EARTH ON FIRE !!

“Our Planet Earth is in danger :

What is Global Warming ?”

Earth is the only known planet, to be capable of supporting life. The average
temperature on Earth is about 14 0C (57 °F), which is conducive for life. Are
we about to change this ?

It is the greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, that provide a filter

from dangerous radiation. They also maintain earth’s temperature, keeping it
comfortable. GHGs absorb the infra-red radiation from sunlight, without
which we would be vulnerable to harsh radiation.

They also trap some of the heat near the earth’s surface, effectively keeping
her ‘correctly’ warm. This natural phenomena is known as ‘greenhouse effect’
and without this, the earth would be sizzling hot, during the day, whilst
freezing cold in the night !

Early Warnings

Anthropogenic global warming (AGW), a recent ‘warming’ of the Earth's

lower atmosphere (as evidenced by the rising global mean temperature trend),
is believed to be the result of an ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’, mainly due to
‘human-produced’ increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.
Thus, if the quantities of GHGs are higher, they will trap much more heat in
the atmosphere, causing high local temperatures / more heat on the earth’s
surface, which is basically what is known as Global Warming.

Besides this, the pollution factor is another perceived threat, looming large on
the horizon.

Greenhouse gases are mostly produced by big factories / refineries,

whose pollution levels threaten to overtake those contributed by all other
industries put together, adding significantly to global warming / climate
change.

The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, which protects life on earth
from ultraviolet rays, has developed a ‘hole’ or cavity, due to certain harmful
gases, basically called ODS (Ozone Depleting Substances).

Thus, according to studies, the apparent ‘root cause’ of this problem (of global
warming) has been the abuse of Mother Nature, by the greed of human
beings.

Earth is a great storehouse of energy-producing fuels, called ‘fossil’

fuels. Oil, coal, natural gas etc are the remains of the dead animals and plants,
buried deep inside the earth, due to millions of years of heat and pressure.

They are limited and non-renewable energy resources. When they are burnt to
produce energy, they release harmful gases called GHGs. The accelerated
speed, at which we are burning them, for so-called ‘economic development’ is
what is upsetting the natural balance / destroying our environment.

Countries have rapidly developed their economies, using fossil fuels such as
coal, petroleum and gas, in the process releasing thousands of tons of harmful
gases. This is especially evident by the wide scale industrialization / increased
consumption of fuel over the last few decades.

Ethanol
With the fear of exhausting fossil fuels, rising prices and polluting
gases, the need for alternate sources of energy has become necessary.

Natural resources, such as wind, ocean, solar and biomass can substitute fossil
fuels to a certain extent, as they do not release GHGs, except biomass (which
releases carbon dioxide). These alternative sources are, however, expensive,
as compared to conventional fuels.

The need of the hour is, therefore, to find a way to harness these natural
resources, in an economical manner.

Certain countries have already switched over to ‘green fuels’ like

ethanol, which do not produce harmful gases. But en-mass switching to this is
not necessarily the right answer. Ethanol is derived from sugarcane and corn,
cultivation of which has led to large-scale deforestation. Forests are
‘converters’ of carbon dioxide. Reduction of forest cover has led to the rise of
carbon-dioxide levels.

Secondly, abandoning traditional crops like rice, wheat etc. in favour of

Ethanol (which brings more profits) has led to food grain shortage and rising
costs of food grain prices.

Lifestyle factors

Artificial Life-styles, especially in the Metros, have led to extensive use of

ODS’s like Freon, besides wide-spread use of plastics, electronic goods, cars,
processed-food items, etc. which need power for production, which, in turn,
are responsible for generating more harmful gases.

In fact, we start polluting the earth right from birth, using ‘plastic’ nappies,
which take hundred of years to decompose and create a problem of disposal.

In theory : we bring nothing and also leave empty. In practice, we leave

behind heaps of different garbage, consumed fuels, polluted oceans and
increase quantities of all sorts of waste products. All this constitutes the
human print, which we leave behind on the earth.

Accumulated GHGs in the atmosphere can wreck havoc with nature.

Polar icecaps are breaking up, fresh water resources are shrinking, sea levels
are rising, submerging the coastal areas, which in turn has reduced the fertile
agriculture land. Climate change could result in higher temperature, heavy
floods, un-seasonal rainfalls, posing threats to crops and food grain shortage.
Plants and animals will be forced to migrate and those adapted to cooler
climates would become extinct. Death due to heat waves, tropical diseases
could spread faster. This is no doubt very alarming.

Take Charge
Global Warming can be reduced, to some extent, by changing our
lifestyles. Reducing consumption of Electricity, which is produced by burning
fossil fuels, would help. Therefore Electricity can be saved by turning off
lights when not in usage, using air conditioners with restraint, using cars
sparingly / using public transport wherever possible, using eco-friendly goods
and solar energy. Taking care that discarded electronic goods like TV,
computer, mobiles etc. do not create ‘electronic carcasses’, contaminating the
land, water and air with hazardous toxic substances.
Each and everyone of us must do something to save our earth. It is
because of every drop, that we can have an ocean. Positive thinking and
active participation by everyone, no matter how small and insignificant we
may think of ourselves, can ‘Save our Earth’.

N. Nanda Vikram Gokhale

Mr. N. Nanda and Mr. Vikram Gokhale are Senior faculty with Premier Maritime
Institutes in Mumbai . They are also authors of the popular ‘NG’ Series of text-books.