Earth's average temperature is increasing continuously to adangerous extent. Temperature has risen by 0.5 ± 0.2C. Glaciersare melting across the globe and the gravity of the situationcan be harnessed from the fact that some glaciers have evendisappeared from some parts of the world. In Polar Regions iceis melting at an alarming speed. Such melting of ice caps is inturn affecting the sea level. This may give a push to naturaldisasters like floods, droughts, hurricanes etc. Humanactivities have attributed greatly towards these adverseconditions.
Extensive studies conducted by the scientists have proved thatglobal warming cannot be a result of natural changes only.Emission of gases, which is a major factor in global warming, isa result of human activities. According to a report prepared bya U.S. scientific institute, the increase in surface airtemperature and sea temperature is an outcome of accumulation ofgreenhouse gases, which in turn is attributable to inconsideratehuman activities. Figures prove that in the last 1000 years,temperature of surface of the earth has been recorded as thewarmest in the 20th century. From last 150 years green housegases are being accumulated in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide isincreasing in the atmosphere due to deforestation and fuelburning. Along with it, emission of other greenhouse gases likemethane, chlorofluorocarbons is also polluting the atmosphere.The contribution of volcanic gas emissions in global warming isalso a major one. Statistics show that before the year 1750,volcanoes and solar forces were contributing about 50 percenttowards global warming but in the recent years the effect ofgreen house gases on temperature variations has risen up toeight times.
The pattern of global warming is not uniform throughout thewhole world. Due to the changes in the atmosphere some coolingeffect is also seen in the Atlantic and central North Pacific.Burning of fossil fuels makes the environment polluted bychanging the balance or constitution of aerosols and gases inthe atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has long survival time in theatmosphere. Development of industrial sector is resulting inincrease in emission of other gases like methane etc. Thesegreenhouse gases make the surface of the earth warmer byblocking the radiations of the sun and increasing theevaporation rate of the surface moisture. The humidity in theenvironment is also mounting due to global warming. The threatof floods is lurking large because of rise in frequency ofrainfalls and snowfalls. Increase in evaporation also raises therisk of droughts. It may also result in amplifying numerouskinds of viral infections.
Some scientists do not accept human activities as culprit forglobal warming but there are numerous instances from which humanhand in global warming is clearly visible. The process of globalwarming and its results are very gradual so the outcome wouldnot be visible to a large extent to the present generation. Butthe consequences of global warming would be very dangerous forthe future generations. The long term accumulated adverseeffects would start coming in limelight. Extreme weatherconditions like heavy rainfalls, humid weather, floods, droughtswould be very devastating.
United Nations Framework Convention on is aninternational agreement which was enforced on March 21,1994. Itsmain goal is to control the emission of greenhouse gases in theatmosphere, which pose a threat to climate system. Kyotoprotocol is an international agreement that has been framed asan amendment to the UNFCC with the same objective. Recentestimates make it clear that if this protocol becomes successfulit would greatly help in maintaining the temperature of theearth. Kyoto Protocol was agreed upon in Kyoto on December 1997and was enforced on February 2005. All the countries, which havesigned or ratified UNFCC are allowed to sign or ratify KyotoProtocol. This agreement has been ratified by 156 countries. Thegoal of this agreement is to reduce the collective emission ofcarbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrousoxide etc. The limits for controlling emissions are differentfor different nations like 8% for European Nations, 6% for Japanetc. The developed countries are directed to provide technologyfor attaining knowledge and completing projects concerningenvironment, to other countries. Two countries USA and Australiaare not in favour of Kyoto Protocol. Some critics treat thisagreement as a hindrance to industrial growth of the world andtransfer of wealth to not so technologically advanced thirdworld countries.
Except the oppositon put forth by a few countries, collectivepositive steps towards reducing global warming has now becomemandatory for almost whole of the world. As global warming is agradual process, efforts of present generation would be fruitfulfor future genertions.
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