Written by: Sonishma Basnet - 2022021, Grade X
Posted on: 04 October, 2020
Global warming is the effect of humans misusing fossil fuels. It indicates the gradual increase in the temperature of the earth, due to the excessive use of fossil fuels. As when these fuels are used, they emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, etc. which traps the heat from the sun inside the atmosphere of the earth, which will gradually increase the temperature of the earth.
The earth has a balanced system and external factors like global warming really affect the earth. If not managed in time, it can even put a threat to human existence. Global warming has been melting snow at the poles and mountains, causing many island countries to be submerged into water and many in days to come, and also bring up many disasters like floods, glacier lake bursting, landslides, etc. These activities may greatly cause a disturbance in various lives. Problems like climate change, wildfire, acid rains, etc. are occurring due to global warming and these bring risk to the lives of various plants and animals.
Recently on September 17th, on Manhattan unique square began its countdown with seven years, 103 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes, and seven seconds. It counts Down the Time Remaining to Avert Climate Disaster. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate, then when the clock runs out, the average global temperature will be irreversibly on its way to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels. The calculations came from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change in Berlin, per the Times. So to say, if the average temperature of all of Earth passes that threshold, then people may face severe heat waves, droughts, and increasingly extreme storms. The United Nations has warned of global changes like the loss of coral reefs and collapsing sea ice, Matthew Lavietes reports for Reuters.
(Theresa Machemer, smithsonianmag.com, September 22, 2020,
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/clock-new-york-counts-down-time-remaining-avert-climate-disaster-180975881/ )
