Aids, Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, the War in Iraq, and the 2008 election are among the most discussed topics on television these days. Even though these topics are important, some people find it to be less imperative than one other topic. That topic is Global Warming.
Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has killed 25 million people since its discovery in 1981.1 Cancer has affected the lives of the patients and their families in ways no one can imagine. How could some people think that Global Warming is more important than people's lives?
Part of the problem is that Global Warming is a horrible term to describe what is actually happening. When people think of warming, they think of a warm sandy beach, or a load of dried laundry. Global warming is too general of a term; Global warming should be described as a Global Climate Disruption, which covers not only the environmental impact but also the political and economical problems brought about by "Global Warming".
But what is Global Warming? Many people attribute it to the raising of the Earths temperature due to green house gasses, the by product of burning fossil fuels, getting in to the atmosphere. After that, not much is know by the general populous. What CO2 (the main problem child of Global Warming) does is it gets into the ozone layer and exhausts it. The sun lets out much more than light, its numerous hydrogen reactions produce untold amounts of radiation and harmful rays that normally are blocked by the Ozone Layer. However due to the CO2 depleting it, those rays get through to the earths surface. With these rays reaching the earth's surface, numerous problems are caused. For one thing, and by far the most obvious, is the earth is getting warmer. Also these rays bring up a health concern. Melanoma, or skin cancer, is developed by extended exposure to the suns rays. However with the rays getting stronger melanoma is becoming a bigger and bigger problem to the general public.
It surprises some people when you tell them that there is more to Global Warming than just the earth getting warmer. It is the problems that arise from the increase in Global Temperature that are the main concern. Sea Level rise, increased intensity of storms, Glacier Retreat, and Species Extinction are among the main concerns of Global Warming.
The Sea Level rising is brought about by two factors, both related to Global Warming. Because of the rising temperature the water in the ocean is expanding, raising sea levels by 1mm to 2mm per year instead of .01 to .02/ year. It is said that by the year 2100 the ocean will have risen by 3.5 feet. If it were just the expansion of the ocean we were worried about, by 2100 the ocean will have risen 3.5 feet which could be dealt with easily. However there is another factor and it is the melting of the ice caps. Everyday huge chunks of ice fall off of the ice caps melting in the warm ocean water. This is referred to commonly as glacier retreat. If we continue at the same rate of pollution we are now and with the addition of the melted polar caps, the ocean level will rise 25 feet by the year 2100. 2
This is where many other weather related incidents are going to be problematic. With the rising of the sea levels, currents and known trade routes are going to change causing marine life to not be able to migrate, potentially causing some species to die out. With the change in currents and potentially warming different part of the ocean not used to warm water, category 5 hurricanes could become more recurrent.
Many species are at risk from Global Warming. In Nature Magazine, an abstract article was produced about the effects global warming can have on some species. The abstract read as follows;
"Climate change over the past 30 years has produced numerous shifts in the distributions and abundances of species and has been implicated in one species-level extinction. Using projections of species' distributions for future climate scenarios, we assess extinction risks for sample regions that cover some 20% of the Earth's terrestrial surfacewe predict [in] 2050, that 1537% of species in our sample of regions will be 'committed to extinction'These estimates show the importance of rapid implementation of technologies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and strategies for carbon sequestration." The species in this study were just land animals, it did not include marine life. If we tack on the percentage of marine life lost due to current direction and climate changes that percentage goes up to 2542% instead of 15%-37%. Plants are another story, unlike animals they thrive on sunlight and vast amounts of rain. With the exception of the rising of the ocean, killing everything it covers. Plants may be the one thing that thrive.
The list of effect is expansive, covering everywhere from economic to environmental. However as big as that list is the list of solutions is just as big, if not bigger. There are many possible solutions to the global warming problem. The only real solution being proposed right now is reducing not only the CO2 we dispense into the air but the amount of electricity we use. Energy Star and Biofuel are the two main forerunners for energy and fossil fuel conservation. Energy Star is a company that monitors the production of electrical appliances and rates them on their energy efficiency. Many governments including our own offer refunds and tax deduction for buying such products that also save you money on your electric bill. Biofuel, or Biodiesel is made using elements that are reproducible quickly and do not destroy out atmosphere. Ethanol is an example of this, it is made from fermenting corn with small amounts of gasoline thus making a mixture called gasohol.4 Although these are small changes, they are a good first step to solving the global warming problem.
Unfortunately that solution is the only one publicly announced by the government. There are other theories that need some touching up on order to be plausible however the general ideas are good. Here are a few theories.
Capture the CO2 emissions like used in the ISS.
See the graph here: http://www.primidi.com/images/iss_recycling_system.j pg
As shown in the diagram above, in order to maintain the atmosphere in the ISS (International Space Station) the CO2 needs to be cycled out of the air so that way the astronauts can breathe. The R.E.C.L.S.S. is an advanced system that allows the recycling of very limited resources so life can be maintained for extended periods of time. The point on this diagram that related to global warming is the part with CO2 removal from the air return. Inside the CO2 removal center there are a multitude of Lithium Cells that absorb certain amounts of CO2. These cells are then disposed of and no CO2 is let out of the station.
Use Zirconia electrolysis to filter CO2 and break it down by heating the gas molecule...Oxygen and Carbon.
By using the process of "Zirconia Electrolysis" CO2 can be broken down making it in to Oxygen and Carbon. If the gas is heated to 1000 degrees the molecules separate, where the electrolysis come in is when hydrogen is then added to the separate elements to make H2O. The water molecules can actually be used as drinking water, so if for some reason humans have to leave planet earth, water would not be an issue as long as hydrogen was widely available.
Global Warming is a problem that is for sure. How could we as humans let ourselves get in to this predicament? It is possible for this problem to be fixed, all we as humans need is the time, resources, and the will power to get through this predicament. The solution is out there, but until we are able to come up with a sound plan reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and conserving energy is our best bet.