Global Warming in 2022: Causes and Consequences
The Industrial Revolution marked the turning point when greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions started to exponentially increase. A new paradigm of production and consumption emerged as a result of the increasing global population, rising energy demand, and rising energy output (mostly from fossil fuels). The primary outcome was the 1.1°C rise in global temperature between 1850 and 2017. A brief overview of the state of global warming in 2022 will be given in this post. Numerous organizations, including National Geographic, the Met Office, and other environmental groups, concur on the concept of Global Warming. It is the biggest environmental problem the world is now facing. The rise in greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere as a result of human activity is what drives global warming. Climate change is a result of global warming. The consequence of the increase in greenhouse gases into the world’s atmosphere has seen the planet’s average temperature also rise over time. Such variations in temperature cause climate change – events such as hurricanes, flooding, drought and severe rainfall that would not otherwise occur naturally are happening on a more frequent basis. One of the most recent reports from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) states that global warming of more than 1.5°C will result in hitherto unheard-of climatic effects, including: larger and more violent storms, rain followed by longer and more severe droughts, etc. These extreme weather events may occur more frequently, be more intense, and have lasting effects on the ecosystem.
However, there are regional differences in climate change. As an illustration, the polar regions are warming twice as quickly as the rest of the planet. If global warming continues on its current course, the Arctic ice sheet may vanish entirely within a few decades.
According to previous research, the causes of global warming may include: increase in greenhouse gases and combustion of fossil fuels, exponential increase in population, destruction of ecosystems and deforestation, destruction of marine ecosystems. The primary contributor to global warming is the greenhouse effect. It is a natural occurrence that helps to keep the earth’s surface at a relatively constant temperature. However, heat is trapped in the atmosphere to a greater extent the more greenhouse gases there are. Global warming eventually results from this. Human activity is the main cause of the rise in greenhouse gases. It is up to us collectively to reduce that.
Research carried out by the Met Office shows climate change is happening in the UK. All 10 of the hottest years on record have occurred since 2002. Since 1998, seven of the ten wettest years on record have also occurred. The UK’s winters are expected to be between 1 and 4.5°C warmer and up to 30% wetter by 2070, while the country’s summers are expected to be between 1 and 6°C warmer and up to 60% drier. In addition, the IPCC forecasts that if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, the average sea level of the seas would rise by around 82 cm by the year 2100 as a result of ice cap melting and global warming. The coastal areas all around the world would feel the effects of this rise strongly. Food safety is directly impacted by how agriculture and fisheries are affected by climate change. Climate refugees are produced when certain communities are compelled to relocate in order to live. All of this increases inequality among people, particularly in less economically developed nations, and raises problems surrounding the usage of the existing natural resources, notably water.
It is essential that human activities, both at home, at work and at government level consider climate change and global warming. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to reduce or stop global warming; each person, organization, municipality, state, tribe, and federal agency must consider their alternatives in light of their particular set of circumstances. According to experts, a variety of interrelated techniques will probably be required. Here are some examples of general mitigation tactics that you may employ to reduce or halt the global warming that is caused by humans.
You can reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases you release into the atmosphere by using renewable energy sources (like solar and wind energy) to power your houses and other structures wherever possible.
Where feasible, you should switch to electric automobiles instead of ones that use fossil fuels, or you should take public transportation rather than drive your own cars.
Also, you can save energy by improving the insulation in your houses and buildings and by switching out outdated, inefficient equipment with more energy-efficient versions when it is feasible to do so.
Where practicable, you can invest in commercial services that remove an equivalent quantity of carbon dioxide from the environment, such as planting trees or using carbon capture and storage methods, to balance out our annual carbon dioxide emissions.
By Yimeng Chen
