Thursday, December 17, 2009

Global Warming

NOTE:The facts,reports quoted in this post have been taken from the Internet(what else can u expect!).




Yes!..my latest post is on "Global Warming" which is apparently the most famous topic now-a-days.
So,What is Global Warming?(sorry..definition is a formality!).Most of us have learned about it(at least the things related to it) in our high school(Don't tell me you didn't...my mom read that in school!!...."green house effect"...remember?).
Technically,Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20Th century and its projected continuation(thanks to wikipedia!).In other words,our mother Earth is getting heated up because of human activities like deforestation,air pollution etc.
So,is this a recent effect or something?
Nah!Global Warming is a result of the 150yr old industrial age.The only reason it's the rage of the day is because it has become a serious issue now.Scientists knew long before that this would be a very serious problem as time passes.
The Consequences of Global Warming:
As the concentration of greenhouse(carbon dioxide,methane etc) gases grows, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere and less escapes back into space. This increase in trapped heat changes the climate and alters weather patterns, which may hasten species extinction, influence the length of seasons, cause coastal flooding, and lead to more frequent and severe storms.



Global Warming effect has serious consequences for all living organisms, but it is of especially great concern for the polar bear. According to the U.S. Geological Survey Office, reduction in sea ice in the Arctic can see a loss of 2/3Rd's of the entire word’s Polar Bear population over the next 50 years.According to the latest reports,Polar bears are resorting to Cannibalism (animal that feeds on others of its own kind) due to the shortage of food which is a result of the shrinking arctic ice.Pretty shocking huh?
So,What is the future for Arctic sea ice? Some scientists believe that in just five years, the Arctic may be ice-free during the summer!!
How to stop Global Warming?
Many efforts are being made to tackle Global Warming across the world.But lets see how can we contribute to this effort.Here are few things we(any Indian teenager..) can do:

1.Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases.
(Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.)
2.Do not leave appliances on standby.
(Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.)
3.Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket.
(You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.)
4.Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly.
(Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.)
5.Cover your pots while cooking.
(Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!)
6.Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full.
(If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.)
7.Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can.
(You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.)
8.Reuse your shopping bag.
(When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.)
9.Drive carefully and do not waste fuel.
(You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car maintenance.)
10.Ask your friends to read this!

If u wanna contribute more check out this site:http://globalwarming-facts.info

I'm not asking you people to follow everything given above,but just give it a try!...At least I AM!

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