Top 3 Environmental Issues You Should Know

Climate Change

Today at “Home Learning Hub-Great Home Learning For All” we are going to discuss “top 3 environmental issues” which are global warming, climate change and ozone depletion including their sources, their causes, their effects, their solutions and much more so let’s get started.

Home Learning Hub-Great Home Learning For All

Top 3 Environmental Issues You Should  Know

Outline:

Introduction to Global Warming

What is Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse gases and their Contribution towards Global Warming

General Effects of Global Warming

Causes of Global Warming

How to Prevent Global Warming

Major Sources of GHGs emissions

What is Climate Change

Indicators of Climate Change

Solutions for Climate Change

What is Ozone Depletion

Causes of Ozone Depletion

Effects of Ozone Depletion

Solutions of Ozone Depletion

Introduction to Global Warming:

The highest temperature recorded in 2021 was 53.2C in the Kuwaiti city of Nuwaiseeb. Some other countries also recorded temperatures higher than 50C.

The term global warming can be defined as the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth’s surface because of the greenhouse effect caused by the increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, methane and nitrous oxide etc.

What is Greenhouse Effect:

When sunlight reaches the Earth, some of it is absorbed while most of it is reflected back to the atmosphere. Portion of sunlight which is absorbed by the Earth warms the Earth while the portion of sunlight which is reflected back has a greater wavelength than before striking the Earth.

Some of the portion of reflected sunlight having a longer wavelength is absorbed or trapped by the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere and because of this absorption the atmosphere warms up.

This reflecting back of heat energy by the greenhouse gases is known as the greenhouse effect. Hence if the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere gets increased then the amount of heat retained in the atmosphere which causes the Earth’s surface and atmosphere to heat up also increases.

Greenhouse gases and their Contribution towards Global Warming:

Greenhouse gases include water vapours, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons. 

Water vapours contribute almost 36-70% of the greenhouse effect, carbon dioxide contributes 9-26% of the greenhouse effect and methane contributes almost 4-9% of the greenhouse effect.

General Effects of Global Warming:

• Increase in overall temperature of the Earth

• There is a change in the pattern of rainfalls that is drought and fires in some areas while floods in some other areas

• Rising of sea levels

• Widespread loss of habitat

• Melting of glaciers and icecaps

• Spread and migration of diseases such as malaria to new, now warmer regions

• Bleaching of coral reefs

• Increased floods and hurricanes

Effects of Global Warming on Agriculture:

• Shifts in food-growing areas

• Changes in the crop yields

• Increased irrigation demands

Effects of Global Warming on Biodiversity:

• Loss of habitat

• Disruption of aquatic life

• Extinction of some plant and animal species

Effects of Global Warming on Weather:

• Prolonged heat waves and droughts

• Increased flooding

Effects of Global Warming on Human Population:

• Increased deaths

• Increased migration

• More environmental refugees

Effects of Global Warming on Forests:

• Change in the forest composition and location

• Disappearance of some forests

• Increased fires from drying

• Loss of wildlife habitat and species

Causes of Global Warming:

• Burning of fossil fuels

• Burning of gasoline for transportation

• Methane emissions from animals, agriculture and from arctic seabeds

• Nitrous oxide from fertilizers

• Deforestation

How to Prevent Global Warming:

• Reduce waste gas emission particularly carbon dioxide in future

• Use renewable energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy and biofuels

• Drive smarter cars means use energy efficient vehicles

• Use public transport instead of private

• Limit urban sprawl

Major Sources of GHGs emissions:

• Electricity production

• Transportation

• Industry

• Commercial and residential

• Agriculture

• Land use and forestry

What is Climate Change:

The term climate change can be defined as a change in the pattern of weather and related changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer.

Indicators of Climate Change:

• Air temperatures over land are increasing

• Air temperature over oceans are increasing 

• Arctic sea ice is decreasing

• Melting of glaciers

• Rising of sea levels

• Humidity is increasing

• Ocean heat content is increasing

• Increase in sea surface temperature

Solutions for Climate Change:

• Plantation of more trees

• Promote market transformation

• Promote investment in renewable energy technologies

• Promote conservation of carbon stocks

• Support enabling activities and capacity building

What is Ozone Depletion:

The thinning, reduction or wearing out of ozone layer in the stratosphere because of the ozone depleting substances is known as ozone depletion.

Causes of Ozone Depletion:

Major contributors which cause ozone depletion include chlorofluorocarbons such as trichlorofluoromethane, dichlorodifluoromethane. Other contributors which also cause ozone depletion include halons and HBFCs, methyl bromide, hydrogen chloride, nitrous oxide and cleaning solvents such as carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform etc.

Effects of Ozone Depletion: 

• Sunburns

• Eye contractions

• Skin cancers

• Immune system suppression

• Reduced yields of crops

• Reduced seafood supplies from phytoplankton

• Decreased forest productivity

• Decreased aquatic population

• Disrupted aquatic food webs from reduced phytoplanktons

• Increased Acid Deposition

• Increased photochemical smog

• Degradation of outdoor paints and plastics

Solutions of Ozone Depletion:

• Stop producing ozone depleting chemicals

• Stop using ozone depleting chemicals

Home Learning Hub-Great Home Learning For All

Top 3 Environmental Issues You Should  Know

Introduction to Global Warming

What is Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse gases and their Contribution towards Global Warming

General Effects of Global Warming

Causes of Global Warming

How to Prevent Global Warming

Major Sources of GHGs emissions

What is Climate Change

Indicators of Climate Change

Solutions for Climate Change

What is Ozone Depletion

Causes of Ozone Depletion

Effects of Ozone Depletion

Solutions of Ozone Depletion