Environment: Global Warming and Current Carbon Dioxide Essay

Ansel Adams, a photographer and environmentalist, once said, â€Å"Once destroyed, nature’s beauty cannot be repurchased at any price. † Mother Earth is known as the one of the most beautiful planets and is the only planet that can support life. Unfortunately, Mother Earth is suffering due to many environmental problems that may affect humans and the ecosystem. These problems can result in major consequences for everyone’s daily life. The major environmental problems that are facing the world today are global warming, deforestation and air pollution. First of all, one of the greatest environmental concerns we have today is global warming. Global warming refers to the gradual increase in the earth’s average surface temperature. Global warming has resulted in several consequences. The rise of water temperature is related to global warming. The increase of water temperature is responsible in killing the ecosystem in the water as they could not tolerate the heat. For instance, coral reefs are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature. Scientists say if current carbon dioxide emission trends continue on, the world coral reefs could be virtually destroyed by 2050. Global warming is indeed very worrying as it poses a great danger for our survivor. The sun’s scorching heat comes to Earth directly and hence the earth’s surface becomes seriously heated. Sea level is increasing rapidly as glaciers are melting with steady pace engulfing the islands having low land level. Research has been done that Maldives will sink by the end of the century due to rise of sea level as most of the land on the islands is just a metre above sea level. Furthermore, sea levels have risen between 4-8 inches worldwide during the last century, and experts predict they could rise as much 2 feet in the next 100 years. Next, deforestation is one of the major determinants of the world’s environmental problem. Deforestation refers to the cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area. Deforestation has resulted in numerous adverse effects. Deforestation can cause biodiversity to decline. When forest is cleared, wildlife is deprived of habitat and becomes more vulnerable to hunting. In addition, 80% of the world’s documented species can be found in tropical rainforests and deforestation puts at risk a majority of the Earth’s biodiversity. Moreover, deforestation has caused soil erosion because when the soil is exposed to sun, it became very dry and eventually, infertile and could not be cultivated. When there is rainfall, it washes away the soil to the river then to the sea. Take the case of China, from the Yellow River, over 1. 6 billion tons of sediment flows into the ocean each year. The sediment comes mainly from soil erosion in the Loess Plateau in the northwest of the country. Finally, one of the most concern environmental problems today is air pollution. Air pollution generally means the contamination of air by smoke and other poisonous gases. Air pollution has resulted in several problems. Air pollution affects the health of people adversely such as heart disease and damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2 million premature deaths are caused each year due to air pollution in cities across the world. Furthermore, air pollution can result in acid rain which can cause paint to peel, corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stone statues. Also, air pollutantssuch as carbon dioxide can cause ocean acidification which harm fish and other aquatic life. Air pollution has affected human’s everyday life, for instance, air pollution in Beijing has gone literally off the charts: the levels are so bad that they go well beyond the worst possible rating on the official air quality index. Mother Earth is our home and we have done so much harm to her. We should be responsible for the environmental problems we have caused. In order to prevent further destruction to Mother Earth, we have start now before it is too late. Firstly, though there is no known solution to global warming yet, there are solutions that will aid to prevent it from growing even further. For instance, planting a tree as a nation because during photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen and the cycle carry on when there is light available. A single tree can absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. Also, through recycling half of the household waste, we can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Secondly, there are no direct solutions to deforestation but many countries in the world have started reforestation and forestry, and East Asian nations are leading in this regard. Many East Asian countries, including China, have successfully managed to reverse deforestation. Likewise, by making suitable changes in the law, so that cutting trees in a forest area becomes a major crime. Through this, deforestation can be control. Last but not least, to solve air pollution, flue-gas desulfurisation can be use to remove sulfur dioxide from exhaust flue gases of fossil fuels power plants.  In order to reduce air pollution, cars are manufactured with catalytic converters which will convert harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide to harmless substances such as carbon dioxide. In conclusion, we, the human race are the cause of all these environmental problems. We should work together and help preserve and protect Mother Earth. If we don’t act now, the magnificent world will vanish and soon, all living things would suffer. It is our duty to help carry out actions that will help cease the threats that our environment is facing now.