15th November 2008

The “Good Effect” of Global Warming

A new study had to say something good about global warming. It says that human beings have been able to put off the possibility of a second ice age (that was supposed to come in some thousand years) by contributing to global warming.

However, scientists do not think that it is good news as this means a very unusual climate condition.
The imminent Ice Age was supposed to cover the countries of Europe, Asia and Canada in about a million years but with the kind of climate change that day may never come.

Swinging Temperatures Shaking The Future

The fear is the new high and low temperatures that disturb the ice sheets in the northern parts of the world, from forming. This constantly changing temperature will give the climate of the earth to change greatly. This has been found out by Crowley with his colleague by using their computer model.

What Could Be The Result?

There will be no glaciers in our future; however, there will be ice caps in the polar region, such a thing has never happened in the history of Geology; therefore, there are no analogies to this. Scientists are baffled at their own find and can not imagine such a condition.

Asia would also be under some three and a half kilometers of ice along with Europe. This is a new result which was not found with the earlier conditions.

The Validity of the Test

Many scientists are not willing to subscribe to this find and are preparing for further tests too be done.

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25th October 2008

Mystery Gas: Potential Threat To Global Warming

The latest study discovered that a chemical’s emissions are 4 times more widespread in our atmosphere than formerly thought, and a lot more times more efficient at heating up than Carbon Di Oxide (CO2).

What is this unknown gas?

The answer to the question is Nitrogen trifluoride.

Nitrogen trifluoride is 1of the numerous gases used during the making up of some computers and TV screens; it is also used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells.

So, once again we have the same old dilemma for us. The production of the very object meant to resolve the crisis, is in reality adding up to this crisis.

Many manufacturers have been using Nitrogen triflouride as a substitute for perfluorocarbons, which is another sort of strong greenhouse gas.  Then it was considered that merely 2 % of nitrogen trifluoride being used actually escapes into atmosphere.

Nitrogen trifluoride is almost 17,000 times more potent at heating up the atmosphere than CO2, carbon dioxide.  Though, this gas emission at present adds up to only 0.15 % of total effects of global warming produced by humans. It is predicted that the quantity of the gas in our atmosphere is rising by 11 % per year.

Carbon Dioxide, CO2, still remains the chief gas causal of global warming.

By means of new technology, research teams in California sponsered by Nasa, revealed that thousands additional metric tons of this chemical exists in our atmosphere than what was formerly thought.

As this gas is used very frequently, its potential harmful effects are not well known, researchers now recommend to include nitrogen trifluoride in the greenhouse gases controlled by Kyoto Protocol.

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11th October 2008

Global Financial Crisis Will Affect Planet Preservation

The worldwide financial crisis can cause a dent in the recent measures adopted to protect the planet. Experts at the meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) held at Barcelona are of the view that focus would be on improving the financial situation rather than on conservation preservation.

The recession in the U.S. economy will force Governments to divert funds allocated for conservation toward financial rehabilitation. The slump may also lead to economic pressures, which in turn would affect conservation. The Governments would divert the funds allocated for conservation and social programs towards rescuing the economy.

Governments would depend more on private industries, such as oil, mining and gas to extract more resources. The revenue derived from these resources would be used for economic recovery of the economy. This would lead to depletion of resources and also those benefiting from various social programs will get affected.

Greg Fishbein, director, conservation finance and planning, says that those who are hard pressed for jobs will take to overfishing or aggressive deforestation. Those who are about to lose their homes due to financial hardships may not donate money for philanthropy causes.

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11th October 2008

The Devastating Effects of Global Warming on Penguins

How bad can the Global Warming get? This January Antarctica has experienced huge levels of rainfall. What is disturbing is that this is the first time that something like this has happened here.  The most shocking news is the consequence of this rain. Thousands of downy penguins are dying as a result of this rain.

Penguins unfortunately, do not have water repellent feathers which bring about its misery. During rainfall they get totally drenched and remain wet all throughout the day. During night, when the temperature falls below freezing point these penguins, especially the chicks freeze to their death.

Emperor penguins like cold temperature but the rising temperatures at the Antarctic, have taken a toll on their numbers. Their numbers have come down to 50% of their number three decades ago. Global warming has also increased the surface temperature of the sea. This again has lead to vanishing population of Krill, a crustacean, the main food source of Emperor penguins. This is again another cause behind the dwindling population of the penguins.

The environmentalists who are researching on the effects of climate change on penguins have also noticed that climate change has also confused them about their nesting time. The penguins do not know when they have to nest. Even when they do breed there arises another problem.

In a penguin family, it is the female who hunts for food and the male penguin who looks after the chicks or eggs. When the mother penguin sets out to hunt it might not return for days and even months owing to the low population of their food in the sea. There are a number of cases when father penguin had to give in and abandon the babies due to his own hunger.

The condition is making scientists very uncomfortable due to their helplessness in not being able to do anything concrete. The harm has already been done and to return to the conditions prevalent on earth before Global Warming is next to impossible.

 

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12th August 2008

Global Warming Leading to Torrential Downpours

A new study claims that global warming will soon mark the entry of ceaseless rain which is going to be both strong and frequent. Scientists say that under such conditions people, crops and property could be under a lot of danger and destruction. Infact, floods will become more common, diseases like malaria, dengue, etc will become more rampant and of course the crops are going to fail.

Experts state that the rainfall patterns around the globe are already shifting; the reason being the warming up of the Earth on account of the release of greenhouse gases. Richard P. Allan, an atmospheric scientist from the University of Berkshire, declares that the dry regions are getting drier and that wet places are getting wetter.

Researchers have constantly been observing satellite images for rainfall over tropical oceans for nearly two decades now. It was found that during the El Nino years, the Earth experienced heavy showers when the climate is supposed to be quiet warm during that period.

El Nino years is when the global weather pattern change due to the rare warmer surface Pacific waters. Allan and other scientists are sure that the changes in rainfall patterns due to global warming are going to be worse in the future.

Studies suggest that with just 1 degree of rise in temperature can make heavy rains more frequent and hard, crossing the intense category by almost 60 percent.

Changes in rainfall patterns seem to be the hardest impact of global warming till date. Studies suggest that in the 20th century, temperatures rose to about 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 0.7 degrees Celsius. Scientists explain that the warmer the atmosphere, the more capable it is to retain moisture and when there is more moisture in the air, there is bound to be heavy and continuous rains.

Man has to realize that it is time we stop damning nature because when it hits back, it’s going to be real hard with oceans already warming up, temperatures still rising, water bodies expanding and land disappearing by the minute!

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23rd June 2008

Oceans Warming Up Faster Than Before

Did you know that the oceanic temperatures are rising by the minute? Infact, experts are of the opinion that oceans have warmed up nearly 50 percent faster than in the previous 40 years due to the changes in climate. This revelation was reported by researchers from Australia and the United States.

Researchers are assuming that rising temperatures implies the rise in sea levels and the expansion of the water bodies. This in turn is major threat to low-lying areas which are densely populated. It is speculated that the risk of small islands and nations is further enhanced with the warming up of the oceans seas which can completely submerge these tiny pieces of land and life.

Experts opine that rising sea levels are the result of two factors – due to the thermal or heated expansion of the water and due to the melting of ice. Researchers explain that both factors emerge as a result of global warming. For instance, researchers reveal that the ice sheet over Greenland contains as much water to raise world oceans levels by 7 meters or 23 feet which can alone submerge cities all the way from Dhaka to Shanghai.

Scientists are engrossed in estimating, understanding and forecasting further climatic changes and any further rise of ocean temperatures and the pace at which the oceanic temperatures are rising.

The Center for Australian Weather and Climate Research makes use of new techniques to estimate ocean temperatures at depths of 700 meters which is almost equal to 2300 feet. The new study reveals that thermal temperatures rise at the rate of 0.53 millimeter per year as to 0.32 millimeter rise reported earlier.

The new results scientists believe will help in developing alternative strategies to combat situations and impact on life. Contrary to earlier claims that rising levels were a threat to living things, today melting ice has also taken the seat of being major result and threat of global warming.

Scientists also reveal that the world’s oceans contain more than 90 percent of the heat of the Earth’s climatic system and act as temporary shield. However, rising temperatures can instigate thermal expansion and rise in sea levels which can be ghastly for mankind and other living creatures.

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