The Main Causes and Effects of Global Warming, and The Depletion of the Ozone Layer

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PART A
The conversation I am exploring is about the issue of global warming that has sparked heated debates globally. World leaders have been tasked to enact laws that would mitigate the devastating effects of global warming. With some leaders such as the current U.S. president declaring that global warming is a hoax, the topic is worth investigating in order to better understand the facts and change the minds of key policy makers who can contribute towards protecting mother nature against hazards brought by global warming and climate change. Key to note is the president’s long standing belief that climate change is a concept made by the Chinese to make the U.S. a non-competitive nation in terms of trade.
In the paper, key facts about global warming will be explored. An understanding of the general concepts of global warming will serve as an introduction to the entire paper that will explain the possible causes of global warming, its effects and ways in which such a challenge can be prevented. The exit of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change is a blow to the efforts already put in place to arrest the dangers of global warming. This informative piece brings together facts that will ensure that policy makers fully understand that global warming is a problem that will bring doom to humanity. The paper serves to inform and convince those opposed to the concept of global warming to revert their stand and support the efforts being invested in preventing climate change.
PART B
Global Warming
Introduction
Global warming is the rise in the environmental temperatures worldwide as a result of the greenhouse effect. This effect occurs when the gases trap the sun’s energy use this energy generate warmth in the earth. Without these gases, the earth’s temperatures would be too low for human and animal survival. Global warming and climate change go are co-related. They are both caused by human activities and natural causes that lead to an increase in the harmful gases released into the atmosphere (Francesco 2659). It is undeniable however that these gases are vital for the survival of humans and animals on earth but when the gases become a bit too much then they will have adverse effects on the environment. Man-kind can emit the greenhouse gases through activities that generate energy. When trees are cut down, there is nothing to absorb carbon dioxide released this therefore increases the release of harmful gases. The exhaust gases released by motor vehicles also increase the amount of harmful gases released into the atmosphere. The rapid change in the temperatures will affect the environment in that the amount of rain that falls on the earth’s surface will be compromised, the sea level will go down and extreme weather conditions will be experienced.
The main causes of global warming
Global warming is caused by several factors some which are natural occurrences and others are caused by human activities. To reduce global warming these causes should be addressed and dealt with effectively before it gets out of hand. The pollution of the air is the main cause of global warming. Naturally animals and humans emit carbon dioxide but the carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere by plants and they release oxygen in return. This balances out well in the end the levels of harmful gases are contained at reasonable levels. The various activities humans engage in such as deforestation, burning of fossil fuels and emissions from manufacturing industries and motor vehicles increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to very harmful levels (Yongshuo 107).
Volcanic eruptions
The eruption of active volcanic mountains all over the world releases dust and particles that contain sulfur dioxide (Yongshuo 109). According to Paul et al, Sulfur dioxide stays in the atmosphere for years and is difficult to get rid of. It traps the sun’s rays preventing them from reaching the surface of the earth (237). This creates an imbalance in the atmosphere hence contributing to global warming. The volcanic eruptions cannot be stopped; however, efforts should be made to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide present in the atmosphere in order to save the world from global warming (Paul 237).
The High Levels of Harmful Gases in the Atmosphere
As discussed earlier, the greenhouse effect is the process in which the energy coming from the sun is trapped by the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is driven to harmful levels by the heavy concentration of the heat on the surface of the earth caused by the concentration of greenhouse gases beyond the useful levels.”(Paul et al 237). These levels can be maintained by ensuring that activities that emit high levels of poisonous gases are banned (Paul et al 235).
The Depletion of the Ozone Layer
Kevin, a scientific researcher wrote that the ozone layer is a thin layer outside the atmosphere that protects the surface of the earth from harmful ultra-violet rays (Kevin 22) .Extreme levels of these gases in the atmosphere tear up this protective layer. Though the tearing may be a slow unnoticeable process, the small holes, caused by the concentration of these gases weaken the protective layer and permit the infiltration of the harmful rays. This causes high levels of heat in the atmosphere in the long run (Kevin 24).
Melting of the ice in the Polar Regions
Naturally, large amounts of ice melt due the strong rays emitted by the sun. If the heat levels go beyond the expected level however, it speeds up the melting process of the ice, if this happens, the sea levels rise causing floods in the long run (Paul et al 237).This causes a destruction of the environment and plants hence disrupting the human activities.
The Use of Inorganic Fertilizers and Pesticides That Contain Chemicals
Farmers worldwide use fertilizers and chemicals to protect their crops from pesticides and to stimulate their growth by adding additional nutrients. If these chemicals accumulate however, the protective layer is destroyed allowing harmful rays to reach the surface of the earth. When this happens, the surface of the earth is heated beyond the normal healthy levels.
The burning of charcoal to provide energy
Charcoal burnt on a day to day basis in an attempt to get more energy to conduct the day to day acti...