Ever since the rapid evolution of technology and automation, global warming has been a major problem we have had to deal with. This blog post explores the idea of global warming, its root causes, and ways we can help to reduce it.
What is Global Warming?
Global warming is the increase in Earth’s overall temperature over the past decades due to a variety of factors. Consequences have included increased droughts and severe natural disasters across the planet.
As a result of increased temperatures and global warming, numerous icebergs across the world are being melted, increasing sea levels. This is a major problem as increased sea levels cause intense flooding and storms. Global warming also increases the temperature of oceans, which significantly harm corals and coral reefs.
Contributing Factors
There are many factors that contribute to global warming. Significant influences include increased greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, factories have also played a major role in manufacturing and mass producing products, which create large greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide, a byproduct of various industries, get emitted to the atmosphere in dangerously large amounts. Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, form a thick layer in the atmosphere which essentially trap and absorb radiation and heat that would otherwise be reflected off of Earth’s surface. This is known as the Greenhouse Effect.
Another cause for the greenhouse effect is the burning of fossil fuels for energy, which also release large amounts of greenhouse gases. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources formed from the remains of dead plants and animals, including coal, natural gas and oil. Transportation also plays a major role in greenhouse gas emissions, as the burning of fossil fuels is essential for most vehicles such as cars and ships.
Deforestation is another major cause of global warming. Ever since the rapid expansion of infrastructure the demand for resources has been increasing, about 15 billion trees are cut down each year. Deforestation causes increased temperatures, as fewer trees mean less carbon dioxide absorbed for photosynthesis, which increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
What We Can Do
Global warming is a major issue that needs to be solved quickly as the overall environment is being significantly harmed. Here are some ways we can help to mitigate global warming and greenhouse gas emissions:
- Promoting renewable and sustainable energy sources – Using renewable and clean energy sources like wind and solar will significantly contribute to eliminating fossil fuel emissions, a major cause of Global Warming. Unlike fossil fuels it is known that renewable energy emits little to no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, helping mitigate climate change.
- Buying local – Buying local will also help with global warming as it significantly reduces the emissions caused by importing through ships and effectively lowers your carbon footprint.
- Reducing the usage of cars – Using biking and public transportation as means of transportation when possible also helps with climate change as studies have shown it will cut emissions significantly.
- Reuse and recycle – Reusing and recycling products helps reduce wastes and reduces energy consumption which helps with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
- Planting trees – Planting trees helps global warming as trees naturally absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for its natural process of photosynthesis, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases.