Global warming (for writing contest by @upmewhale)

What is climate and why it changes?
Climate is the long-term average of weather, typically averaged over a period of 30 years (Wikipedia.org). Indicators of climate: temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, and precipitation. These indicators are not constant. During long term geological periods they changed a lot. It totally changed conditions of habitat.

It is possible categorize reasons of climate changes:
According source:
a) Internal. Situated in Earth. These reasons will be presented farther.
b) External. They are in Space, for example changes of Sun activity. Decrease of Sun activity can decrease temperature in Earth. It can even cause Ice ages.

Internal reasons it is possible to categorize to:
a) Natural reasons. For example big eruption of volcano can make climate colder. Gases emitted during the eruption carry less sunlight. People can't control these processes
b) Anthropological. They are caused by human activity.

Fig 1. Correlation between socio-economic trends and Earth system trends (Pierre Jay Robert, 2017)

In first figure you can see that growth of socio-economic trends and Earth system trends after Industrial Revolution correlate. But in this source some data are missing, so it is difficult to say how they changed before.

Global warming
Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system (Wikipedia). Main reason – in the atmosphere of Earth there are gazes that make climate warm. Gazes that are 99% responsible for making climate of Earth warm: CO2 (70%), CH4 (23%) and NO (7%). Their effect is like a greenhouse – traps heat. Without them climate of our planet would be too cold to survive. But too big quantity of those gazes make troubles.

Fig 2. Greenhouse effect (storyboardthat.com)
Why quantity of greenhouse is too big?

After Industrial revolution process of global warming became intensive and visible. Now average temperature is rising. Some of reasons:
-Fossil fuel burning. Especially of carbon.

Fig 3. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by burning and with the use of fossil fuels in different regions of the globe curves over the period 1980-2002 (according to Energy Information Board of Directors (EIA).

In this figure we can see that amount of carbon dioxide is increasing. It is decreasing only in post Sovietic region and Eastern Europe.

• Deforestation. Trees during photosynthesis use CO2 and produce oxygen. Best effect is of young forests.
• Melting of methane hydrate. This process is self-promoting. More temperature increase - more ice, that hold methane, melt. More it melt - more methane is released into the atmosphere. It cause augmentation of global temperature. So it is like a circle.
• Fires of forests. Fires can be caused by natural or anthropogenical reasons. In some countries is used burning agriculture (to burn some areas of forest for agriculture). When climate is dry fires can spread quickly.

Negative effects of global warming:
a)Raising of sea level. It is natural that warm objects become bigger. The same thing happens with water. Because of that reason sea level raises. It causes a lot of problems:

• Coastal inundation.
• Increase in salinity of estuarine water
• Increase in coastal erosion
• Increased risk of flooding during storms
• Change in flood-prone areas
• Changes in sediment accumulation
  b) Promotion of pest reproduction. It is actual problem in Lithuania. This year winter is too warm. Because of absence of cold season ticks continue reproduction and attack people. Author knows real case from her relatives.
  c) Changes in spread of animal and plants species. Invasion species can make negative impact for endemic.
  d) More fires of forests and bushes. The best known case is Australia. Because of bush fires a lot of endemic species of animals and plants suffered. And the worse is that during fires quantity of greenhouse gases became bigger!
  e) Melting glaciers. It can cause more problems. Glaciers of Arctic are melting. Fresh water falling into the ocean. Salt water is heavier then fresh. It makes negative effect for North Stream. It started to be slower.

Lithuania is in Temperate zone. It means that there are 4 seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring. Winter should be cold with snow. But...

Fig 4. Where is snow? (made by author)

This photo is took day, when this article is written. It is winter now. Temperature is positive (it should be less than 0). It is bad for economy. Especially for those who make stuff for winter sports. Also it makes favorable conditions for reproduction of pests. Also negative effect for plants. Because of warm weather some plants started to grow leaves (it should be in spring). Negative temperature can be lethal.

Figure 5. New leaves of Chaenomeles (Made by author, 2020-01-30)

Is impact of global warming the same in the planet?

Fig 6. Map of impact of Global warming (Source: LeMonde, from materials for lectures by Pierre Jay Robert, 2017)

Answer is no! It is biggest in red colored in red. The most of these regions are in Equator and tropical areas. Also region of Mediterranean sea.

Some researchers say that global warming can have positive effects. When temperature is warmer, evaporation became bigger. It increases quantity of precipitation. But in reality not in all planet equally. In humid territories climate became more humid, and in arid territories drier

How is it possible to make situation better?
Some International agreements:

• Declaration of Rio (1992). Convention of climate changes
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. It entered into force in 1994. 2005 At the end of the year 189 countries had ratified the Convention. The aim is to achieve a stabilization of the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at levels that do not disturb the climate system.
• Agenda 2030. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Goal No 3: Climate sustainability

What can we do?

• Walk more. Not to use a car for short distances. Or use public transport;
• Use less fossil fuel
• Development of technologies. But it is sphere of scientists

Sources of information:

1. Climate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate
2. Greenhouse effect https://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboards/lt-examples/siltnamio-efektas
   3.http://www.lgeos.lt/images/stories/geologijos_akiraciai/2006_1/10-20.pdf
   Materials for lectures