Munteanu Ana – Cristina Grupa 8220, Anul II

Facultatea de Management, Inginerie Economica in Agricultura si Dezvoltare Rurala

Global warming, its consequences and

possible steps to be taken

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2.Causes of Global Warming 3. Natural Causes: a) Solar Activityb) Natural Forest Fire c) Melting Permafrost d) Man-made Causes

4. Effects of Global Warming on Earth in Future 5. Conclusion

Introduction• Global warming is a slow steady rise in Earth’s temperature. Temperatures today are 0.74 °C

higher than 150 years ago.• The basic cause seems to be a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, as predicted by Svante

Arrhenius a hundred years ago. When people use fossil fuels like coal and oil , this adds carbon dioxide to the air. When people cut down the Earth's forests (deforestation), this means less carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere by plants.

• If the Earth's temperature becomes hotter ,the sea level will also become higher. This is partly because water expands when it gets warmer. It is also partly because warm temperatures make glaciers melt. The sea level rise may cause coastal areas to flood. Weather patterns, including where and how much rain or snow there is, will change. Deserts will probably increase in size. Colder areas will warm up faster than warm areas. Strong storms may become more likely and farming may not make as much food. These effects will not be the same everywhere. The changes from one area to another are not well known.

• People in government and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have talked about global warming. They do not agree on what to do about it. Some things that could reduce warming are to burn less fossil fuels, adapt to any temperature changes, or try to change the Earth to reduce warming. The Kyoto Protocol tries to reduce pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. Most governments have agreed to it. Some people in government think nothing should change.

Causes of Global Warming

Scientists have spent decades figuring out what is causing global warming. They've looked at the natural cycles and events that are known to influence climate. But the amount and pattern of warming that's been measured can't be explained by these factors alone. The only way to explain the pattern is to include the effect of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by humans. One of the first things scientists learned is that there are several

greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production. The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, also called CO2. Other contributors include methane released from landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals), nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2. Since 1990, yearly emissions have gone up by about 6 billion metric tons of "carbon dioxide equivalent" worldwide, more than a 20 percent increase.

Natural Causes Natural causes are causes that are created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas and a very dangerous gas to our environment. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Another natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This climate change usually lasts about 40,000 years. The most common natural causes are: - Solar Activity- Natural Forest Fire - Melting Permafrost - Man-made Causes

SOLAR ACTIVITY It is widely recognized that variations in solar radiation and activities, such as solar

flares or sunspots, if it’s enough large , it could have an impact on the global temperature.

For example, in the seventeenth century, a fainter sun was believed to have contributed to a climatic period known as the “Little Ice Age”, where the average global temperature was about 1 degree Celsius cooler than it is today.

Solar activities are observed to vary in cycles, like the 11-yr sunspot cycle. Changes in the sun’s activity is in turn observed to change the magnetic activity in and around the sun. This magnetic field plays a significant role in deflecting cosmic rays (charged particles originating from exploding stars in the galaxy) from the Earth. At times when the sun dims and the magnetic field drops, the cosmic rays penetrate deeper into our solar system.

NATURAL FOREST FIRE Wildfires can be ignited by a variety of occurrences. In addition to lightning, human-

related activities start a large number of fires every year. Unattended or out-of-control campfires, a discarded burning cigarette, arson, or even equipment use can set off a blaze.

Once a forest fire has started, many factors contribute to this spreading and intensity. Fuel - such as leaves, needles, grass, branches, and logs Weather, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind Topography, or landscape of the area, as steep slopes offer greater potential for

increased fire intensity and more obstacles for fire fighting. More than 83% of forest fires in 2006 were started by human activities, accounting

for the burning of nearly 4.4 million acres. However, lightning-caused fires burned more total area - nearly 5.5 million acres.

Large scale permafrost melting in the North and South Poles can contribute substantially to global warming. In these areas, large amounts of carbon are frozen and stored in the form of permafrost.

Disturbances, such as changes in solar activity, natural forest fires and volcanic eruptions etc, to these natural carbon storage areas may result in the large scale melting of permafrost, in turn leading to the large scale release of the green house gas into the atmosphere. As the carbon in permafrost have been out of the atmosphere for thousands of years, the sudden release of these sequestered carbon into the atmosphere will definitely result in imbalances in the carbon cycle and other natural processes.

Melting Permafrost

Man-made Causes Man-made causes probably do the most

damage to our planet. There are many man-made causes of global warming. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. Pollution comes in many shapes and sizes. Burning fossil fuels is one thing that causes pollution. Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter such as coal, or oil. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. Also, mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. How does it escape? Methane is naturally in the ground. When coal or oil is mined you have to dig up the earth a little bit. When you dig up the fossil fuels you dig up the methane as well letting it escape into the atmosphere.

Effects of Global Warming on Earth in Future

Global Warming will have serious impacts on the environment and on society. Higher temperatures will cause a melting of ice in Greenland and Antartica. This will accelerate the rise of sea level. The speed at which global warming is expected to occur in the 21st century, is faster than most plant and animal species will be able to cope with. Some will adapt but others will suffer and may become extinct.

Global Warming will effect agriculture.New crops will be able to be grown in areas that are currently too cold to support them. However, more pests and diseases may offset any benefits higher temperatures may have. Water resources will also be affected.

ConclusionIn conclusion, Global Warming is a serious

problem that it would reduce if people started from now being conscious about what is happening in the world and the consequences of our actions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environmen

t/global-warming/gw-causes/

https://nurhaunted7777.wordpress.com/ http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/natural-causes-of-glo

bal-warming.html

https://www.arborday.org/replanting/firecauses.cfm