One of the latest issues that has almost everybody concerned is global warming. The climate is changing and the prognosis doesn’t look good. Global warming refers to the unabated rise in the average temperature of the planet as brought about by the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many believe that the use of alternative energy sources will reduce carbon emissions and that will help hold back global warming.
Greenhouse gases are created by both natural processes and human activity. The major greenhouse gases are water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). There are many causes of greenhouse gases but the primary culprit is the consumption of fossil fuels that continued to release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Deforestation compounded the problem because trees and plants are supposed to absorb the carbon dioxide but now there’s not enough of them left to do the cleanup of the atmosphere
Scientists also blame the use of CFCs in refrigeration systems and in fire fighting, and other manufacturing practices in producing the greenhouse effect. Even the application of non-organic fertilizers in commercial farming operations also gives rise to another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, the presence of greenhouse gases in the country can be traced primarily to the burning of fossil fuels. Official figures for 2006 place the contribution of using coal, natural gas and petroleum to local greenhouse gas emission at about 82%. On the other side of the globe, China is seen to add more than its fair share of greenhouse gases because of the many traditional power plants that were just built in the country’s inner regions. Greenpeace, on the other hand, reports that the current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are the highest within the last 150,000 years with the 1990s as the warmest decade and 1998 as the warmest year in recorded history.
If mankind will not keep in check the various activities that continuously discharge greenhouse gases, humans will experience a drastic climate change over the next century at a much faster rate than has been observed in history. All is not lost, however. There is still time, although it is very short, to undertake sweeping measures to rein in the emission of toxic gases that are bound to kill all of mankind.
The most critical step is the efficient use of energy through the reduced consumption of fossil fuel primarily oil, petroleum, and coal. Man should use energy that comes from renewable sources like the sun, wind, ocean, and biological material.
Energy that does not harm the environment when used is termed green energy. It usually comes from the renewable, natural sources. There are several methods to generate clean and safe energy from renewable sources. Electricity generated through wind turbines, solar panels, and from geothermal plants cost much less and emit little to no carbons compared to coal and gas-powered plants.
Cutting down global dependence on fossil fuel and increasing the use of alternative energy sources is said to be one of the more effective solutions to the threat of global warming. Per Greenpeace projections, the efficient utilization of renewable sources can supply half of the total energy requirements by the year 2050. Same projections also estimated a near 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emission within 43 years.
Governments around the world are instituting measures to shift energy sourcing from the traditional to the alternative sources. In March 2007, leaders from the European Union agreed to joint efforts in cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. To achieve this, they will need to obtain at least 20% of their power requirements from renewable sources. The deadline was set to 2020. Many governments provide tax credits and other incentives to businesses and private individuals who use green energy.
Resorting to alternative energy sources is only one way to cut down on toxic gases but there are many other ways that humans can help in the world wide effort to alleviate the greenhouse effect and curb global warming.
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