Essay on Global Warming

Global warming is the slow rise in the average temperature of the earth. Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane form a blanket around the earth and trap the heat of the sun. This is called the greenhouse effect. A little of it is natural and necessary. But the burning of coal, petrol and diesel in power plants, factories and vehicles, and the cutting of forests, have added far too much of these gases to the air. As a result, the earth is getting warmer. Glaciers and polar ice are melting, the sea level is rising, and heatwaves, floods, droughts and storms are becoming more common. To slow global warming, we must use clean energy from the sun and wind, save electricity and fuel, plant trees and waste less.

The earth is the only planet known to have life. It has the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. Today this balance is in danger. The average temperature of the earth is rising slowly, year after year. This is called global warming, and scientists agree that human activity is the main cause.

To understand it, think of a car parked in the sun with its windows closed. The sunlight enters, but the heat cannot escape, and the car becomes an oven. Certain gases in the air, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour, act like the glass of the car. They let sunlight in and hold back some of the heat. This greenhouse effect is natural, and without it the earth would be frozen. The trouble began when human beings started adding huge amounts of these gases to the air.

Where do the extra gases come from? Coal is burnt in power plants to make electricity. Petrol and diesel are burnt in cars, trucks and aeroplanes. Factories release smoke. All these give out carbon dioxide. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, but forests are being cleared for farms and cities. Rotting garbage and large herds of cattle release methane.

The effects are already visible. Summers are hotter and heatwaves longer. Glaciers in the Himalayas and the ice at the poles are melting. The melted ice raises the level of the sea, which threatens islands and coastal cities. Rainfall has become uncertain: some regions face cloudbursts and floods, while others get little rain. Cyclones are growing stronger. Crops fail, and animals such as the polar bear are losing their homes.

Global warming cannot be stopped by one country alone, so nations have signed agreements, such as the Paris Agreement of 2015, to cut their emissions. Governments are turning to solar and wind power, electric vehicles and public transport.

Ordinary people have a part to play. We can switch off lights and fans when leaving a room, walk or cycle for short distances, share rides, plant and protect trees, eat local food, and reduce, reuse and recycle things instead of throwing them away. Each small step saves fuel and keeps some carbon dioxide out of the air.

We do not have another planet to move to. If we act now, with seriousness and together, we can hand over a liveable earth to those who come after us.