GLOBAL WARMING is increasing and over 100 ice mountains have started melting. These have crossed 2000 kilomteres from Antarctica and are now only 400 kilomteres from human habitation.
Since the late 1800's, the average temperature has increased about 0.3 to 0.8 degree Celsius. One ice mountain in Antarctica is bigger than the Titanic ship. The Titanic ship sank after being hit by such an iceberg. In the present context the nearest country is New Zealand, which is going to be affected first by this melting/warming process.
In later stages, various other countries and cities on the edge of seas are going to fall prey to such disasters. New York, Chicago, Mumbai, Chennai and many such other cities shall have to face this horrible situation of global warming. Antarctica is just double the size of a country like Australia.
Scientists said that human activities have caused the trend by increasing the earth's natural greenhouse effect. This effect warms the lower atmosphere and surface of the earth through a complex process involving sunlight, gases, greases, petroleum products and particles in the atmosphere.
According to the World Book, since the mid-1800's, human activities--chiefly the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and the clearing of land--have increased the amounts of heat-trapping atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Most of this burning takes place in cars, electric power plants, and industrial facilities. The clearing of land reduces the amount of carbon dioxide that trees and other plants remove from the atmosphere in a process called photosynthesis.
Although researchers have not yet fully proved that the increase in greenhouse gases has raised the surface temperature, many scientists consider such a relationship likely. A much smaller number of scientists argue that the increase in greenhouse gases has not made a measurable difference in the climate. These scientists say that the warming trend is a normal change in the climatic system. They argue that natural processes, such as increases in the energy given off by the sun, could have caused global warming. But the greater weight of evidence suggests that an unusual climate change has occurred and that human activities are at least partly responsible for it.
Global warming affects many aspects of the physical conditions of environment, including sea levels, coastlines, agriculture, forestry, and wildlife. At the same time, global warming could cause sea levels to rise and thereby increase the threat of flooding in low-lying coastal areas, many of which are densely populated.
Many experts estimate that, due to human interference in climate, the average surface temperature will rise between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius by 2100. But even a warming of 0.5 degree in a century would be several times faster than the typical natural rate.
A rapid and large-scale climate change could severely harm the earth's ecosystems. For example, such a change could make it difficult for many species to survive in the regions they now inhabit. Some could be forced to migrate, while others could become extinct.
Efforts to prevent global warming are very important. Because global warming might do much harm, than expected. Many scientists have shown fear of reduction in the electrons of greenhouse gases.
Experts have also offered a number of more controversial strategies. For example, governments could create regulations that specify the type of technologies used or the amount of fossil fuels burned. Many policy analysts recommend that governments consider a tax on emissions of greenhouse gases.
