Is greenhouses a serious problem?

In “Antarctic Ice Collapse Linked to Greenhouse Gases” a web article about the collapsing of iceberg in the Antarctica by Alister. D (2008), the author talks about how the greenhouses effects affect the Antarctica. He also talked about a survey made for an estimation of how theses ices will be affected in the future. The author gives us specific information about some information on previous icebergs that collapse some years ago. The main reason mentioned here was why the critical situation of the Antarctica and his icebergs. The text gives us straight answer about the question and how it happened. We should not let the Antarctica’s ice collapse because it will affect sea levels, it will cause desertification and it will affect agriculture.

First, greenhouses effects in the Antarctica will cause a rise on the sea level. Global warming is a serious problem that most of the countries in the world are fighting against. Sea levels may be affected by green houses effects because of the melting of the ices. If there are too many ices that melt in the Antarctica, then it means that we have a lot of water that will be added to our current sea and the level will be higher. Higher sea level will cause a serious injury to our planet because it may lead to flooding problems. Flooding problems is a consequence of higher sea levels. They will be water everywhere and we as humans will be more vulnerable to diseases and death. According to Grabiamowski & Strickland (n. d, paras.1, 2) “Glaciers and ice shelves around the world are melting [Source: Guardian Unlimited]. The loss of large areas of ice on the surface could accelerate global warming because less of the sun's energy would be reflected away from Earth to begin with (refer back to our discussion of the greenhouse effect). An immediate result of melting glaciers would be a rise in sea levels. Initially, the rise in sea level would only be an inch or two. Even a modest rise in sea levels could cause flooding problems for low-lying coastal areas. However, if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt and collapse into the sea, it would push sea levels up 10 meters (more than 32 feet), and many coastal areas would completely disappear beneath the ocean [Source: NASA]. The IPCC estimates that sea levels rose 17 centimeters (or about 6.7 inches) in the 20th century. Scientists project rising sea levels to continue through the 21st century, with levels increasing between 7 and 22 inches by 2100. The IPCC did not consider changes in ice flow in these projections due to a lack of scientific data. Sea levels will likely be greater than the range of projections, but we can't be sure by how much until more data can be gathered about the effect of global warming on ice flows”. According to this research by scientists, they estimate in the future that they will be a rising on sea levels because of the effects of global warming. Many bacteria will develop themselves and they are going to be more death and a world flooding problems. However, many scientists are fighting and trying to find a solution to this future problem. We have to look forward to find a solution and reduce the risk and to be able to have a safer environment.

Second, greenhouse effects in the Antarctica will cause desertification to our planet. Desertification is also a problem of global warming. According to Rosenberg. M (2007, paras.1, 2, 3) “Deserts, also known as arid lands, are regions that receive less precipitation then their potential evapotranspiration (evaporation from the soil and plants plus transpiration from plants equals evapotranspiration, abbreviated as ET). Deserts are located around the world. The little precipitation and rain that falls in deserts is usually erratic and varies from year to year. While a desert might have an annual average of 5 inches of precipitation, that precipitation may come in the form of 3 inches one year, none the next, 15 inches the third, and 2 inches the fourth. Thus, in arid environments, the annual average tells little about actual rainfall. Rain in the desert is often intense and since the ground is often impermeable (meaning that water isn't absorbed into the ground easily), the water runs quickly right into streams that only exist during rainfalls. The swift water of these ephemeral streams are responsible for most of the erosion that takes place in the desert. Desert rain often never makes it to the ocean, the streams usually end in lakes that dry up or the streams themselves just dry up. Almost all of the rain that falls in Nevada never makes it to a perennial river or to the ocean”. More heat due to global warming specifically in a desert area is catastrophic because the soil will just dry up and the process of absorbing water are reduced by the heat and arid areas will loose water than they receive. No more precipitation in this area and only heat will dry completely the soil and increase desertification in all area.

Finally, greenhouses effects in the Antarctica will affect agriculture. Agricultural production will be affected and lead to food shortages. Many countries still use agriculture to produce fresh and healthy food. If agricultural production is affected and lead us to food shortages then the world will be affected by malnutrition, starvation and death due to food and crops shortages. Agriculture production is essential to our lives because by that we can have good quality of food. We will have a serious food production and the world will be in lck of food. Human beings can not leave without food. Food is the only way that can help us survive. According to R Preston & Leng (1989, paras 1-4) “The greenhouse effect, or increasing world temperature, is clearly ascribable to the major industrial countries of the northern hemisphere as some 50% of the increased retention of energy by the atmosphere is due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide as a result of combustion of fossil fuel. Methane production appears to be a major issue although it only presently contributes 18% of the overall warming. It is accumulating at a fast rate and is apparently responsible for some of the depletion of the protective ozone layer. Methane arises largely from natural anaerobic ecosystems, rice paddies and ruminant animals. The rates of accumulation of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have changed dramatically in the last 10 years. Prior to this, the rise in world temperatures and composition of the atmosphere had changed little but is now in an exponential growth period. Undoubtedly, carbon dioxide and methane concentrations must be stabilized in the very near future or the future of the earth is threatened. The developing (non-industrial) countries must insist on a decreased utilization of fossil fuels by the industrial countries. It will be essential that they also develop industrial and agricultural practices that minimize fossil fuel use and methane generation. Burning of fossil fuels is the predominant factor but deforestation and burning of forests and pastures have enormous effects also.” According to this statement, methane and carbon dioxide are also responsible for the earth’s warming and their implication into the agricultural world.

In conclusion, greenhouses effects in the Antarctica are a serious problem that we must take into consideration. Greenhouses effect on earth will be catastrophic and if we do not do something to prevent it, the world will be in danger. However, we have to reduce any risk that will lead to that and be more friendly with nature.


References
Grabiamowski. E & Strickland. J (n.d, 2008). How global Warming Works: Effects of Global warming: sea level. Howstuffworks. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/global-warming4.htm

Rosenberg. M (2007, July 15). Arid lands loose more water than they gain. About.com. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/deserts.htm

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