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Introduction
Global warming and Climate change is a global phenomenon. The earth, the
3rd planet of our solar system, the planet brimming with life and beautiful
landscape, is on the verge of getting destroyed. The main reason is global
warming. Global warming is the slow and steady increase in the temperature
of earth and its atmosphere. Every living being on earth is bound to felt its
effects. Global warming and Climate change are reasons for one another.
The reasons of Global warming, its affects and influence on Bangladesh are
the main issues that will be discussed in this assignment. 1
Most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th
century has been caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases,
which result from human activity such as the burning of fossil fuel and
deforestation. Global dimming, a result of increasing concentrations of
atmospheric aerosols that block sunlight from reaching the surface, has
partially countered the effects of warming induced by greenhouse gases.
Climate model projections summarized in the latest IPCC report indicate that
the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to
11.5 °F) during the 21st century. An increase in global temperature will
cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of
precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts.
III. Causes
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Global warming is a sensation that has been discussed widely nowadays and
global warming causes are one of the most studied subjects presently in the
world. Through out the world many governments, institutes and universities
are trying to find out what are the causes for global warming. As the effects
of global warming is becoming more and more evident, many of us have
started to realize that steps have to be taken to control Global warming at
the earliest and various countries and people have started working towards
it. The increase in the temperature of earth has caused many effects like the
melting of ice in Polar Regions, increase in disease occurrences, drastic
climatic changes including rainfall and dry periods.
Human activity since the Industrial Revolution has increased the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to increased radiative forcing
from CO2, methane, tropospheric ozone, CFCs and nitrous oxide. The
concentrations of CO2 and methane have increased by 36% and 148%
respectively since 1750. These levels are much higher than at any time
during the last 650,000 years, the period for which reliable data has been
extracted from ice cores. Less direct geological evidence indicates that CO2
values higher than this were last seen about 20 million years ago. Fossil fuel
burning has produced about three-quarters of the increase in CO2 from
human activity over the past 20 years. Most of the rest is due to land-use
change, particularly deforestation.
• The activities of man has lead to an increase in the so called
greenhouse gases which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen
oxide etc. the gases have created an effect of green house on the
earths surface which prevents the reflection of the rays from sun and
thus causes the increase in temperature.
• Another reason for it is the deforestation. Forests have been cut down
paying way for agriculture, industries and cities. The trees were natural
regulators of carbon dioxide which used to control its level's in the
atmosphere.
Over the last three decades of the 20th century, GDP per capita and
population growth were the main drivers of increases in greenhouse 1
gas emissions. CO2 emissions are continuing to rise due to the burning
of fossil fuels and land-use change. Emissions scenarios, estimates of
changes in future emission levels of greenhouse gases, have been
projected that depend upon uncertain economic, sociological,
technological, and natural developments. In most scenarios, emissions
continue to rise over the century, while in a few, emissions are
reduced. These emission scenarios, combined with carbon cycle
modeling, have been used to produce estimates of how atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases will change in the future. Using
the six IPCC SRES "marker" scenarios, models suggest that by the year
2100, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 could range between 541
and 970 ppm. This is an increase of 90-250% above the concentration
in the year 1750. Fossil fuel reserves are sufficient to reach these
levels and continue emissions past 2100 if coal, oil sands or methane
catharses are extensively exploited.
External Forcings
External forcing refers to processes external to the climate system (though
not necessarily external to Earth) that influence climate. Climate responds to
several types of external forcing, such as radiative forcing due to changes in
atmospheric composition (mainly greenhouse gas concentrations), changes
in solar luminosity, volcanic eruptions, and variations in Earth's orbit around
the Sun. Attribution of recent climate change focuses on the first three types
of forcing. Orbital cycles vary slowly over tens of thousands of years and
thus are too gradual to have caused the temperature changes observed in 1
the past century.
• Greenhouse gases
Figure 1Greenhouse effect schematic showing energy flows between space, the
atmosphere, and earth's surface. Energy exchanges are expressed in watts per square
meter (W/m2).
• Solar variation
Variations in solar output have been the cause of past climate changes. The
effect of changes in solar forcing in recent decades is uncertain, but small,
with some studies showing a slight cooling effect, while others studies
suggest a slight warming effect.
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IV. Advantages And Disadvantages of Global
Warming and Climate change
In the following segments we will look at the many disadvantages of global
warming and then follow with the very small number of advantages of global
warming.
There are several disadvantages to Global Warming, which will affect all life
on this planet. As the Earth warms, the ocean levels will rise due to melting
ice in Greenland, and the Antarctic, with an additional rise due to thermal
expansion (warm water takes up more space than cold water). The rising
ocean levels will inundate roads, farmland, towns, and even cities. The
economic cost will be in the trillions. A warmer Earth equals more powerful
storms, with increasing frequency. Wildlife will suffer if their habitats change
more quickly than they can adapt. Global weather patterns will be altered as
temperature differentials change planet-wide. These are a few of the
disadvantages...and this is only "the tip of the iceberg", no pun intended.
2. Higher sea level leading to flooding of low-lying lands and deaths and
disease from flood and evacuation.
3. Deserts get drier leaving to increased desertification.
A taskforce report predicts a one meter rise in the sea level will inundate a
greater portion of southern region which is about 15.8 per cent of the total
area of Bangladesh (Taskforce report, 1991). The predicted one meter sea
level rise will lead to the loss of about 22,889 square kilometers of agri-land
which will cause a 30 per cent decline of rice crop. It will also cause decline
in production of other crops. It will permanently inundate the Sundarbans, a
world heritage site, with the loss of Bengal tigers (World Bank Report, 2001).
Sea level rise will also increase the frequency of coastal flooding that will
threaten animals, plants and fresh water supplies in the coastal plain of
Bangladesh.
A rise in sea water level will enable saline water to intrude further inland
during high tides, coastal flooding and storm surge. As a result, extended
salinity will deteriorate soil quality and cause loss of sweet water fauna and
flora. It will also destruct sweet water sources including ponds and lakes etc. 1
Sea level rise will cause shoreline retreat, resulting in increase of basin area,
which contributes to increasing the cyclone path length that will allow the
cyclone to remain more time in the water, acquire and release more latent
heat, intensity and wide speed. The projected sea level rise along the coastal
areas of Bangladesh will be about 88cm by the year 2100.
2. Climate change
Climate change is likely to heavily hit Bangladesh because global warming is
causing increase in temperature affecting precipitation intensity, pattern and
distribution. Bangladesh will receive a heavier rainfall during the monsoon
because the rate of evaporation is expected to increase by up to 12 per cent.
Mean monthly rainfall may significantly change over current variability.
Monsoon rainfall may increase by 11 per cent by 2030 and 27per cent by
2070. Due to global warming, over the past 100 years temperature has
increased by 0.5?C but in the next 50 years that is, by 2050, the
temperature in Bangladesh is projected to rise by 1.5 to 2.00C.
A number of studies found that high temperature would reduce the yields of
HYVs of Aus, Aman and Boro rice during all the seasons throughout
Bangladesh. An important study reveals that a 60 per cent moisture stress
on top of other effects might cause as high as 32 per cent decline in Boro
yield. A quarter of the country's landmass is currently flood prone in a
normal hydrological year, which may increase to 39 per cent and prolonged
flooding can effectively reduce overall potential for HYV Aman production.
Global warning will make tropical cyclones and tornadoes in Bangladesh
bigger and more frequent. The super cyclone Sidr on 15 November, 2007 has
already drawn attention to the devastation that may yet be caused in future.
Water related impacts due to climate change and sea level rise are likely to
be some of the most critical issues for Bangladesh, not only in relation to
coastal and riverine flooding but also in relation to enhanced possibility of
winter drought in certain areas. In the dry season, river flow will be reduced.
Consequently, salinity will penetrate along the coastal rivers. It will cause
increase in vapor-transpiration that is detrimental to crop growth. It will also
result in more release of carbon from the topsoil. Increased water withdrawal
by India will also lead to further decrease in lean season flow in the rivers.
Rise in temperature will favor pest and pathogen activities and human health 1
will be at higher risk, i.e. increased risk of some infectious diseases like
malaria, diarrhea, dengue etc. Rising temperature may jeopardies the forest
succession processes. It may result in low productivity and poor vegetative
cover of the forest and affect its rich biodiversity. Quarter of a million
hectare land will become affected by salinity, on top of the 3.05 million
hectares already affected.
VI. Conclusion
The causes of the global warming have been in work for a long time and
slowly it has caused the increase in the temperature. The satisfactory fact is
that at least now the governments of various countries and its people have
started to understand that they are one of the causes for the global
warming. Therefore combined efforts by the different countries have started
to control the global warming and thereby prevent our habitat from
destruction. Awareness, alternative forms of energy, conservation of energy,
and reforestation can help and hopefully by taking measures we can bring
this grave situation under control. If people are educated about the global
warming causes, they can do what they can to control global warming in
their everyday life.