Changes in temperature and weather patterns over extended periods of time are referred to as “climate change.” These shifts may be natural, but human activities have been the primary driver of climate change since the 1800s. This is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), which releases heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
Causes of Global Warming
Global warming is one component of climate change, and it refers to the long-term increase in the temperature of the world. It is caused by higher concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are mostly produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and farming.
The Greenhouse effect
Various sources of solar and terrestrial radiation work together to keep the average surface temperature of the Earth constant. As a result, solar radiation is commonly referred to as “shortwave radiation” because its frequencies are relatively high and its wavelengths are quite short—both of which are near to those found in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. When it comes to terrestrial radiation, on the other hand, it is commonly referred to as “longwave” radiation due to the low frequencies and long wavelengths that are present, which are located somewhere within the infrared region of the spectrum. Watts per square metre are commonly used to express the amount of solar energy that moves downwards. It is estimated that around 1,366 watts per square metre of annual incoming solar radiation is emitted from the top of the Earth’s atmosphere (the so-called “solar constant”). The average surface insolation is 342 watts per square metre per year, after accounting for the fact that only half of the planet’s surface gets solar radiation at any one time.
Radiative forcing
The greenhouse effect, as discussed above, has the effect of raising the temperature of the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere in three ways:
(1) by increasing the amount of solar radiation entering the Earth’s atmosphere from the top of the atmosphere;
(2) by changing the fraction of the radiation reaching the surface; and
(3) by changing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon that occurs when the amount of solar radiation entering the Earth’s atmosphere increases. “Radiative forcing” is a word that can be used to describe the changes in any situation. In accordance with the IPCC’s definition, radiative forcing is a measure of the influence that a given climatic element has on the amount of downward-directed radiant energy that strikes Earth’s surface during the course of a given year. For each factor, forcing values are calculated for the time period between 1750 and the present day. Climatic factors are divided into two categories: those caused primarily by human activity (such as greenhouse gas emissions and aerosol emissions) and those caused primarily by natural forces (such as solar radiation). When climatic variables contribute to the warming of the Earth’s surface, this is referred to as “positive forcing.” When climatic factors contribute to the cooling of the Earth’s surface, this is referred to as “negative forcing.”.
The influences of human activity on climate
Human activity has had an impact on global surface temperatures by altering the radiative balance that governs the Earth on a variety of timescales and at a variety of spatial sizes, among other things. The most significant and well-known anthropogenic influence on climate change is the increase in the amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Humans also have an impact on climate via altering the amounts of aerosols and ozone in the atmosphere, as well as by altering the land cover of the Earth’s surface.
Water vapour
However, although water vapour is the most potent of all the greenhouse gases present in the Earth’s atmosphere, its behaviour differs fundamentally from that of the other greenhouse gases. Not as a direct agent of radiative forcing, water vapour plays the most important role in the climate system as a climate feedback—that is, as a response within the climate system that has an impact on the system’s continuous activity. This discrepancy stems from the fact that, in most cases, the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere cannot be directly affected by human behaviour, but is instead determined by the temperature of the surrounding air. The greater the rate of evaporation of water from a surface, the warmer the surface. As a result, enhanced evaporation results in a higher concentration of water vapour in the lower atmosphere, which is capable of absorbing longwave radiation and releasing it downward.
Carbon dioxide
The largest significant contributor is carbon dioxide (CO2). Volcanic emissions, the combustion and natural decay of organic waste, and the respiration of aerobic (oxygen-using) organisms are all examples of natural sources of CO2 in the atmosphere. They are countered on average by a collection of physical, chemical, or biological processes referred to as “sinks,” which are responsible for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Terrestrial vegetation, which absorbs CO2 through the process of photosynthesis, is a significant natural sink for carbon dioxide emissions.
Deforestation
As a result of their ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen back into it, plants and trees play a vital part in climate regulation. Forests and bushland operate as carbon sinks, and they are an important part of the solution to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The human race, on the other hand, clears large tracts of vegetation all over the world for agricultural, urban and infrastructural development, or to sell tree products such as lumber and palm oil. Vegetation is removed from the landscape or burned, releasing the previously stored carbon into the atmosphere as CO2 , which contributes to global climate change.
Examples of Global Warming
- The melting of the polar ice caps is caused by rising temperatures.
- Glaciers melt and recede at a higher rate than usual as a result of rising temperatures.
- The influx of meltwater to the oceans is the primary source of climate change today.
- The addition of meltwater to the oceans causes the ocean levels to rise.
- Increased flooding in coastal regions could be a result of rising sea levels.
Conclusion
Humans are currently confronted with the challenge of climate change, and the ones who are producing these conflicts are themselves human. Although it is difficult to completely halt global warming, people can nevertheless help to mitigate and delay the progress of the problem. If there is no interaction to this situation, people will die as a result of climate change and natural disasters in the near future. In the past, humans were responsible for the transformation of the world; now it is up to the individual to transform themselves.