Introduction
The climate on Earth is constantly undergoing changes over time, which affects people’s lives and their well-being. Significant climate change can lead to severe consequences for people, exacerbating economic, social, and political problems. Therefore, scientists and politicians are concerned about a long-term trend in the increase in the temperature of the Earth, which is called global warming (Al‐Ghussain, 2019).
Main Body
Since the end of the 19th century, the average temperature on Earth has risen by 1.1°C, which continues to rise (Al‐Ghussain, 2019). These profound changes can lead to natural disasters, animal extinction, famine, and other serious consequences for the planet. This trend is partly dictated by objective reasons beyond the control of people (Al‐Ghussain, 2019). However, it intensifies under the influence of human actions as the capitalist industry develops and the population grows (Al‐Ghussain, 2019). The synergy between natural climate warming and the consequences of human activity can lead to catastrophic environmental changes.
Several reasons are pushing global warming, and one of the leading factors is the greenhouse effect, which keeps some of the heat that should have escaped into space on Earth (Kweku et al., 2018). Greenhouse gases include CO2, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), and other gases that absorb infrared radiation, preventing it from escaping into space (Kweku et al., 2018). The use of coal, oil, and natural gas is the leading cause of the increase in the percentage of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Yoro & Daramola, 2020). At the moment, oil and gas are used in almost all industries. Moreover, when fossil fuels are burned, toxic substances are released into the atmosphere that adversely affect flora and fauna.
The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is increasing not only due to the use of oil and gas. Methane produced by cattle is also a greenhouse gas, accounting for 10% of their total (Tullo et al., 2019). Due to industrial animal husbandry, there are more than 1.5 billion cows on Earth, which would not have been possible without human intervention (Tullo et al., 2019). In livestock and agriculture in general, using environmentally toxic fertilizers affects the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations (Tullo et al., 2019). Overfishing is another problem of the food supply industrial complex because it reduces ocean species diversity and oxygen production.
The main effect of global warming is an increase in the planet’s temperature, affecting sea levels, climate, diseases, flora, and fauna. Global warming leads to an increase in dry days and the intensity of natural disasters. This entails reduced yields due to agricultural droughts, lack of food, and hunger spread (Al-Ghussain, 2019). Thus, the risks to people’s health increase, especially those already in poverty and disadvantaged life conditions. Social disparities and inequalities are on the rise, resulting in many people trying to move in search of a better life, leading to migration social crises. Scientists still argue about the full spectrum of global warming outcomes and their dangers for the future of humanity, but everybody understands that people must take this trend under control as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Global warming challenges humanity at all levels – political, economic, social, and cultural. The main cause of climate change towards warming is the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases that keep the Earth from the natural cooling process. Negative human contributions to the global warming trend include the use of fossil fuels, industrialization, capitalist agriculture, overfishing, and overconsumption. The effects of global warming influence all of humanity, increasing the number and intensity of natural disasters, making social disparities bigger, and putting many people in a state of poverty and lack of food and medicine.
References
Al‐Ghussain, L. (2019). Global warming: Review on driving forces and mitigation. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 38(1), 13-21. Web.
Kweku, D. W., Bismark, O., Maxwell, A., Desmond, K. A., Danso, K. B., Oti-Mensah, E. A., Quachie, A. T. & Adormaa, B. B. (2018). Greenhouse effect: greenhouse gases and their impact on global warming. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 17(6), 1-9. Web.
Tullo, E., Finzi, A., & Guarino, M. (2019). Environmental impact of livestock farming and Precision Livestock Farming as a mitigation strategy. Science of the Total Environment, 650, 2751-2760. Web.
Yoro, K. O., & Daramola, M. O. (2020). CO2 emission sources, greenhouse gases, and the global warming effect. In Advances in carbon capture (pp. 3-28). Woodhead Publishing. Web.