Introduction
Human beings engage in activities that release huge amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Most of these gasses result from burning fossils fuels with the aim of getting energy. Some other processes such as agricultural activities, deforestation and industrial practices lead to the emission of gasses into the atmosphere. Every individual’s life connects to climate, and our societies have enjoyed a stable climate until they destroyed it thousand years ago (Black & Weisel, 2010). The human activities cause the climate to warm, and this affects the natural environment, health and safety, agriculture, water supplies and the power systems. The paper outlines the causes of global warming and discusses extreme weather changes and events as a major problem resulting from global warming.
One of the biggest problems that the world is facing today is global warming. Global warming can be explained by the average increase in the atmospheric temperature, causing vast climatic changes. As postulated by McGranahan & Anderson (2007), global warming changes the earth’s climate permanently, for instance, global warming rose the earth’s temperature between 0.4-0.8percent over the past ten decades. The greenhouse gasses and the huge volume of carbon dioxide emitted in the environment and some of the human activities such as land clearing are the primary sources of global warming. Research conducted by scientists reveal that global warming might raise the global temperatures from 1.4-5.8°C in about 50 years to come. Global warming raise the sea levels by melting the polar ice caps and results to severe storms as well as other severe weather patterns
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The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouses effect occurs when the earth’s atmosphere traps radiation that the sun emits, mostly due to gasses such as carbon dioxide that allows passage of sunlight but retains the heat that is radiated by the planet’s surface. The greenhouse effects, therefore, traps excess heat mainly through the transparent window and rising amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air absorbs the infrared and inhibits its escape to space. The heating of a greenhouse efficiently traps air and ensures that the energy is not lost through convection. The greenhouse gasses, therefore, act as a blanket surrounding the earth and causing it to heat. The greenhouses are meant to support life, but the accumulation of the greenhouse gasses results in severe climatic changes which impact on the individual’s health and also affects the ecosystems. Some of the major problems of global warming include catastrophic climatic changes, extinction of wild animals, the rise in the sea levels, shortage of food and water, crop failures and cloud formation patterns which have adverse effects on the quality of human life. Extreme weather changes and events
Extreme weather events
According to Black & Weisel (2010) radical changes in the weather patterns are one of the global warming effects for instance excessively hot summers and extremely cold winters. Currently, the number of severe weather changes has increased as a result of increased human activities that promote global warming. The weather patterns have to be regularly set as this era is characterized by unprecedented weather changes and patterns which have adverse impacts on our lives. In fact 30-50 years from now, the world will have implemented a very different weather recording and generating system due to the effects of global warming. The past weather prediction has become inapplicable as global warming has altered the atmospheric and ocean conditions.
Some of the recorded weather events include a hurricane that killed over 20,000 individuals in Central America and flood that took away over 40,000 lives in China. In 2002 Europe encountered floods and later heat waves which caused severe destruction and loss of property. 2010 is a year that was characterized by a broad range of extreme weather conditions (McGranahan & Anderson, 2007). The weather and climate panel ranked 2010 as the year marked by some extreme weather changes, for instance, droughts, heat waves, and arctic oscillations which resulted in extremely cold temperatures to the northern hemisphere.
The climatic changes can move the jet stream to the south resulting in more cold and icy air. Some states, therefore, experience sudden winters that are colder than normal even as the earth heats. According to the scientists, the Northern part of Europe will receive extremely cold weather if the changes in climate continue due to the melting of the Arctic which sends fresh waters south. The climatic changes will also cut the Guff stream off, keeping countries like Britain hotter than expected. McGranahan & Anderson (2007) says that a year characterized by sudden hot or cold seasons might not be recognized but when the patterns become more frequent then it is regarded as a climatic change. Global warming not only lead to heat and cold extremes but also other weather changes such as the change in the hurricane formations. Scientists claim that global warming cause hurricanes to be less frequent and adds intensity to those that forms.
Hurricanes might be less frequent in the world but become more prevalent in specific areas and occur more intensely due to the climatic alterations. The reason for more intensity is the fact that hurricane obtains their energy from the difference in temperature between cold and hot atmospheres. Global warming increases this temperature difference, and thus the hurricane is more severe once they occur. Hurricanes cause massive destruction of properties and loss of lives and thus it is a global issue. A good illustration is the 2004 August/September 2004 waves of severe hurricanes which attacked the Caribbean Island and some parts of United States which left the countries devastated (Black & Weisel, 2010). The successive hurricanes resulted in loss of thousands of lives and significantly damage expensive properties and cities
Lightning as a form of weather feature also gets affected by global warming. Research has it that more that 50% increase in the number of lightning strikes in the United States is a result of the rise in the global temperatures. Every 1.8 degree of warming results in a 12% increase in the lightning activities. Other extreme weather conditions as a result of global warming include drought, heat waves, blizzards, and rainstorms. Scientists report that these weather events will continue to rise and will have a greater intensity due to global warming (McGranahan & Anderson, 2007). The climate models claim that global warming alters the climate patterns will be changed for instance annual precipitation, seasonal temperature changes and change in the wind patterns. The greenhouse gasses are most likely to remain in the atmosphere for years, and thus the climatic changes will last longer, for instance, climatic change will increase the annual rainfall in the United States and reduce rainfall in Pacific Northwest.
Superstorms are indications of the impacts of global warming on the weather patterns. Scientists argue that in years to come global warming will result in super storms which will bring massive destruction globally. The researchers state that the Globes’ oceans are nearly at 27degreees Celsius warm which increases the chances of major storms. The reason behind this is that water at such temperatures evaporates triggering hurricane formation and once it forms, the hurricane requires warm water to build its intensity and strength (Stephen, 2004). The greenhouses gasses traps the energy from the sun which has to be dissipated which results to super storms with more intense winds and precipitation. Currently, its seems that the United States is encountering heavier and more frequent storms and global warming is to blame for these changes. Hot air traps more moisture for an extended period of, time and this means that we expect heavier precipitation in years to come.
Big storms that historically attacked the Northeast and Midwest once in every 20 years currently occur in very 4-6 years. Stephen (2004) asserts that global warming results in a shift in the snowfall trends and the melting of the river ice which increases the risks of flooding. Due to the climatic changes that global warming result to, the rainfall is heavy and the intensity higher, causing more destructions compared to the past years. Development in the affected areas should, therefore, be reduced, and the natural systems for instance wetlands protected to lessen the occurrence of floods.
Effects of the Weather Changes As A Result Of Global Warming
Most extreme weather changes significantly impact a country’s security system and also affects the power outages for instance through floods and hurricanes. The economic position of the Guff region involving the oil and gas extraction is at high risks due to intensified storms that make it almost impossible to extract. Transportation of coal in the Northeast and Midwest is disastrous due to the increased flood disruptions. Counties in the southwest regions suffer a limited electricity supply and also experience scorching conditions. The weather changes results to disproportionate climatic condition around the globe. Black & Weisel (2010) argues that that Americans, for instance, are at greater risks of residing in areas that are very vulnerable to extreme weather changes. The high population growth adds on to the weather changes as human activities involve practices that promote global warming, for instance, burning fuels. The ethnic minorities are most likely to suffer the weather changes consequences as they are mostly concentrated in the affected areas.
The weather changes for instance flood and hurricane adds more problems to the present ones in the cities such poverty. Floods and storms results to water and air pollution and also destroys the infrastructure which makes life more stressing (Stephen, 2004). If unchecked the changes resulting from global warming will impact on the health systems of the individuals affected and increased the respiratory allergies. Diseases such as asthma could stem from the extreme cold conditions, and this would lead to increased death rates or impose more cost on the health sector of the countries involved. Continued hot temperatures day and night results to life-threatening illnesses for instance heat exhaustion and kidney disorders. America reports a high death rate resulting from extreme heat compared to hurricanes or floods.
Solutions to Global Warming To Address the Extreme Weather Events
To curb global warming individuals should ensure that they reduce the heat-trapping emissions that are exposed to the atmosphere. With advanced technology, the society can implement strategic solutions that will reduce the climatic changes, for instance, allow the use of the renewable energy. The system scan is applied in a way that does not depend on fossil fuels or coal which makes them cleaner and make the emissions less toxic. The government can also place limits on the amount of carbon dioxide that businesses or even individuals emit. The government can also take the initiative of teaching the masses about the importance of planting trees to curb the global emissions related to deforestation (Black & Weisel, 2010).
A country can establish a clean energy system by implementing new technological advancement that allows the use of new energy systems and approaches. The government can apply standards and rules that ensure that the power plants reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they emit failure to which the government will set penalties and fines. People are encouraged to buy energy-sufficient products that use lesser energy and those that reduce emissions to the atmosphere. One should avoid purchasing goods that are packed with plastic and packages that cannot be recycled (McGranahan & Anderson, 2007). Reducing the household's waste can help to reduce nearly 1200 pounds of carbon dioxide every year which reduces global warming.
Conclusion
Some climatic changes are unavoidable for instance carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for almost a century and continue to warm the earth in the coming years. The warmer the earth gets the higher the chances of severe climatic changes on the planet. McGranahan & Anderson (2007) states that despite the fact that predicting the climatic change is quite hard nowadays, it is clear that the current climate conditions are not reliable in determining the future changes. Some changes to the environment are unavoidable. Individuals can, therefore, focus on reducing the risks caused by the climatic change for instance through making choices that curb greenhouses gasses emissions.
Every person should take the initiative of accessing education concerning the environmental issues that have great impacts on our lives. Most of the environmental problems we face for instance global warming should be highly considered as they do not occur in any order or patterns. It is our decisions today that determines and shape the world our future generations will live, and thus we should make right choices to ensure they lead quality lives (Black & Weisel, 2010).
References
Black, B. & Weisel, G. (2010). Global warming (1st Ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood.
McGranahan, G., Balk, D., and Anderson, B. (2007). The rising tide assessing the risks of climate change and human settlements in low elevation coastal zones.
Stephen L. (2004). Global Warming May Spawn More Super-Storms, Inter Press Service, September 20
