Environmental Dimensions of Global Warming: Ways of Mitigating the Impact

Abstract

Global warming is so severe in its impact to the physical environment now than it used to be about a century ago. This paper has examined the causative factors, trends, consequences and efforts made so far to mitigate the menace. The paper discovered that though, global warming is a natural phenomenon caused by the emission of heat- trapping gases from vulcanicity, solar variation and El_Nino events but anthropogenic processes like deforestation, industrialization, population pressure on the environment and communication have helped to load into the atmosphere huge amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, chlorofluoro carbons, methane and nitrous oxides which exacerbate global warming. The potential hazards discovered include, increase in sea level, melting of ice, inundation of low-lying areas, increased spread of tropical diseases, low crop yield and other climate-related problems. The paper concluded by recommending that leaders of countries take proactive measures to contain the hazard by developing environment friendly forms of energy, avoiding further destruction of forest through improved forestry management, use of catalytic converters on all motor vehicles and reduction of public transport means and in its place the use of bicycles in urban areas has been advocated.