Sunday, 18 November 2012

Module 3: Ethic



Global Warming Increase Due to Human Behavior


Global Warming



Global warming can be described as condition in where the temperature of earth and ocean are higher than average level. This gives a picture our world is getting hotter and hotter. According to America’s Climate Choice (2011) state that, “Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F), with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980” (p. 15). Increasing of temperature have been studied by scientist and with result shown that the global temperature increased due to high level of greenhouse gas concentration at the atmosphere, it produce from human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Greenhouses gas (GHG) contain of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Greenhouses gas trap the heat and the light from the sun at the earth atmosphere therefore temperature keep on rising. 

Global Warming Effect 

Video above briefly explain how the Global warming destroying our planet.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo678wes1zg&feature=player_embedded

Artic Sea Ice Melting

With the planet condition warming from North Pole to South Pole and area around there, ice is melting worldwide. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets that cover West Antartica and Greenland, alsi Artic sea ice. Not only that, with the planet getting warm it also shifting precipitation pattern and change animal habitat.
Picture below is the report from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. It clearly show that the area cover by snow or ice is decrease as the time pass cause by global warming.
Source: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/sea_ice_nsidc.html

Sea Level Rise

As we know when water is heated it will expand, with this practical it explains the cause of sea level to rise. Together with water melting come from glaciers and arctic it clearly shown measureable amount of sea level rise.
With the rise of sea water it covers many low land islands which are give a bad impact for the live in our planet. This gives a problem to the plants, animals and even people who live in the islands. When the water cover the plants it causing them to die and without a plants some animals lose their source of food and causing them to die also. By this people lose their two sources of food, plant and animal and to survive people need to eat. As the result they also need to immigrate or die.
These conditions called break in the food chain, one thing that happening and leads to another and so on. 
Graph above shown the sea level keep increase year by year.
Source: http://globalwarming.com/2010/05/statistics-of-the-global-warming-trend/

Extreme Weather

Since the late 20th century, changes have been observed of some extreme weather and climate change. The more weird and wild weather are keep happen in our earth. According to Natural Resources Defense Council (2012) state that, “ This spring's prolonged heat wave gave us the hottest March since record-keeping began back in 1895 -- an astounding 671 records were broken, according to the National Weather Service. And April 2012 marked the end of the warmest 12-month stretch ever in the US” (para.1).
The nature disaster such as tropical cyclone, hurricane, rainstorm are more likely to happen and getting stronger. It give destruction to our community, damages our health and undermines our economy. “Extreme weather events cost us billions in property damages each year. And when to health it also related to costs” (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2012, Para 2).
Come to 2012, flooding become a trend in some part of the planet. For example tropical storm debby brought record of rainfall and extreme flooding to Florida in first half of 2012, 7 people were killed, destroying more than 100 homes and causing few millions of dollar in damage to beaches, business and homes.

Picture above show a house being drown by flood.
Source: http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/climate-change-impacts/


Global warming is making the temperature too hot in the earth. It cause of increase drought area in several country. The first half of 2012's historic drought saw more than 80 % of the country are abnormally being  dry or can be found as drought condition in mid- July. Drought of course threatens our water and food supplies and is driving up the cost of everything from corn to milk.

Video below show how the global warming destroy the crops.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rAcH4MfYnLI#!

Wildfires also one of the bad effect of global warming. With the extreme heat many plants and trees leaves become so dry and easily catch fire. That’s why global warming also causes of a lot of huge forest being destroyed.


Effect on Human Health

Due to extreme weather as we discuss above, global warming also give a bad effect to human health and for the worst condition it can cause of death. With the extreme storm it cause drowning, contaminates drinking water and result in outbreaks of infectious diseases. Heat and ozone smog can affect our respiratory system such as asthma and worsen the health of people suffering from cardiac or pulmonary disease.
According to Natural Resources Defense Council (2012) state that,” Extreme heat in the first half of 2012 killed at least 74 Americans. But the climate change-related heat mortality in the first half of 2012 is just part of a deadly trend. In 2011, at least 206 people died from extreme heat, up from 138 fatalities in 2010 and nearly double the 10 year average”. And this number will keep on increasing if the usages of fossil fuel are not being reduced due to excessive heat at the atmosphere.




Solutions

Clean Energy and Green Jobs
Investing in clean energy industries, such as wind and solar, as well as energy efficiency programs and retooling manufacturing plants can lead us out of crisis and into a new clean energy economy. Also by manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines will create job opportunity for the community. Studies show that investing in clean energy technologies would produce more jobs than similar investments in oil and gas.

Drive Smart Car with Green Technology
With the advanced technology car can be manufacture with better fuel efficiency and green technology which are more environment friendly and reduced the emission gas such as hybrid and plug in hybrid. By using cars more efficient over the next ten years, we'll cut global warming pollution by more than 350 million metric tons and save 2 million barrels of oil a day.

Create Green House and Building
Building and the appliances are one of the global warming emissions contributors. Therefore new building should meet strong new energy efficiency standard that maximize energy savings. And existing homes and commercial spaces can be retrofitted to save energy by weatherizing and installing energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems


Build Better Public Transportation
By using public transportation it give a good contribution to reduce our global warming emissions. With the public transportation it can take people in group or larger in number compare than private car. For example commuter rail and public bus it can provide transportation services for passenger to reach their destination. With this it is not compulsory for people to use car to reach their work place, going to supermarket, store, cinema and etc.




Reference List
 
Natural Resources Defense Council. (2012). Global Warming. Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/default.asp

National Geographic. (2008). Effect of Global Warming. Retrieved from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/

Global Warming. (2010). Statistic of Global Warming Trend. Retrieved from http://globalwarming.com/category/global-warming-statistics/

Wikipedia. (2012). Global Warming. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming#Climate_models

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