Global ‘Brain’ Warming

With a lot that is being said these days about global warming, i suddenly came across an article that suggested the these rise in temperatures can actually be harmful to the generic living being, and that too on a global perspective. Warmer temperatures would imply that the disease carrying insects like the deer ticks that are responsible for carrying the Lyme Disease, are not killed by the colder weather. Within the prevalent warmer air, the summer and spring would start earlier and the plant and trees would then produce more pollen meaning more itchy eyes and more sneezing….wooooooaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!! :O Never thought about this chain of event.

Also, a general and conventional way of thinking is that countries like Canada and Greenland that are closest to the Arctic and would inevitable see the sea levels rise as a result of global warming, speculations are taking the rounds that these warmer temperatures will open up new avenues of revenue, including oil drilling ( schlumbuggers…enjoy maadi) along with other new mining opportunities and expanded farming seasons that will most definitely aid the agricultural development. The ones that miss out are countries like Kenya that are already facing the brunt of the Sun’s heat. Also, while the ozone layer hole is located in one part of the planet, places like the Arctic pole and Antarctica, where animals like the huge Walruses live, are equally threatened by the thinning ozone layer, since the Sun would shine stronger and hence the ice melt would be rapid.

Talking about Walruses, as the ice closest to southern shallow water melts, walruses have to move north into deeper waters to find new homes. Sadly, mother walruses have to leave their babies to find food, and scientists are reporting an increasing number of abandoned walrus calves, which are likely to drown or starve while their mothers are away. Aaaaaaah!!!!! Sad.

Another common misnomer would be that the green house gases are the sole reason for the “eventual” destruction of the arctic. According to studies, the soot from burning coal, inefficient cook stoves and forest fires is carried up to the Arctic, where it darkens the snow. The dark snow then absorbs sunlight,
more so than clean snow, and radiates more heat back into the air. The study has theorized that this effect has contributed anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 degrees C of the Arctic’s overall 1.6 degree temperature increase. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is key to stopping warming across the globe,  but reducing particulate air pollution is important for the health of the Arctic.

Wooow…thinking about what could happen really sends chills down my spine. Here is what we could all do….’tips to fight global warming‘. And hope that some intelligent solutions is soon sought for this menace that is starting at our face, eagerly waiting to engulf us all……