Global warming !! A blessing or curse?

L Sherjit Singh *

Signs of global warming : Increasing number of new species :: Pix - TSE

ABSTRACT

Global warming refers to an average increase in earth's temperature which in turn causes warmer climate. It becomes one of the most important issues of the present century. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of global warming.

INTRODUCTION

Many scientists, workers, scholars and environmentalists have been doing many research works, investigations not only for global warming (climate change) but also its positive and negative effects. This paper will discuss both merits and demerits of global warming.

DISCUSSION

The advantages of global warming can be summarized as follows-

* Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia and other frozen regime of earth may experience milder climate and more plant growth.

* To warm cold places, low energy is required.

* Global warming will increase rainfall, a relatively stable climate and increases CO2 level. This will cause a better and higher yield from crop and agriculture productions. It is experimentally proved by green house growers. The artificially raised CO2 level to several times the current atmospheric level resulting no ill effects to the crops but resulting plants of positive effects.

* Global warming may also increases in agricultural areas due to decrease in frozen climate conditions in locations like Siberia.

* One of the major advantages global warming is the opening of the North west passage and the northern sea route which will allow a significantly reduced water transport time around the world. This will economically benefit for major industries.

* Cultivation requires machines like tractors which use fossil fuels. If we want to stop global warming they won't be using fossil fuels and machines will be replaced with mules, bullocks and other animals. It will drop agricultural production by 80-90% .

* A ban on the burning of fossil fuels is required if we want to reduce green house gases. But fossil fuel drives our economy. Without them everything will grind to a halt quickly and economy will decrease.

* Stopping climate change will force the people to handover their rights and freedoms to the government. We will give up our right to drive automobiles, our freedom of enterprises and our right to burn fossil fuels.

* There are three things that crop need more than anything else to grow and produce high yield i.e. heat, moisture and CO2. In most cases, increased temperature will increased yield.

* If global warming continuous, rainfall will increases worldwide. So we might have to shift farming to other areas where rainfall is adequate.

* Warmer weather would allow people to spend more time outdoors where diseases cannot easily spread. Cold weather forces people to spend more time to indoors in close contact with other people with limited ventilation. This is an ideal environment for disease to spread from one person to another.

* Fewer deaths, injuries or accidents due to fog, heavy snow etc.

* Green house effect is widely used in hot countries in harnessing the heat energy of sun as in solar cooker.

* The warm atmosphere helps in the rapid biodegradation of death plants and animals.

* Warm atmosphere is necessary for evaporation of water, formation of clouds, rainfall, etc. All terms of life depend on these resources.

Some of the disadvantages of global warming are given below-

* Increase in sea level and submerged of coastal areas.

* Change in the ecosystem and mass extinction of plants and animals around the world.

* Increasing of desertification.

* Higher sea level leading to flooding of low lying areas and deaths and diseases from flood.

* Global warming will increase severe and catastrophic storms.

* Increase air pollution.

* Increase acidity of rainfall.

* Increase ozone hole.

* More UV rays will enter atmosphere causing skin cancer etc.

* Increase allergy and asthma rates due to earlier blooming of plants.

* Additional use of energy resources for cooling purposes.

* Melting of permafrost leads to destruction of structures and landslides.

* The high temperature will reduce work efficiency of human beings.

* The change in ocean temperature will adversely affect the marine life.

* Tropical rains and hurricanes will become more frequent and also more stronger causing more devastation.

CONCLUSION

We have already discussed the pros and cons of Global warming. After all, the researchers dropped a bombshell that slight increase in temperature is good for cultivation. They conclude that it will increase the productivity. But it is warned that all the positive effects of warming will disappear and its ill effects will start if we move above a narrow range of production of green house gases and deforestation.