What can we do to stop sea level rise and extreme weather events caused by global warming?

Global warming is causing sea level rise and extreme weather events, and we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to stop it. Individual and community efforts are needed to conserve energy and develop alternative energy sources.

 

We’ve all seen public service announcements about sea level rise with pictures of polar glaciers melting like ice cream on a hot day and the words. “We will not leave our land even if most of it is under water, and we must prevent that from happening.” Says the Prime Minister of Tuvalu. The small Pacific island nation of Tuvalu is a prime example of the damaging effects of global warming, with large parts of the country already underwater due to rising sea levels. Today, global warming has become a major societal issue, not only because of rising sea levels, but also because it is a major factor in many extreme weather events. Let’s learn a little more about it.
Global warming is the long-term increase in near-surface temperatures. It was first mentioned in the Rome Club report in 1972, and gradually gained attention after the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme claimed in 1985 that the greenhouse effect, caused by an increase in carbon dioxide concentrations, was the cause of warming. Many experts predict that continued warming will cause irreversible disaster, and blame global warming for recent extreme weather events. There is now a consensus that humanity must work together to stop the warming, and a number of international agreements and cooperative organizations have been formed and numerous campaigns have been launched.
In fact, the Earth has been going through cold ice ages and warm interglacial periods since its creation. Chronologically, we are currently in an interglacial period, which means that global temperatures are rising. But it’s the magnitude of the increase that’s troubling. Global average temperatures have been rising and falling since weather records began until the 1970s, but since the 1960s, there has been a clear upward trend. According to the release, the average temperature over the past 50 years has been rising at a rate of 0.13°C per decade, about twice as fast as the rate of increase over the past 100 years (0.07°C per decade). The last decade has been the hottest decade on record, and the average global temperature is expected to continue to rise, and by a greater magnitude.
The idea of preventing the damaging effects of global warming is based on the fact that human activities increase greenhouse gases. Gases that cause the greenhouse effect by absorbing and storing heat energy in the atmosphere include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (also known as Freon gas), and nitrogen dioxide. All of these gases can be enriched by human activities, and observations show that their concentrations have been increasing significantly in recent years. Simulations that emit these gases into the atmosphere at the same rate as today conclude that by 2040, the Earth’s average temperature will be about 3 degrees Celsius above today’s level, and in the worst case scenario, the planet will be uninhabitable by the end of the 21st century. While some scientists disagree on whether the greenhouse effect is the primary cause of the global warming currently occurring and the debate continues, the consensus is that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will mitigate global warming.
One of the most damaging effects of global warming is sea level rise. Glaciers floating in saltwater or freshwater do not contribute to sea level rise when they melt, but glaciers on land directly raise sea levels when they flow into the ocean. Changes in the density of seawater due to rising temperatures also contribute to sea level rise. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts a sea level rise of 110 to 880 millimeters by the 21st century. If this happens, many people living in low-lying areas by the sea will have to move to higher ground, and many small island nations will be wiped off the face of the earth. If warming continues and eventually melts Greenland’s glaciers, it could cause a sea level rise of more than 6 meters, enough to submerge most coastal cities.
Another damaging effect would be extreme weather events. As the Earth’s temperature rises, so does the temperature of the ocean water, which is why cyclones that form over the ocean tend to have more energy. Typhoon Rusa dumped 870 millimeters of rain in Gangneung, breaking the record for the most rainfall in a single day and causing more than 5 trillion won in property damage. Typhoon Mae-mi claimed more than 130 lives and caused more than 4.7 trillion won in property damage across the country. Global warming is also changing precipitation patterns, causing flooding on one side of the country and water shortages on the other. Precipitation has increased in mid- and high-latitude regions, such as North and eastern South America and northern Europe and northern Asia, but decreased in low-latitude regions, such as the Sahel and Mediterranean, South America and South Asia. The world’s sixth-largest lake, Lake Chad, evaporated due to drought. The recent increase in the frequency and duration of El Niño and La Niña events is also attributed to rising global temperatures. Increased temperature means increased energy, so the Earth’s warmer surface has more energy than it would normally have under normal conditions, which in turn allows water to circulate faster. This leads to extreme weather events that wouldn’t normally occur.
So, what are some ways to stop global warming? The answer is simple: reduce greenhouse gases. If global warming is caused by humans, it’s because of the greenhouse gases we emit. This could include deforestation, which has led to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide. While there are no real breakthroughs to date, there are things we can do on a personal and community level.
At the individual level, the first solution is to conserve energy and resources. Whether it’s saving electricity at home, using public transportation, or conserving water, there are countless ways to do so. Another option is to use products that are as environmentally friendly as possible, such as high-efficiency appliances and low-waste products. If these consumption patterns become established, producers will also take them into account, and in the long run, the entire economic structure will become more environmentally friendly. In the same vein, recycling is another solution. The amount of methane gas produced by incinerating waste is enormous, and if we can reduce it, it’s a big win. You can also plant or maintain trees, which are carbon dioxide sinks. Forested countries in northern Europe and elsewhere absorb a lot of carbon dioxide, so they don’t have much pressure to reduce greenhouse gases.
At the global level, there is already a Kyoto Protocol that regulates greenhouse gas emissions, but it is difficult to implement as intended due to the political and economic interests of each participating country. The way to reduce GHG emissions without conflict is to develop breakthrough alternative energy. Many alternative energies are currently being researched and some are already in use, but their high cost makes them unattractive to consumers. The solution is to find a way to commercialize alternative energy at a lower cost.
So far, we’ve covered what global warming is, its causes, and what we can do about it. Global warming is the phenomenon of increasing temperatures on Earth, and it’s an important issue that, if left unchecked, could have devastating consequences for humanity. If meteorologists are right, we should be paying more attention to this issue and trying to stop it. If we’ve been using nature to our advantage, it may be time to change course and work with it.