Global Warming and the UAE

Many countries around the world are currently being effected by the results of global warming, but countries such as the UAE and others in the middle east will be effected in the future if no action was taken to limit this world threat. The UAE can be considered as one of the countries that cause global warming, but to a smaller degree, mainly because the emissions produced come from automobiles, and construction only. Power plants in the UAE, which burn gases have been fixed so that no harmful emissions will be produced and let out to the atmosphere. The UAE is considered one of the countries that are implementing all the new technologies that can limit the emissions of excess gasses. Such technologies are the catalyst converters in cars, and many others in factories. In 2005, the government has banned importation of any ozone harming chemicals, which is considered a very brave and positive step towards helping the world fight against global warming.

Effect On Forests

Forests are needed in the world to balance the gas cycle, where humans produce carbon dioxide and forests take that in and produce oxygen. Carbon dioxide in terms on how it affects forests is quite different. As we know carbon dioxide traps the heat in the atmosphere and it traps some rays from coming in which are needed by many crops and plants, which causes them to die. The heat has an effect on the forests, where it causes many forest fires, and the upcoming days will witness more frequent events such as those. Fires will emit more carbon dioxide with high amounts, and the earth will loose plants that keep the carbon dioxide cycle going on.

Overall Efects

When people hear about global warming, the definition that strikes their brain is the increase of global temperature, but not the effects of this increase. There are many horrific effects that are happening day after day due to this heat, including rise in sea level, changed patterns of agriculture, unexpected weather events and increase of tropical diseases. This increase of temperature has a great effect on the ecosystem too, where a lot of birds cannot adapt with the new weather, which caused to the death of many of them. I have chosen to discuss about the impacts of this rise on forests, because so many people lack knowledge towards this area.

Methane - A Specific Cause

Methane is produced from rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel production. It is considered 20 times as effective in trapping the heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. US studies indicated that the level of methane in the atmosphere has increased up to 145% in the past 100 years, which is a very big increase, and is helping in trapping more heat. When fields are flooded, then plants grow, CH4 is released to the atmosphere, which is a result of decomposition of the soil.

Causes of Global Warming Overall

There are many causes that are increasing global warming, and making this international enemy grow everyday. The main cause as we all know is the increase in level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When high amounts of carbon dioxide are released to the atmosphere, there is no place to go instead of getting stuck there, and therefore the heat cannot pass through it and get trapped in the low altitudes. Carbon dioxide is emitted in many ways including factories, power plants, cars and basically anything that requires burning fuels. On the other hand, carbon dioxide is not the only reason of the heat getting trapped in the atmosphere, because deforestation and methane are considered dramatic causes too. Methane is considered the second strongest cause of the increase of the global temperature.