A catastrophe is nearer than you think
Global warming is an issue that inspires hundreds of debates and thousands of opinions. But very few of us truly acknowledge the type of danger it possess not only to the human race but to all forms of life.
We all want a perfect house clean and beautiful, with everything in its right place; since that way we feel comfortable. That comfort helps us feel good, and that other people who visit our house also feel comfortable. We look after it on the best possible manner.We can hardly name someone who tries to deteriorate his home.
But what if I say that is exactly what we are doing ;all of us with our home, the planet earth.We do it as if it were not ours. But in reality it is our only home.
The earth is a perfect habitat, it regenerates, it nourishes itself. It is a natural process.Abuse in the management of natural resources, this process is being hindered, and one of its consequences is global warming, which, in turn, generates other phenomena such as climate change, floods, among others.
What is this Global Warming all about? Let's have a look.
Global warming , as its name implies, is the progressive increase in global temperature. The atmosphere and the seas experience an unusual increase in their temperature, causing several negative consequences to the ecosystems.
Wait! 1 degree! Does it really matters? Unfortunately it does.
What would happen if the temperature of the Antarctic rose by one degree centigrade?
A team of scientists has simulated what would happen to the fauna by heating the oceanic environment, and the results, as usual, ,were worse than expected
Gail Ashton, of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and her team heated a seafloor area around the Rothera Research Station and observed what happened. The result: the effects of climate change far exceed what was expected.
The experiment showed that with a temperature rise of one degree Celsius, the population of a single pioneer species of bryozoa ( Fenestrulina rugula ) soared , eventually dominating the community, leading to a reduction in overall species diversity and uniformity in the species. term of only two months. On the other hand, the individuals of a marine worm, Romanchella perrieri, also grew to an average size 70% larger than those under environmental conditions.
The procedure they used was to deploy settlement panels to heat a thin layer of water by one or two degrees above room temperature. Those increases in global temperature are expected within the next 50 and 100 years, respectively.
After heating a natural seabed in the Antarctic Ocean by only one or two degrees, the researchers observed massive impacts on a marine complex, as growth rates almost doubled.
After heating a natural seabed in the Southern Ocean, the growth rates of a marine complex almost doubled.
Predicting how entire organisms and communities will respond to climate change in the future remains a major challenge. The researchers say the findings suggest that climate change could have even greater effects on polar marine ecosystems than had been anticipated.
A recent report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , provides data that must be taken into account by governments. It states that
" The continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause more warming and long-term changes in all components of the climate system, which increases the likelihood of severe, widespread and irreversible consequences for people and ecosystems including various natural disasters that are likely to be high or very high by the end of the 21st century, "
says the report.
The accelerated pace of human life, in all aspects, is causing changes in the composition of the earth in less than a century.We are the cause. We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and constantly increases the temperature of the planet.
Where does all this carbon come from?
The fossil fuels we burn for energy - coal, natural gas and oil - in addition to the loss of forests due to deforestation, especially in the tropics. An overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that global warming is occurring and that human activity is the main cause.
So how could you help reduce the effects of global warming?
The answer is simple: saving energy. In this way, natural resources are better preserved.Unless we take immediate measures to reduce emissions from global warming, these impacts will continue to intensify, becoming increasingly costly and damaging, and increasingly affecting the entire planet, including you, your community and your family.
Do not waste, for example, electricity, water. Small tasks but generate a great benefit.Above all, the difficult thing is to create a sense of responsibility in people.
