Causes of Global Warming and its Impact on Ecosystems

Introduction

Perhaps let’s first ask ourselves what is Global warming?

Global warming is an increase, on a long-term, of the average temperature on earth. It is generally due to an increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mostly caused by human activities.

‘The emissions of greenhouse gases on our planet has increased by 70% from 1970 to 2004’ says Couroche Kalantary, a reporter for Global Majority E Journal. (I quote him as he is said to be a reliable source by some major American universities). Because of the increase in greenhouse emissions the planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.1 degrees celsius since the 19th century. And if nothing is done very soon to limit greenhouse emissions it is set

A little rise in temperature which may not seem so much on a personal level for human beings can have drastic consequences on our ecosystem, especially on animal species that can’t adapt fast enough to survive sudden climate changes. Some countries will face more impacts than others. Zambia for example, the country I live in, faced huge problems of drought in 2016 which reduced the water level of its main hydroelectric dam, the Kariba dam. We had power shortage meaning the government cut the electric transmission to houses from 9 in the morning to 18 at night. This drought was probably caused by La Nina effect which is one of the unexpected consequences of global warming. It brings sea-surface temperatures below the average this results in colder winters more extremes weathers and other.Another unexpected consequence of global warming which has the opposite effect than La Nina, is El Nino. It is a cycle in the pacific ocean that impacts global weathers, it happens when warm water in the west pacific by the african shores shifts eastward towards south america. It has some positive impacts as well like fewer hurricanes and cyclones in the north atlantic and some