The Future and the Effects of Global Warming

There is a very big and important reason why humans should be concerned about the rising problem of global warming. On February 2, 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nation submitted a long scientific report that states that there is 90% certainty that human activity has been the fundamental cause of increasing temperatures all over the world since the year 1950. Not only that, the report hinted that the rising temperatures would go on for centuries. There would be no stopping the changes and their consequences since there are already too much heat-trapping greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The one thing man can do now is to try to delay global warming and its effects.

A grave consequence of global warming is the rising temperature. By 2050, world temperature is expected to be 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit. With rising temperatures, weather patterns would be altered and greatly affect agriculture and supplies of water. The lack of water and the rising temperature would give rise to increasing desert lands. Droughts and heat waves would occur more often and in some areas, snow would disappear except on the highest peaks of mountains. Sea levels are expected to rise too, between 7 and 23 inches by 2100. People would have to fear more hurricanes and together with them, floods due to increasing sea levels and heavier rainfall. Rising temperatures would enrich the breeding grounds of mosquitoes, carriers of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Rising sea levels would present grave danger to millions of people who reside within three feet of mean sea level. Rising waters of just 4 inches would flood South Sea islands and put the states of Florida and Louisiana at risk. The Indian Ocean of nation of Maldives would also be at risk because it only has a maximum elevation of 8 feet.

The report also foresees a major meltdown of Greenland ice fields and of Arctic ice in the 21^st century. Arctic ice acts as the "air conditioner" at the top of the world. If there is a major meltdown, then global temperature is really peaking. The ice sheets in the Antarctic may increase in size due to increased snowfall in the region. However, this would not be enough to alter rising sea levels.

Scientists have not recommended anything concrete, but they did advice that to slow down global warming, there should be conservation, increased usage of renewable energy and alternative fuels to lessen the use of coal and oil, and energy efficiency. In order to do this, corporations, governments around the world, and consumers must commit themselves to change. In the past, efforts to quail global warming had failed because of lack of commitment. Unless man starts doing what is right for the environment and protecting the environment, the future generations will take the brunt of global warming and its consequences. As early as now global temperatures are higher than they were before. Who knows what could happen. If environmental efforts fail again, then there is no telling how near the doom of man is.