Royal Society. (2008). Climate Change Controversies . Retrieved from https://royalsociety.org/-/media/Royal_Society_Content/policy/publications/2007/8031.pdf
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). (2019). Global Warming . Retrieved from https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming
National Geographic Society. (2019, March 27). Global Warming . Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/global-warming/
