Global warming is the burning issue nowadays
Global warming is one of the current issues nowadays. This burning issue is discussed by politicians, environmentalists, and other people who are concerned with its effects. Although the causes of this catastrophe are in doubt its irreparable effects are real and measurable. There are a lot of points of view concerning the causes of this approaching catastrophe. We are going to cast light upon some of the most reasonable causes of this catastrophe.
The causes of global warming
Natural causes
Factually, all causes may be divided into two groups namely the group of natural causes and the group of anthropogenic or man-made causes. Let us firstly dwell upon natural causes that do not depend on mankind. One of the main natural causes is wetlands and arctic tundra that are the main source of methane emission. Methane is known to be a greenhouse gas that increases the temperature in the atmosphere. Another cause is that the Earth is in a state of climate change as far as the line of the equator has gradually moved. This climate change usually happens once in 40,000 years and global warming is the result of this change. There are not so many natural causes as man-made ones.
Anthropogenic (man-made) causes
A human being’s actions are considered to be the main cause of global warming. These causes are the most harmful for our planet. People are accustomed to taking everything from their life without taking care of further generations. They use the wealth of our nature without any paying back. Such irresponsibility may cause a global catastrophe which results will be irreparable.
Causes that make mankind think over their actions
Pollution is one of the most current issues nowadays. Although people realize all consequences of their actions they do not stop harming the Earth. There are a lot of forms of pollution beginning from rubbish to fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are considered to be the main cause of global warming. When fossil fuels are burnt they emit the greenhouse gas CO2 that influences the atmosphere temperature. The burning of oil and coal emits methane. Methane is emitted during the mining of the oil or coal as far as methane is kept in the ground.
More than that, industrial development also may be considered to be the cause of global warming as far as the development and broadening of plants mean the rise of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Markham, 2009). The rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere results in the rise of temperature caused the destruction of many plants and animals.
More than that, electricity production increases CO2 emissions (West, n.d.). We live in the era of modern technologies and we cannot imagine our life without electrical devices. There are more electrical devices than people living on the Earth. If you pay attention to the electrical devices near you, you will be astonished to realize how many gadgets you need. It is even difficult to imagine how people live without all these electric devices in the past. Mankind depends on oil and coal as the main sources of electricity and energy and if humanity does not find any alternative source of energy our Earth will be on the way to the disaster. The natural resources are exhausted and mankind does not care about it. They just take from nature without giving something back.
Another anthropogenic cause of global warming is the incredible rise in population. It is necessary more food and more space for more people. The rise of necessity in food results in the development of agriculture and the necessity for space causes deforestation. As a result, more grand is used for agriculture instead of woods that emit oxygen. Manure that is so often used in agriculture is another cause of global warming as far as it is the main source of methane. More than that, the development of agriculture denotes the use of different chemical fertilizers that are the sources of greenhouse gases. The use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers causes the heat storage of cropland (Markham, 2009). Anaerobic decomposition is also the source of methane emission. This process takes place when organic matter is decomposed by bacteria under the influence of oxygen-starved conditions and as a result, methane is emitted. It usually happens with rice paddies (Markham, 2009). Nearly the same process is observed in herbivorous animals such as cows. Domestic animals also need more food and are considered to be the source of methane. With the rise of population and the development of agriculture the level of greenhouse gases increases (West, n.d.).
More people also mean more means of transport that are the main cause of the emission of greenhouse gases too (Cause and effect for global warming, 2007). A car has become an integral part of human life and there are people who even have more than one car. There are countries where the number of means of transportation increases the population itself. Factually, consumption exceeds the real needs of people. People use more than they really need.
CO2 is considered to be the main cause of global warming. People breathe out CO2 that is why the rise of population means the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere. The trees that absorb CO2 and emit oxygen vanish as far as people need more space for their living. Deforestation is one more cause of global warming. The main causes of deforestation are the necessity in woods that are the main source of warming, building and paper production. Deforestation increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that also causes global warming (Cause and effect for global warming, 2007).
From the above said we may conclude that there are a lot of causes of global warming. Global warming is caused by human activities as well as the processes in nature. Although there are some natural causes that do not depend on mankind the majority of them are the fault of humanity. There are people who consider the natural causes to be the main ones and the people who condemn human activities. Although the points of view are different global warming as any other phenomenon has its causes and effects. It should be noted that only the major consequences of human activities have been described in this essay. There are a lot of other causes that should be taken into account. Nevertheless, these major causes should make people think about their actions. Although, the process of global warming is difficult or even impossible to stop we may take measures to soften its effects. The understanding of real causes helps to solve the problem and save our planet.
Works Cited
Cause and Effect for Global Warming. n.d. Web. 2012.
Markham, Derek 2009, Global Warming Effects and Causes: A top 10 List. Web.
West, Larry. n.d. What Causes Global Warming? Web. 2012.