What You Need to Know About Global Warming

The Earth has warmed and cooled time and again and history has proven that all these years. Because of abrupt shifts in its orbit, the climate has changed when the planet received more or less sunlight as the atmosphere changed.

How does this warming changes pattern now affect our climate?  Are we sure that human-released greenhouse gases are causing the warming? Will the Earth becomes warmer five years from now? How much more? How can we adapt to these changes? These are just some of the million questions we need to find answers before it is too late.

There are lots of definitions of what is global warming. One of those, from Wikipedia defines: Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. According to the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC, global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 20th century. Most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century has been caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which result from human activity such as the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation. Global dimming, a result of increasing concentrations of atmospheric aerosols that block sunlight from reaching the surface, has partially countered the effects of warming induced by greenhouse gases.

With this, it is a fact that the Earth’s temperature begins with the Sun. Incoming sunlight is reflected back into space for about 30% through the clouds and the ice. About 70% of those comprises mostly absorbed by the land and ocean and the rest is absorbed by the atmosphere. And this absorbed energy from the sun heats the Earth.

As the rocks, the air, and the seas warm, they radiate “heat” energy (thermal infrared radiation). From the surface, this energy travels into the atmosphere where much of it is absorbed by water vapor and long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

When they absorb the energy radiating from Earth’s surface, microscopic water or greenhouse gas molecules turn into tiny heaters— like the bricks in a fireplace, they radiate heat even after the fire goes out. They radiate in all directions. The energy that radiates back toward Earth heats both the lower atmosphere and the surface, enhancing the heating they get from direct sunlight.

This absorption and radiation of heat by the atmosphere—the natural greenhouse effect—is beneficial for life on Earth. If there were no greenhouse effect, the Earth’s average surface temperature would be a very chilly -18°C (0°F) instead of the comfortable 15°C (59°F) that it is today. –Earth Observatory by Holli Riebeek

Now, this global warming issue will definitely affect us in the coming future. And my question is, unless we find definite solutions, alternative ways, take care of our ecosystem…are we ready yet?

They say, prevention is better than cure. I’d say, we go green now and I hope somehow this will heal our ailing world.