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| Fig. 1: A look at the global temperature anomalies over time. [3] (Source: T. Davidson) |
It is undeniable that global temperatures are rising and consequently altering this planet, as seen in Fig. 1. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and climates are changing. The global temperature has risen nearly a degree (Celsius) since the 19th century, with two thirds of that warming coming after 1975. [1] There is irrefutable evidence that this global warming is being caused by humans, mainly by the fact that temperatures have been steadily rising since the Industrial Revolution. It may not seem important that the global temperature has risen merely a degree. However, global temperature reflects how much energy Earth absorbs from the Sun and then projects back into space - a value that should not greatly fluctuate. Because of the sharp increase of pollutants in our atmosphere, our planet is not radiating as much energy back into space, forcing temperatures to rise so as to keep constant the flow of energy in and out of the atmosphere. It takes one kilocalorie of energy to raise one kilogram of water a single degree. There are approximately 1.39 × 1021 kilograms of water in the ocean. Therefore, it would take
to raise just the oceans one degree. Expanding this to every body of water and every land mass, that is a massive amount of energy required to inflict the damage humans are doing. While one degree may not seem consequential, the Little Ice Age that took place in the 17th century was caused by about a degree drop in global temperatures. [1]
Because of the ongoing climate change, many regions of the world are experiencing extreme weather changes ranging from extreme heat and droughts to heavy downpours and monsoons. [1] Ladakh, a region in the northernmost part of India situated high in the Himalayas, has been suffering from a severe drought, putting the villagers and their farms in danger. Because Ladakh is so high in the mountains, they face harsh living conditions such as road blockages for most of the winter. [2] Climate change has caused glaciers that surround the village to recede higher into the mountains, causing drier springs and dangerous summer floods. [2] In order to combat this erratic water supply, an engineer from Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk has developed artificial glaciers. [2] These ice structures, or stupas, are pyramids of ice reaching heights of greater than 30 meters. [2] Horizontal underground pipes that then turn vertically pipe water saved from winter into the air. The cold air then freezes the falling water, forming a pyramid structure. [2] Throughout the warmer months of the year, the ice structure will gradually melt, providing the villagers with a steady source of clean water.
People in all walks of life are being forced to rethink and revolutionize their daily livelihood because of the impact climate change is making on this planet. The extraneous energy that Earth is harboring because of the fast-growing ability of the atmosphere to insulate is causing severe damage to nature that will soon become irreversible. In an attempt to adapt to the ever-changing environment, people like the villagers of Ladakh are scrambling to engineer ways to continue to thrive without further damaging the planet.
© Tierna Davidson. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] S. Neuman, "2016 Hit Records for Global Temperature and Climate Extremes," NPR, 10 Aug 17.
[2] S. Kohok, "Can Ice Structures Solve a Himalayan Water Crisis?" BBC News, 3 Oct 17.
[3] J. Hansen et al., "Global Surface Temperature Change," Rev. Geophys. 48, RG4004 (2010).