Global Warming is one of the most serious concerns for our planet. Increase in carbon dioxide emissions are mainly responsible for the green house effect which results in global warming.
The solar rays which warm the earth are of short wavelength which do not warm the atmosphere but warm the earth. When during the night earth reradiates this heat energy to cool itself, it emits long wavelength low intensity waves which get absorbed in the atmosphere. The result is that the temperature of atmosphere gradually rises. This is called greenhouse effect.
During the last century due to population explosion, increased urbanization and cutting down large areas of tropical forests- especially in Amazon area of South America, the ratio of carbon dioxide has increased from 295 parts per million (ppm) at the turn of the nineteenth century to 385 ppm at the turn of the twentieth century and is still rising. The amount of carbon monoxide has also increased three times during this period. According to environmental scientists, these two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect described above which causes global warming. The average temperature of our planet has already increased 0.8 degrees Celsius during the last century and if appropriate steps are not taken to check the emissions of the two gases described above, it may increase to dangerously high levels. The rising temperature will melt the polar ice caps causing the sea levels to rise dangerously and submerging the coastal cities.
The second effect which was imperceptible at first but now it has assumed noticeable proportions is the melting of permanent ice on the high mountains of the Himalayas. The ice melting has called many avalanches that have buried lot of villages in Nepal in recent years. This was the top most concern during the world climate conference which was held during September 2009 at Katmandu to address Global warming issues.
In short, it is high time to understand the serious consequences of global warming and to take steps which can check the ever increasing rate of the green house gases.
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