Effects Of Global Warming In Lebanon

Throughout the ages, the earth has lived happily and peacefully from any damages concerning the Ozone layer. Not so long ago, the earth experienced a dangerous/huge change not only in weather, but also in health risks concerning human beings and animal alike. Pollution, coil burning, cars causing too much smoke and many other things caused a change in our CO2 level that made a hole in our ozone layer. The ozone layer somehow controls a bit of our weather and makes planet Earth safer. This whole caused climate change which led to many changed in our life as we know it. This whole problem and change in life is called Global Warming.

The cause of global warming is somewhat like a series of events; You can also call it a chain. The first stage of the causes of global warming is the reduction of the earth’s ozone layer. Then, there are all the carbon dioxide that is being produced on earth. “Not so long ago, 8 billion tons of CO2 entered the air” as stated by the main reference for global warming. Following our long road of causes, there is the Methane Gas. Methane gas can be produced by man, or from the earth itself; both contributing factors to global warming. And of course, The greenhouse effect.

Global Warming has primary effects and secondary effects. Both of which are very harmful to the earth. One of the primary effects is the rise in sea level. Over the years, if global warming continues at its rate, sea level will increase by 1 inch every several years. This might not sound like a very dangerous number, but it will cause destruction and people will be forced to relocate. Most of our potable water will be converted to salt water due to rise in sea level; not to mention beach erosions, extreme weather, rain will be dangerous and cause floods, destabilization of local climate, acidic ocean and of course more fires. Secondary effects include change in crop production (decrease), many animals being extinct and a radical change in human condition.

Humankind should act now. Humanity only acts when they are on the edge; something should be done right now because when we reach the edge, it will be too late for us. Many things can be done on society level and government level. Humanity should act now.

Causes of Global Warming

Global Warming is an existence of something on this planet that is a primary factor to the change in behavior of weather and many environmental aspects. The first and major cause of global warming began some time ago, with the discussion of a decrease in the Earth’s ozone layer. The decreasing of the ozone layer leads to ultra violet rays entering our planet and not going back out. The ultra violet rays do not directly cause global warming. The entrapment of ultra violet rays cause cooling of the stratosphere and troposphere. So by doing that, there is no balance in cooling and heating.

Another Primary cause is Carbon Dioxide production. Carbon Dioxide or CO2 can be produced by man or by nature itself. CO2 is being produced at high and dangerous rates. Some of the CO2 produced is made by volcanic eruptions and of course humans breathing. The earth is somehow made to handle this amount only. The other CO2 productions, like the burning of fuels and coal, are very dangerous and are not being absorbed by the earth. Power plants are responsible for more than 35% of all CO2 emissions. More than 30% are produced by cars and trucks. And more than 3% are caused by aircrafts; the number might not seem high but aircraft emit CO2 directly to the troposphere. Buildings can cause almost 11% of CO2 that is being emitted. The point of all this is that almost 95% of these gases being emitted are manmade; 80% of these gases are now stuck in our atmosphere as greenhouse gases.

Let us continue our journey of causes of global warming by introducing the Methane Gas. Like CO2, methane gas is produces in our planet by man and by natural happenings. The ocean, hydrates and agriculture are the primary causes of natural happenings that cause methane gas. Biomass burning, waste treatment and landfills are some of the man made things that cause the emission of Methane Gas.

Methane gas is an obvious harmful gas. But what about H2O? Yes, water is a contributing factor to global warming. Excess in warm weather causes a lot of vapor. Excess in vapor in the air is harmful and can turn into a dangerous gas. After a while, it is transformed into a greenhouse gas and “locked” inside the atmosphere and increasing global warming.

Primary effects of global warming

Rising in sea levels is the primary effect of global warming. In the Polar Regions, there is a lot of ice. As global warming occurs, ice starts to melt down; as ice melts down, the sea levels must rise. Many people think that the polar melt down is the overall sea rising in the whole planet. That’s wrong. Salty water, if heated, it expands; as the planet heats up, the ocean waters will expand and the melted ice will join the ocean; all this water must go somewhere. So the waters first get to the countries that are close to sea level. People living near sea level areas will get affected primarily.

Salt water intrusion is another effect of global warming. Potable water is a necessary aspect for human kind to proceed. Our planet has rivers that contain water for drinking, but with global warming, salty water will increase and expand destroying a huge percentage of potable water in our planet. Crops, like human being, also need water to live and to divide; they will reach a time where crops will decrease drastically. Fruits and vegetables need certain environmental conditions; one of which is water. With low amount of potable water, they won’t be able to produce their goods.

Increased rainfall is due to the increase in the weather in our climate caused by global warming. Due to increase in temperature, there is an increase in water vapor. Vapor, if heated, goes up to the sky; then it is cooled and goes down on earth in form of rain (water). Increase in water causes more erosions leading to damaged in cities and villages and destroying people’s home

The Greenhouse Effect

If u have ever been in a glasshouse for plants for sat in a car for about 5 minutes in a hot day then you have experienced the Greenhouse effect. The concept of the greenhouse effect is easy. It’s anywhere in a box/round shaped object that is closed. Heat gets in and it can’t get out. So it basically keeps hitting back and forth around it self until it is kept inside; so if the temperature outside is 25C, inside the object (car, house, etc…) would be around 42C.

When we talk about the greenhouse effect regarding our planet, we refer to our planet as the car of the example in the previous paragraph. Our entire planet becomes heated; and this heat is locked inside and atmosphere and can’t seem to get out. So the weather increases dramatically. When the greenhouse effect occurs in our planet when the heat is gets in and bounces on the ground and then bounces off to the atmosphere and absorbs all the gasses that out in the environment causing an increase in global warming.

And of course there are the secondary effects of global warming, which are as important as the primary effects and may lead to a change in humankind’s life. One of the effects is a huge decrease in crop yield. A certain environmental condition must be applied to crops so that they can grow and produce more crops. But as global warming occurs, there can’t be certain weather or a stabilized seasonal year so that the farmer can know or regulate their crops.

Species (animal) will start to migrate from their normal habitat and even get extinct. Certain animals need certain weather for them to live. For ex. Camels live in the dessert, elephants in Africa… Global warming will change the weather forcing them to migrate. Some animal will not be able to migrate so they die where they are.

Humans and animals alike have to adjust to weather. Humans will try t migrate to settle in a better ground. Disease spreads easier in a hot environment. The cool weather kills germs. The body tends to work harder to cool off. Heart problems will start to occur.

To sum up, Global warming is here and is happening and is increasing by the minute. Humankind always acts on the edge of things. Well, if we reach the edge of global warming, it’s going to be too late to save our beloved planet. Everyone should do their part and stop the causes of global warming. Governments should also act because Global Warming is not a joke. The effect are harsh and unmerciful.