Have you felt that the summers are becoming hotter, that rains are becoming erratic or winter is starting early? All these are the effects of global warming and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

How Did It Start?

Global warming was always there, but it was in a fine balance. The right amount of 'greenhouse gases' stopped solar radiation from leaving earth and making it cold. However, since science advanced, especially in the 20th century, it led to more and more burning of fossil fuels that give out CO2 and other harmful gases. Trees could have saved the planet, but the growing population meant more forest area being cleared. It was only in the middle of the last century that scientist started noticing the abnormalities, occurring in weather pattern. But it took 20, 30 years for people and governments to take them seriously.

The Scenario Now

The effects of global warming are too pronounced now, and cannot be overlooked anymore. Already people are feeling the heat, literally. In western and eastern Europe, people died from heat waves, something unbelievable, even a decade earlier. Alpine glaciers are receding fast and soon there will be no ski resort for the rich and the famous, fears the experts as well as people living there. Ski instructors' dread the day they will loose their job and point out that thinning glaciers have led to mountains falling apart.

Elsewhere, winters are setting in early and in other places rains, hailstorm, and cyclones are ravishing countryside. In other places, scarce rains have led to draught like situation. Melting glaciers have led to more flooding and many island nations, and a rising sea is threatening low laying areas.

The Future Ahead

We are now in a crossroad. If we turn a blind eye to the problems caused by global warming, very soon we will be facing so many problems that we will get drowned in them. There will be scarcity of water, food, and other resources. This will lead to armed conflicts within and between countries. Thousands will become environmental refugees and many more, due to poverty and war. According to pentagon (they cannot be accused of being pro-environmental), this is possible within 2050!

If you do not want leave such a legacy, then it's time we clean up after the mess, we have created. Individuals as well as governments will have to work in tandem to see that global warming is checked. Countries have to come in terms with each other's problems; undeveloped and developing countries should not pay for the crimes of the developed nations, who have contributed mostly to this global warming.

Environmental impact of global warming is a debatable issue, as the experts themselves are not fully sure how much damage has been made, or whether it is irreversible. But one thing is sure, our atmosphere is changing and we have to do something about it.

Recommended Reading:

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