Global Warming: Ahead Of It's Time

Global Warming: Ahead Of It's Time

Global warming refers to the untoward rise of temperature near the earth's surface due in effect to the accumulation of greenhouse gases. This phenomenon was observed as early as the 18th to mid 19th century in view of the rapid industrialization in developed countries. This activity, which employed heavy machinery and compounded by the use of fossil fuels all contributed to the massive build-up of the atmosphere's greenhouse gases.

In an ideal setting (just before the industrial revolution) short wave light from the sun enters thru the thermal blanket (greenhouse gases) which is a compound of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The short wave light is reflected by the earth as infrared radiation back to the atmosphere; but only a fraction is retained by the thermal blanket and is returned to the surface to sustain an environment where plants can grow, man and beast can live and tame our climatic patterns. Because of man's neglect, the accumulation of greenhouse gases eventually reached irreversible proportions to damage the ozone layer, the earth's shield against harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.

With the advent of industries, particularly the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels; chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC for air-conditioners, aerosol propellants, etc.); grass fires during the dry season; oil-field fires during the Iraq war in the 90's; rapid deforestations from Asia to South America or even methane derived from rice fields in Southeast Asia are all instrumental to the increase of greenhouse gases. This scenario will raise global temperature from 1.44 to 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by year 2100, as reported by the World's Inter-government Panel on Climate Change.

Some concerted global effort will have to be initiated in order to avert the ill effects of global warming or Mother Earth will experience a continued rise in temperature thereby causing the polar ice caps to melt; sea water to rise considerably inundating the lowland worldwide and erasing some of the habitable islands.

This could lead to the extinction of species due to the loss of natural habitats and the erratic climatic behavior. In fact polar ice cap melting has already begun; 30 years ahead of the projections made by experts in the field.