In this article, we will talk about one of the biggest problems we are facing today, global warming.

The greenhouse effect is the biggest factor in facilitating global warming. Global warming has started to appear with the increase of the greenhouse effect due to factors such as the industrial revolution, deforestation, and the use of fossil fuel.[1]

Greenhouse Effect Chart

Greenhouse Effect

Mainly greenhouse gases are:

  • Water vapor
  • Ozone
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

Some of the heat coming from the sun is retained by the atmosphere. This heat is captured by greenhouse gases and reflected on the earth. And most of the rays return and heat the surface of the planet. That is known as the greenhouse effect.

Without the greenhouse effect, the world would not be habitable. With the increase of the greenhouse effect, the temperature is rising, climate change is more apparent, glaciers are melting, seasonal shifts are occurring, and agricultural areas are becoming infertile.

Man-Made Causes of the Greenhouse Effect

  • Industrialization
  • Transportation
  • Consumerism
  • Mono-culture Industrial Farming

Industrialization

With the unplanned construction of the industry sector, an increase in carbon emission is observed. Industry-based carbon emissions in China, which is one of the countries with a good economy, increased by 190% between the years 2000 and 2016.[3]

Transportation

With the increase in the production of fossil fuels and travel opportunities used in air, land, and water transportation, the rise in the number of vehicles in traffic causes an increase in air and water pollution.[3]

Consumerism

A new product is launched every day, and advertisements encourage people to buy these products. The resources used in the production of these products make up 60% of the total greenhouse gases.[3]

Mono-culture Industrial Farming

Nowadays, organic agriculture has been replaced by industrial agriculture. Because farmers see it as more profitable, and they ignore the harmful effects of the inorganic substances used in agriculture.

Green areas are used to feed animals in livestock farms. At the same time, animal wastes pollute our world, and the drugs used for livestock endanger human health. At the beginning of our article, we talked about climate change. Let's talk about the effect of climate change on us.[3]

The climate has a particular order. Thanks to this arrangement, living spaces suitable for living organisms are created. With the change of the environment, these living beings to disappear, and the creatures become homeless. The reason for all this climate change is the increase in the greenhouse effect and the increase of global warming.[1]

Now let's talk about what we can do to prevent this:

  • We should commit to afforestation.
  • We can use public transportation as much as possible to fulfill our travel needs so that the number of vehicles in traffic decreases. Thus, we will reduce the exhaust gases that will be released in the atmosphere.
  • We should be content with what we have, but if we buy a new product, we should prefer products that will cause the least harm to nature.
  • We must recycle. We must use the products we use carefully and donate instead of throwing them away so that someone in need can reuse the product. This will reduce waste.
  • We should minimize the use of plastic. We can use cloth bags instead of plastic bags.[3]

That's all we have to do, but actually, what we have to do first is to get rid of the idea that I can't change anything by myself. Of course, we can do anything that we want. Simple steps can be changed to eliminate this fear of Climate Change.

Sources:

[1] Climate Change. (2020). Boğaziçi university İKLİMBU: http://climatechange.boun.edu.tr/iklim-degisikligi/ adresinden alındı

[2] GLOBAL WARMİNG. (2020). environmentonline: https://cevreonline.com/kuresel-isinma/ adresinden alındı

[3] global warming: causes and consequences. (2020). magantacanta we leave a mark in nature: www.magcanta.com/kuresel-isinma-nedenleri-ve-sonuclari/ adresinden alındı