Hi....this is just a post about a major problem the earth is facing....yes, it is global warming.
Global warming is the rising of average global surface temperature. The temperature rise is attributed to the greenhouse gas emissions which form “greenhouse effect”. In the greenhouse effect, the thermal radiation from the surface of the earth is absorbed by the greenhouse gases, mainly the Carbon dioxide and cause substantial increase in the surface temperature. The greenhouse gas emissions are mainly from burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
The rising of the average surface temperature or the global warming has negative implications on our lives. It melt the ice caps and ice glaciers and rise the sea level which in turn submerge low lying cities, destroy the everglades or marshlands and deplete freshwater availability. The rise in temperature would increase rainfall patterns, cause floods, bring violent weather conditions, affect viruses and microbe habitations which in turn cause migration of diseases to unpredicted areas and more.
We need to control the greenhouse gas emissions. The burning of fossil fuels were directly connected to the economy of the nations, the emissions are higher for the richer and developed nations. While ¾ of the greenhouse gas emissions are from industrialized and developed countries, the developing counties such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the US are the highest individual polluters at present.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was formed to fight the global warming. The UNFCCC came up with the so called Kyoto protocol where rich industrialized nations reduce the emissions to an average 5% below the 1990 level of emissions during 2008-2012 period and support the developing countries by paying them for the “green developments” through the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism. The developing countries are bound to cut emissions after 2012. This was because the presumption that the rich nations were historically responsible for higher emissions/global warming and to take the lead to cut emissions. The United States of America who has the highest historical carbon footprint objected the Kyoto protocol and did not sign the protocol because it did not like developing countries such as China and India did not have to cut emissions up to 2012. The latest conference on climate change by the United Nations was in Durban, South Africa from 11/26/2011 to 12/07/2011 and the outcome on the conference is soon expected.
