Global Warming And Human-Induced Effects

Global warming is described as the large and gradual increase in temperatures on the earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere caused by an increase in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane (Soon, Baliunas, Robinson, & Robinson, 2001). While some factions of scholars, researchers and scientists describe Global warming as being natural, others believe it’s man-made. Naturally, the water vapor present in the air and clouds absorbs and therefore traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere which would otherwise be lost into space. The presence and increase of greenhouse gases further contribute to the greenhouse effect which leads to global warming by trapping more heat.

In the period before the industrial revolution, climate change was

Carbon sequestration describes natural and anthropogenic processes through which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and diverted from emission sources and stored in marine, terrestrial and geological environments. Previously carbon emissions were fully used by plants for photosynthesis which in turn produced oxygen. While this was nature’s way of balancing between carbon emission and uptake, the current human-induced emissions far outweigh nature’s capability to balance the two without help. While the natural process of carbon sequestration is ongoing, it can be helped further by restoration of wetlands and forests. This is more effective and cheaper than the human-induced process which will significantly increase the cost of coal production according to the IPCC. On the downside, carbon sequestration in water will lead to water acidification which will render it unfit for human consumption. Geological processes such as tectonics may release stored carbon into the

A high carbon tax will its price per unit rise considerably in the market. This will theoretically make users shift and producers shift to clean sources of energy. A global tax on carbon will cause a decrease in carbon emissions. Otherwise, producers will shift their businesses to countries will little to tax on carbon-based products. The cost implications of administering the tax may be a lot than some countries with small economies can manage to pay.

To mitigate the effects of climate change, it’s necessary for concerted efforts by each country to introduce legislation that significantly reduces their levels of carbon emissions. This can be achieved by focusing and investing more in renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy. Strict legislation should be done on the use of carbon-based products for example carbon tax and ensure strict adherence to it. This should focus more on countries and sectors that rank highest in the consumption of such