module 5 global warming effects,causes,necessities, Summaries of Computer Graphics

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Global Warming

Concepts, Indicators, Factors & Effects

Definition:

• Global Warming : Global Warming is a gradual increase in the earths temperature, generally due to Greenhouse Effect caused by increased levels of Carbon dioxide, CFC’s & other Pollutants.
• Greenhouse gases : Are gases in the Earth’s Atmosphere that trap Heat. Carbon dioxide is Earth’s most important greenhouse gas,a gas that Absorbs & Radiates Heat.
• Too much of these greenhouse gases can cause Earth's atmosphere to trap more and more heat. This causes Earth to warm up.
• CFC’s : CFCs stand for chlorofluorocarbons. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs ) arc non-toxic, non-flammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine.
• CFCs react with sunlight in the earth's stratosphere to break down the protective ozone layer, a layer of gas that shields the earth's surface from damaging UV rays.

Indicators :

• (^) Arctic sea ice extent is diminishing:
• The area covered by sea ice has been smaller every year for the past 30 years, with an average decrease of 3.2% per decade.
• Air temperature over ocean is increasing:
• Just as temperatures over land are getting warmer, so are temperatures over oceans. Warmer air near the ocean surface leads to increased evaporation, and more evaporation means more water vapor in the air. The increased amount of water vapor not only contributes to extra warming, but may feed heavy precipitation events and act as fuel for potential hurricanes, if other conditions are right.
• (^) Global sea level is rising:
• Records show that the sea level has been rising steadily across the globe at a rate of 0.04 to 0.1 inches per year since 1900. The current rate according to NASA is 0.13 in/year, suggesting rise is accelerating. The main reasons for the rise are thermal expansion due to higher sea water temperatures (warmer water expands) and the added water from melting of land ice, such as glaciers.
• (^) Humidity is increasing (causing more warming):
• (^) Weather stations have recorded higher levels of water vapor in the air and when it is hot out, it feels even hotter. When surface temperature warms (both land and sea surface), it leads to more evaporation, and consequently an increase in atmospheric humidity. Because water vapor is a greenhouse gas, the increase in humidity causes additional warming.
• (^) Snow cover is reduced, and snow is melting earlier:
• (^) The area covered by snow in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring is getting smaller, not only because there is less snow in some areas and years, but also because snowpacks are melting earlier due to warmer temperatures. People all over the world rely on melting snow to replenish their water supplies, and the earlier melt (and sometimes smaller accumulation) reduces the water availability for these people, threatening their way of life.
• Glaciers are melting:
• Glaciers are an essential source of water for many places around the world, where people depend on glacial meltwater to replenish their aquifers. Glaciers are retreating at an astonishing pace – three times the ice volume stored in the entirety of the European Alps is lost globally every year. As glaciers melt, water supplies are at risk and there is also the potential for soil destabilization and erosion because glacial waters carve rivers through their melting path.
• Melting glaciers also can lead to hazardous conditions such as landslides and avalanches for communities below, who also value glaciers’ aesthetic value: the sheer loss of the natural beauty of glaciers majestic sights is culturally significant. The evidence of these changes is clear: Glacier National Park only has 25 of the estimated 150 glaciers that existed there in the 1800’s.

Causes of Global Warming

• (^) Man-made Causes of Global Warming
• (^) Deforestation:
• (^) Plants are the main source of oxygen. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen thereby maintaining environmental balance. Forests are

being depleted for many domestic and commercial purposes. This has led to an environmental imbalance, thereby giving rise to global warming.

• Use of Vehicles:
• The use of vehicles, even for a very short distance results in various gaseous emissions. Vehicles burn fossil fuels which emit a large amount of

carbon dioxide and other toxins into the atmosphere resulting in a temperature increase.

• (^) Chlorofluorocarbon:
• With the excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators, humans have been adding CFCs into the environment which affects the atmospheric

ozone layer. The ozone layer protects the earth surface from the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. The CFCs have led to

ozone layer depletion making way for the ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing the temperature of the earth.

• (^) Industrial Development:
• With the advent of industrialization, the temperature of the earth has been increasing rapidly. The harmful emissions from the factories add to the

increasing temperature of the earth.

• Agriculture:
• Various farming activities produce carbon dioxide and methane gas. These add to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and increase the

temperature of the earth.

• Overpopulation:
• An increase in population means more people breathing. This leads to an increase in the level of carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global

warming, in the atmosphere.

Effects of Global Warming

• (^) Rise in Temperature
• (^) Global warming has led to an incredible increase in earth’s temperature. Since 1880, the earth’s temperature has increased by ~1 degrees. This has resulted in an increase in the melting of glaciers, which have led to an increase in the sea level. This could have devastating effects on coastal regions.
• (^) Threats to the Ecosystem
• Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to the loss of plant and animal lives. Increase in global temperatures has made the fragility of coral reefs even worse.[a line of rock in the sea formed by coral(hard red , pink or white substance that forms in the sea from the bones of very small sea animals)].
• (^) Climate Change
• (^) Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. There are droughts at some places and floods at some. This climatic imbalance is the result of global warming.
• Spread of Diseases
• (^) Global warming leads to a change in the patterns of heat and humidity. This has led to the movement of mosquitoes that carry and spread diseases.
• (^) High Mortality Rates
• Due to an increase in floods, tsunamis and other natural calamities, the average death toll usually increases. Also, such events can bring about the spread of diseases that can hamper human life.
• (^) Loss of Natural Habitat
• (^) A global shift in the climate leads to the loss of habitats of several plants and animals. In this case, the animals need to migrate from their natural habitat and many of them even become extinct. This is yet another major impact of global warming on biodiversity.