Is There a Solution to Global Warming?
Global warming is one of the most important problems in history. Solutions to it are controversial, extreme at best. We believe that we have found a solution to the problem, and could save our Mother Earth, which takes care of us.
The first topic that is going to be discussed is global warming and its causes. Global warming is a rapid increase in temperature on the Earth caused by multiple factors from greenhouse gases to the burning of fossil fuels.
How do we know that it is caused by humans and not by the environment itself? Because the rise of temperature due to the environment is too small for raising the temperature so rapidly. Why do we need to care about this?
Because the rising temperature can affect growing seasons, rainfalls, ice caps, and glaciers, etc (Holli Riebeek, 2010).
There are some terms that need an explanation like the greenhouse effect and what is causing it. There are 2 types: natural and enhanced.
The natural greenhouse effect is when the Earth’s temperature is mostly from the sun, one-third of the sunlight is deflected by Earth’s atmosphere, the other two-thirds are going to oceans, lands, or by gases in the atmosphere. Because oceans and lands are heating up, they radiate energy which goes to gases like CO2 or methane, which “enhances” the heating from the sun.
The enhanced greenhouse effect started in 1750 when people started to make factories, and started to give more energy to CO2 and methane (Holli Riebeek, 2010).
The human cause of the greenhouse effect is due to deforestation and fossil fuels, which causes the rapid creation of CO2 (40%) and methane (150%) (Melissa Denchak, 2019).
The main causes of global warming are deforestation and fossil fuels, but there are other contributors like agriculture, mining, overconsumption, and water disposal.
Fossil fuels are chemicals like coal, oil, and gas which we use for producing energy, but it has side effects, releasing CO2 to the atmosphere. Fossil fuels are the greatest energy source in the world and it surely would have an impact on the world if we stopped using them (Hannah Ritchie, Max Rose; 2019).
The graph shows the usage of fossil fuels raised drastically during the 1950s. Gas is one of the biggest producers of electricity, although it does not emit CO2 so much as oil or coal, but we should still achieve to be dependent on renewable energy or nuclear (Hannah Ritchie, Max Rose; 2019).
The solution is straightforward: buy renewable energy, manage, and reduce emissions by “by preparing annual greenhouse gas inventories and setting long-term targets to reduce emissions.” (https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-fossil-fuels)
Turning to renewable energy isn’t that complicated, and economically it would be even beneficial:
“Even if climate change were not such an urgent issue, the shift to renewable energy would make sense on purely economic grounds alone. Given the need to avoid the most significant impacts of climate change, the case isn’t even close. A shift to renewable energy infrastructure is a win-win for our society.” (Rob Alexander, year unknown).
Rob Alexander also says we would get net economical growth from it, so more jobs and more efficient sources of electricity, but the transition to them wouldn’t be without pain (Rob Alexander, year unknown).
One of the causes of global warming is mining (we don’t care about trees, only planktons) because it also plays a role in deforestation.
Mining is a bit underrated in the cause of global warming because it varies on which minerals people mine, but some of the solutions to global warming are heavily “addicted” to minerals. Iit is also one of the reasons why some solutions to global warming have failed. After all, they did not take to account mining (Name unknown, 2020).
There are problems with solutions (3 hypothetical), and in summary, 1st step: Most of the emission goes from transporting; 2nd step: Some of the renewable energy is dependent on mining; 3rd step: Changing policies.
Now, these solutions are not solutions, they are just steps to the solution/s (John Drexhage, year unknown). People are talking about this, and if we won’t solve this issue, then we cannot turn to the world, which would depend on renewable sources.
The last of the causes is agriculture, which might be shocking because how can agriculture harm the environment?
That’s an interesting question, especially animals like cattle that produce methane and with love, which gives to the environment. When cattle are huge enough it can contribute heavily to global warming. (https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate/causes-of-global-warming#gs.j8woa8)
One of the agriculture solutions is “[r]educing tillage, expanding crop rotations, planting cover crops and reintegrating livestock into crop production systems have proven to reduce agriculture’s footprint as well as capture the excess carbon generated by other industries.” (Ben Riensche, Ajay Vir Jakhar; 2019).
Now that carbon can be used to increase soil health and produce more food. The problem with this is farmers themselves because it is too risky for them to try new methods of farming.
Another problem is the data itself because people don’t know much of this new practice and what tools to use to make it even work (Ben Riensche, Ajay Vir Jakhar; 2019). The solution is not far from being real, but people cannot realize it yet.
All the solutions are far from being real because they are dependent on each other, or people have a lack of data to support the solution, so bringing the title back: “Is There a Solution to Global Warming?”.
There is only one solution, which was not discussed anywhere, and it would also be the best solution if people care about the Earth that they live on. The solution is to decline the influence of technology on us, and go back to times simpler than our complex society.
Metaphorically speaking, going back to the Stone Age and living a simple life as a community that helps each other.
It would help with the environment because people would not be dependent on technology, which destroys all of humanity, and Mother Earth could be healthy and happy again.
Global Warming vs. Humans
Global warming is a huge issue that has been affecting our earth for thousands of years. As we developed new technology and started using more fossil fuels and plastic the rate of global warming has grown tremendously.
Global warming has become an enormous problem that has to be solved as soon as possible.
It will make everyone’s life much more difficult in the future. The highest percent of global warming is caused by human activity.
For example, over use of fossil fuels and not enough use of reusable energy sources. Also people use electricity to an extent that is unnecessary and adds to the increase of global warming. We are also using way too much plastic, and in my opinion we need to transfer and use more paper.
No matter how hard humanity will try, it is impossible to completely reverse the effects of global warming, and no matter which solutions we find it will destroy our economy and those in power will not let that happen; humans are greedy and want to live life extravagantly and luxuriously.
Many would not give that up to save the environment or anything as a matter of fact because human nature has developed into having to satisfy our wants and needs to the fullest no matter the cost, and that is the reason for the critical situation that our earth is currently in.
If we do not start doing things to slow down and try to stop global warming soon we won’t have earth and all of humanity, life on earth will perish.
Resources
1. Global Warming. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/GlobalWarming
2. July 16, 2. (2019, July 23). Greenhouse Effect 101. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/greenhouse-effect-101
3. July 17, 2. (2020, September 30). How You Can Stop Global Warming. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming
4. Impulse, S. (n.d.). Global Warming – Solutions to solve global warming. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://solarimpulse.com/global-warming-solutions
5. Causes of Global Warming: WWF-Australia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/climate/causes-of-global-warming
6. Hannah Ritchie (2017) – “Fossil Fuels”. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels’ [Online Resource]
7. The Sources and Solutions: Fossil Fuels. (2019, February 04). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-fossil-fuels
8. Alexander, R. (2018). Get in touch. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://bulletin.kenyon.edu/article/would-transitioning-to-renewable-energy-hurt-the-economy/
9. Mining’s climate accountability. Nat. Geosci. 13, 97 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0541-1
10. Drexhage, J. (2019, December 09). Part of the solution: Mining and climate change. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.businessgreen.com/sponsored/2135004/solution-mining-climate-change
Questionnaire
- Why do we need to care about global warming?
- What is the natural greenhouse effect?
- The main causes of global warming are…?
- What are some examples of fossil fuels?
- Why is agriculture considered as one of the causes of global warming?
Leave Your Thoughts Below
this vieo was great 🙂
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what a great video! The man in green, wow!