Global Warming and Bangladesh

8/9/2019 Global Warming and Bangladesh

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SANIUL ISLAM 2006-3-80-004

Introduction

One of the biggest problems facing the world today is global warming.

Is global warming really happening? Most scientists believe so, and if

something is not done quickly then it may be too late to save the planet.People ask many questions when dealing with global warming. What are

the causes of global warming? How will global warming affect our lives?

Which areas are most at risk? How can global warming be stopped? If

global warming cannot be stopped, the biggest question becomes, how long

will we be able to live on earth until it becomes uninhabitable for us? Global

warming represents an important issue that we must learn as much about

as possible. If we ignore the progressing problems, devastating

consequences will surely occur.

Defination

Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature

on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes, droughts

and floods are getting more frequent. Over the last 100 years, the average

temperature of the air near the Earths surface has risen a little less than 1

Celsius (0.74 0.18C, or 1.3 0.32 Fahrenheit).

Does not seem all that much? It is responsible for the conspicuous increase instorms, floods and raging forest fires we have seen in the last ten years,

though, say scientists.

Saniul Islam EEE East West University


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The causes of global warming

The concern about global warming is devastatingly real. The

twentieth-century recorded the highest temperatures in one thousand years

and the last two decades were the hottest of the 1900s. Why is thishappening? The reason for the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

results from human beings. According to Beth Daley, Scientists from more

than 110 countries are more that 90 percent certain that humans are the

main reason for the worlds recent temperature rise .

The emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere functions as

the main cause of global warming. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse

gases enter the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal,

oil, and gasoline. At the same time, power plants that supply energy to

houses, business, and automobiles, release carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere. According to Dianne Feinstein, a member of the Senate

Energy Committee, carbon dioxide does not dissipate in the atmosphere.

It stays there for at least five decades. This means that the carbon

dioxide emitted now will not dissipate until at least the year 2057. As a

result of the long duration needed to eradicate carbon dioxide, the amount

of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere needs to be reduced

drastically and quickly. If not, it may be too late to save the planet.

Over the past 100 years, mankind has been burning increasing

quantities of fossil fuels (such as coal and oil) to provide energy. This has

released large volumes of a number of gases into the atmosphere,

particularly CO2. At the same time, the world's remaining large forests -

which help absorb CO2 - are being rapidly destroyed by commercial logging

and to make way for farm land. Overall, the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere

have increased by 30% over the last century. When in the atmosphere, CO2

and other gases are thought to lead to a 'greenhouse effect': they allow

sunlight to pass through, but absorb heat emitted by the earth, trapping it

and leading to global warming. Weather records seem to support this theory.

Average temperatures have increased by up to 0.6C since the 19th century;the four hottest years since accurate records began have all been in the last

decade. Unusual weather patterns such as floods and droughts have also



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been on the increase, with the uncharacteristically strong El Nio events of

recent years causing widespread disruption. The Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (IPCC), an international body set up to study possible global

warming, has concluded that "... the balance of evidence suggests that thereis a discernible human influence on global climate."

The effects of global warming

Global warming is accelerating rapidly. Already, many countries,

ecosystems and people are suffering from its impacts. Global warming has

affected our weather patterns and disrupted our variability and trends in

climate. This is resulting in an increase in climate related extreme events like

heavy rainfall, flood, cyclone, storm surge, etc. These claim thousands of

lives, destroy billions of dollar worth of properties, and disrupt livelihoods of

hundreds of millions of people.

In 2001, scientists predicted that by the year 2100 the temperatures

would rise between 2.5 and 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit and the ocean levels

would increase between ten and ninety centimeters (one to nine inches). In

a new report released in 2007, scientists predicted that the temperatures

would rise between 3.6 and 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. The

sea level is now predicted to increase seven to twenty-three inches or even

more if the polar ice sheet continues to melt. But according to Beth Daley,

many scientists have warned that the projections are still too cautious,

arguing that sea level rise could be closer to three to five feet because of ice

sheet melt. If people remain passive about global warming, huge ice sheets

near the north and south poles will melt in the meantime. When the ice

sheets melt, the oceans could rise over twenty feet, causing massive flooding

in coastal regions all around the world.

The ocean currents may also be affected by global warming causing

substantial problems. Scientists already have evidence of the artic currents

changing and believe it is possible to see this change in the North Atlantic

current. If the North Atlantic current does alter, temperatures in Europemay drop drastically because the current brings warm water from the south

to Scotland. According to Gregg Easterbrook, Geological studies show that



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the North Atlantic current has stopped in the past and if it stops again,

Europe might take on the climate of present-day Newfoundland. This

climate change may cause people to vacate certain regions in Europe,

considerably hurting the worlds economy.Many ecosystems will be disrupted and destroyed as global warming

continues. Even the smallest changes in an ecosystem can have

tremendous outcomes. Studies on ocean currents show that minor changes

within the current can throw off migration patterns. For example, a few

years ago a pod of whales were found beached over five hundred miles off

their usual migration pattern. More and more of these occurrences are

bound to happen as ocean currents and ecosystems continue to change.

Another effect of global warming is the weather patterns. More

natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and heat waves occur more

frequently now than in the past. At the same time, these events appear

quite severe in contrast to the natural disasters in previous decades.

Scientists posit that the greater intensity of hurricanes results from the rise

in the oceans temperature. Similarly, heat waves caused over two-

thousand deaths in Europe and fifteen-hundred deaths in India. In short,

the warmer the planet becomes the greater frequency and intensity of

occurring natural disasters.

The spread of disease and drought function as an example of the

social and economic effects of global warming. Malaria, for example, will

spread in many regions as drought causes a decrease in farmland. Once

the climate gradual changes, due to global warming, some countries will

benefit while others suffer. Poorer countries will not be able to adapt as

easily to changes in the climate as more powerful countries can, thus

creating economic and social hardships for the citizens. The poorer

countries will then suffer a higher mortality rate from diseases because of

their lack of resources.

As the climate continues to change so will the regions that benefit

from it. The entire worlds economy relies solely on climate. For instance,the regions in which climate change is less extreme may become stronger

and more powerful. The smallest change in climate can disrupt a regions



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economy by affecting its agriculture, trade routes, and the type of products

that are sold. Global warming may cause larger climate changes that could

effectively wipe out entire societies.

According to Gregg Easterbrook, if the global climate continueschanging, many people and nations will find themselves in a possession of

land and resources of rising value, while others will suffer dire losses. For

example, as temperatures continue to rise many lower latitude regions lose

value for their land while higher latitude latitudes gain value. Easterbrook

believes this could cause a shift in economic power making Canada,

Greenland, Russia, Scandinavia, and the United states more valuable. He

thinks this could have three powerful economic effects:

First, a new global balance of power may emerge in which Russia and

America are once again the worlds paired superpowers. Second, if northern

societies find that climate change makes them more wealthy, the quest for

world equity could be dealt a huge setback. Finally, if climate change

causes developing nations to falter, and social conditions within them

deteriorate, many millions of jobless or hungry refugees may come to the

borders of the favored north, demanding to be let in.

As warming trends continue, many low altitude regions become less and

less bearable, making the value of their land drop while forcing many of

their citizens to migrate north. On the other hand, northern regions, such

as Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia, become more temperate and the

value of their land rises. If global warming continues the entire world will

see an economic power shift.

Bangladesh and Global warming

The impacts of global warming and climate change are worldwide. For

Bangladesh they are most critical as large part of the population is chronically

exposed and vulnerable to a range of natural hazards. Already, the human

suffering and cost to development is massive to this country and its people

who are victims of human induced global warming. Between 1991 and 2000,93 major disasters were recorded in Bangladesh, resulting in nearly 200,000

deaths and causing US $ 5.9 billion in damages with high losses in agriculture



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and infrastructure. Since then, the country is experiencing recurring floods

frequently. Climatic hazards, including extremes like floods, cyclones,

tornado, storm surge, tidal bore, etc are not new to Bangladesh and the

country has a scarred history claiming many lives and resulting in losses ofassets, belongings. Some of the worst disasters in terms of mortality have

taken place on this land. In Bangladesh during the past few decades, the

effects of global warming have been evidenced in climate variability, change

and extremes. More adverse impacts are projected for the coming decades,

particularly for low lying coastline and floodplain ecosystems which

characterize Bangladesh.

To understand how global warming and climate change will impact

Bangladesh in future, influence its development aspirations and chart its

roadmap for sustainable development, three considerations are critical. The

location of Bangladesh is in a deltaic plain of a major river basin, making it

susceptible to floods and cyclones. The country is extremely populated in a

small area, and one of the most densely populated in the world. The country

is also very poor and a majority live below subsistence level, making them

already vulnerable. According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2006,

population living on income of less than one US Dollar a day is 36 percent

while 82.8 percent of the population is living on income below two US Dollars

a day.

Solutions for global warming

The key to stopping global warming is to reduce the amount of greenhouse

gases released into the atmosphere. This seems quite simple, does it not?

It is actually much harder than it seems. According to Dianne Feinstein, the

United States account for twenty-five percent of the worlds energy, and its

electricity generation is their largest contributor to global warming at thirty-

three percent. For forty states the main source of electricity is coal. The

United States uses enough coal to release 2.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide

into the atmosphere each year. In the world, coal produces 9.3 billion tonsof carbon dioxide each year. This makes coal, by far, the largest contributor

to global warming.



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In order to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through

electricity, the Senate Energy Committee developed a cap and trade

program for all electricity producers. Because of this, gas emissions will

decline. Dianne Feinstein explains how it works:We would cap the amount of global warming gases, including carbon

dioxide and nitrous oxide and that cap would be established on all major

emitters. The cap would remain at this level for several years to give the

industry the opportunity to make necessary changes. Over time, the caps

would be tightened and emissions reduce. One key element of the bill is

allowing agriculture to participate. Farmers, growers, and foresters will be

able to earn credits for moving to greener farming practices.

The cap and trade program has proven its effectiveness. It was used

under the Clean Air Act during the 1980s. This act came to existence to

reduce the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in the northeast.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide come together and produce acid rain. The

act reduced the emissions of sulfur dioxide by 34% and nitrogen oxide by

43%. This is the first step in reducing the greenhouse emissions and

stopping global warming.

In the United States the second largest contributor to global warming

is transportation, contributing about 28% of the total emissions. Cars,

trucks, and SUVs make up twenty percent of the total emissions. The best

answer to this problem is to move away from oil and gasoline based fuels

toward alternatives and improve the fuel efficiently of vehicles. We have

the technology to do this but the problem stems from some car

manufactures refusal to use these technologies.

These solutions seem like good ones, however, 192 other countries in

the world still need to incorporate their own changes. Unfortunately,

agreement between countries does not often occur. There have been six

international climate conferences in the past nine years and nothing has

been accomplished. Each country has put its national interests first. All

around the world, leaders fail to recognize the seriousness of globalwarming. For example, in the most recent conference, called the Kyoto

Conference, industrialized countries gave themselves until the year 2012 to



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reduce their greenhouse emissions by 5.2 percent. Only 33 countries have

signed the agreement when at least 55 countries are needed to enforce it.

Also, none of the countries (already in the agreement) have met their goal.

France has even gone in the opposite direction: Instead of reducing itsemissions, it has raised them by two percent.

Money is a major reason why efforts to stop global warming are slow.

John W. Anderson writes, Every serious attempt to tackle the greenhouse

effect will have immediate costs, whereas the benefits wont be apparent for

a long time. To the extent that these potential benefits boil down to a

catastrophe that might not occur, their impact will never be obvious. The

costs, however, are. Even if every country starts reducing its greenhouse

emissions today, the benefits will not be seen until at least the year 2050.

Each country has its own problems to deal with and some do not want to

invest, or cannot invest money in more efficient energy sources. It might

be possible to reduce greenhouse emissions in specific regions, but it is

nearly impossible to reduce emissions at a global level.

Conclusion

To conclude, global warming represents a serious issue that must be

dealt with to save the planet earth. It is widely believed that humans are

the main causes of global warming because of their non-environmentally

friendly energy sources. The large amounts of greenhouse gases released

into the atmosphere result from power plants, transportation vehicles, and

industrial corporations. These gases cause a rise in the average

temperatures of the entire world.

The effects of global warming range from the melting of polar ice

sheets, to the increase of natural disasters, to the spreading of disease, and

the only way to prevent these events from happening is to address the

problem immediately. The solutions for global warming include passing bills

to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases. It will take an international

effort to stop global warming and if no one can agree on a plan then, quitepossibly, the result will be the destruction of the entire planets

environment.



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References

1. Sociology(Fifth edition), Anthony Giddens.(Page:953-959)

2. http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_global_warming/index.htm

3. www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdf

4. understandingscience.ucc.ie/editorials/April07_Global

%20Warming.doc

5. www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming

.pdf

6. http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_

warming_basics/global_warming_definition.html

http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_global_warming/index.htmhttp://www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdfhttp://www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdfhttp://www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdfhttp://www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_warming_basics/global_warming_definition.htmlhttp://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_warming_basics/global_warming_definition.htmlhttp://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_global_warming/index.htmhttp://www.climatechangecell-bd.org/publications/13ccbd.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://www.amacad.org/publications/bulletin/spring2006/12globalwarming.pdfhttp://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_warming_basics/global_warming_definition.htmlhttp://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/global_warming_basics/global_warming_definition.html

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Global Warming and Bangladesh