Introduction
Global warming is an issue of growing concern, with the consequences of climatic change being felt in different parts of the world. An evaluation of the causes of global warming shows that it is the indiscriminate use of energy resources to satisfy the growing energy requirements that are spurring global warming.
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon necessary to live on earth, as it is responsible for controlling the temperature of the earth. This vital greenhouse effect is the result of the trapping of heat in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases and the re-radiation of some of this heat towards the earth. The greenhouse gases essentially involved in this greenhouse house effect are water vapor and carbon dioxide. Excess water vapor precipitates as rain or snow, and Nature has provided for excess carbon dioxide to be absorbed by the carbon sinks of the oceans and land. The bounty of Nature in the form of the carbon sink has its limits, and our destruction of these sinks and disregard for the limits of Nature threaten our very existence.
Carbon dioxide is the crucial greenhouse gas in the issue of global warming. Its increase in the atmosphere beyond the ability of the carbon sinks to handle is the prescription for global warming.
Human Contribution
In spite of this knowledge with impunity, we continue to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through our current indiscriminate use of energy resources on one side, while on the other we continue to destroy forest cover, which is a part of the carbon sink, and all in the name of development.
Human responsibility for carbon dioxide emissions to overwhelm the ability of Nature to handle excess atmospheric carbon dioxide is clearly indicated in the first “State of the Carbon Cycle Report” for North America. According to this report, the United States of America by itself releases almost 2 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere, essentially as carbon dioxide. Terrestrial carbon sinks in the form of forest cover at the most can handle just half this carbon dioxide emission.
Centuries of carbon emission as a result of indiscriminate use of energy resources have already compromised the ability of the ocean carbon sinks to regulate the presence of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Our indiscriminate use of energy resources to satisfy the energy cravings is turning out to be a disaster in the form of global warming. This claim is justified through the finding of the United Nations scientific panel that human activity over the last five decades is the driving force for global warming.
It is common knowledge that fossil fuels like coal and gasoline contribute to increased emissions of carbon dioxide. Yet, we continue to build coal-fired power generation capacities and continue to use gasoline as the source of energy for transportation. More expensive yet cleaner, alternative energy sources are available like bio-fuels, solar power, and wind power. Still, the desire for cheap energy has caused human activity to turn a blind eye to these cleaner energy resources, and we continue to indiscriminately use energy resources to satisfy our energy requirements.
Conclusion
The evaluation of the causes of global warming clearly demonstrates that it is the indiscriminate use of energy resources to satisfy the growing energy requirements that is spurring global warming.
Works Cited
“Global Warming”. 2001. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Understanding The Global Carbon Budget“. 2007. ScienceDaily.
“First-ever’ State Of The Carbon Cycle Report’ Finds Troubling Imbalance“. 2007. ScienceDaily.
“Global Warming”. 2007. The New York Times. Web.