In this blog post, we will look at various crisis situations caused by global warming and consider realistic measures that individuals and companies can take.
Now, 24 years into the 21st century, with the advancement of science and technology, things that were once considered unimaginable, such as underwater cities and super-Earths, are gradually becoming possible, and people are becoming increasingly interested in new living spaces and frontiers. This may be a natural result of scientific and technological advances, but a more immediate cause is the need for new living spaces. In other words, as research on the current state of the Earth, which is much more devastated than in the past, and its future viability gains prominence, people are eagerly searching for new frontiers. When discussing the current state of the Earth, one topic that is always mentioned is climate change (global warming). With the rapid industrialization that began in the 20th century, many scientists and environmental organizations began to say that “the earth is getting hotter,” and since the beginning of the 21st century, not only them but also many others have come into contact with news about global warming through various programs, newspapers, and magazines, and it has rapidly emerged as the hottest topic of the 21st century. Former US Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore likened the current state of humanity to that of a frog jumping into boiling water, saying, “A frog jumping into boiling water will feel the heat and jump out immediately, but a frog placed in water that is slowly heated will not feel the heat at first and will not be able to escape by the time the water reaches boiling point.” In response, various countries announced joint policies and individual policies, in an effort to draw the attention of the general public. However, despite these efforts, policies are just policies, and there are those who stand by and do nothing. In this article, we will take a closer look at what global warming is, how it has changed the Earth, and the causes and potential problems associated with it. We will also look at ways to overcome these problems and the measures that can be taken.
Global warming refers to the rise in the temperature of the oceans and the air near the Earth’s surface that began in the late 19th century. Global warming is usually understood as a long-term rise in the temperature near the Earth’s surface, but when we look at it more closely, it is necessary to mention the point at which the temperature began to rise rapidly, which is why we added the phrase “in the late 19th century.” Next is global warming, which means that it is not only the temperature near the surface that rises. Therefore, it is necessary to mention the rise in temperature of the oceans (water), which account for 70% of the Earth’s surface, so this definition is correct.
Let’s take a look at how the Earth has changed since global warming began. From 1906 to 2005, the global average surface temperature rose by about 0.74°C. The rate of warming during the latter part of this period accounted for more than half of the total rate. In other words, the average temperature over the last 50 years has risen by 0.13°C every decade, which is about twice the rate of the previous 100 years (0.07°C/10 years). As a result, the following phenomena are expected to be observed at a faster rate and with greater frequency than before.
Current warming records are being observed by many independent scientific groups. Examples include sea level rise due to thermal expansion of water, widespread melting of snow and ice, increased enthalpy of the oceans, increased relative humidity, and an increase in the number of flowering plant species due to the onset of spring in biological seasonality. It is highly unlikely that these events would occur by chance at the same time. In other words, it is clear that climate warming is the main cause of these phenomena. In Korea, abnormal weather phenomena have been frequently observed in recent years. The weather is clear, and then suddenly, the heat becomes stifling, dark clouds gather, and rain pours down, only to be replaced by sunshine as if nothing had happened. Not only that, but the rainy season is longer than usual, causing rivers to swell and sea temperatures to drop abnormally. In terms of climate, Korea used to have four distinct seasons with a good mix of temperate and cold weather, but global warming has caused average temperatures to rise, changing the climate to subtropical. A typical phenomenon caused by this subtropical climate in Korea is squall-like precipitation. Squall-like precipitation refers to a phenomenon in which heavy rain falls one day during the rainy season, followed by bright sunshine the next day.
So what is the cause of global warming? Although the cause of global warming has not yet been clearly identified, greenhouse gases are considered to be the main cause. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor in the atmosphere caused by human activities are representative greenhouse gases. In particular, chlorine, fluorine, carbon, and hydrogen compounds, which have come into use in modern times, are known to cause a significant greenhouse effect. There is also a hypothesis that global warming is exacerbated by the destruction of forests and trees by humans. It is believed that when trees are reduced, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air continues to increase because nature cannot absorb it. In addition, there is a theory that the recent natural erosion of limestone has generated large amounts of carbon dioxide. Other hypotheses include the possibility that solar radiation may affect temperature rise and that the depletion of the ozone layer may also have an impact, but the most widely accepted and influential hypothesis is the greenhouse effect. Global warming causes temperatures to rise faster in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere, and the albedo effect may be the reason for this. Albedo is the ratio of the total amount of light that is reflected back to the Earth to the amount of light that is projected onto the Earth’s surface. Therefore, the albedo effect refers to various climate changes that occur depending on this reflectance. The southern hemisphere has a lower temperature because of the ice albedo effect, which causes extensive snow and sea coverage. However, the question that arises here is why the impact of greenhouse gases, which are produced in greater quantities in the northern hemisphere due to its more advanced industrialization, is not considered. This is because the main greenhouse gases circulate and mix between the two hemispheres, so they do not contribute to the difference in warming between the two hemispheres.
Let’s look at the problems caused by the above factors. The problem of global warming is so vast that it is difficult to analyze simply. First, it is related to climate and sea level rise. If the temperature rises by about 3°C in 2040, the climate zone will shift toward the poles at a rate of 10 km per year. As a result, rainfall and snowfall patterns will change, bringing about seasonal changes different from those we currently experience, melting glaciers in the polar regions and expanding deserts in the equatorial regions. In addition, the Earth’s atmospheric circulation will weaken, and the temperature difference between the polar and equatorial regions will decrease. As temperatures rise, glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic will melt, causing sea levels to rise. If temperatures rise by about 3°C, most of the glaciers in the Arctic will melt into icebergs floating on the water, which will have no significant impact on sea levels. However, in the Antarctic, where the glaciers are continental, melting is expected to cause sea levels to rise by about 7 meters. In that case, only about 3% of the land area along the coastlines of each continent would actually be submerged, but considering that most of the world’s major cities are located on the coast and that about one-third of the world’s population lives in coastal areas, the disaster would be catastrophic. On the other hand, global warming can affect not only human health but also industry as a whole. As temperatures rise, natural disasters such as powerful storms like typhoons and tornadoes are likely to occur more frequently, causing extensive damage when they hit land. Conversely, in Europe, we are likely to hear more reports of deaths and fainting due to heatstroke as a result of prolonged heat waves.
In addition, global warming will cause changes in climate patterns, leading to the possibility of frequent extreme weather events that have not been experienced before. What efforts are being made to prevent global warming from accelerating further? A representative example is the establishment of international agreements to prevent the acceleration of global warming. One example is the Kyoto Protocol.
At the Bali Climate Conference held on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2007, it was warned that without clear goals to prevent climate change, the world would face difficulties due to the migration of refugees caused by rising sea levels, melting glaciers, droughts, and climate change, and active efforts through international agreements were urged. However, some countries have been slow to participate in international agreements to prevent global warming, and participating countries and various environmental organizations have pointed this out. The United States and China are representative examples. China’s coal mining, rapid deforestation, and industrial development have caused its carbon dioxide emissions to rise at the fastest rate in the world, but it has not signed the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Experts predict that the participation of these countries will be the key to overcoming global warming. What can each individual citizen do? First, we must practice energy and resource conservation. Typical methods include conserving energy and electricity for heating and cooling at home and at work, conserving tap water, refraining from idling vehicles, using public transportation, carpooling, and participating in carpooling programs.
Second, we must shift to environmentally friendly consumption patterns. When choosing products with the same functions, it is best to select those with low environmental impact, such as products that are energy efficient or generate little waste. Once such consumption patterns become established, producers will also take consumer trends into account when manufacturing products, and in the long term, the economic structure itself will become more environmentally friendly. Third, waste recycling must be practiced. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is mainly generated during the landfill process, and promoting recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, thereby reducing methane emissions. In addition, incineration is reduced, which also reduces carbon dioxide emissions from the incineration process.
There may be other efforts at the corporate level as well. First, companies must strive to manage existing facilities efficiently. Simply eliminating energy waste in existing facilities can result in significant energy savings. This requires providing incentives to energy managers and company-wide energy conservation efforts. Second, consider replacing energy-using facilities and processes with more energy-efficient ones. In the future, when greenhouse gas emission regulations are implemented for each company, the operating costs of inefficient facilities will increase, while the utility of investments in high-efficiency facilities will increase. Therefore, these points must be fully considered when replacing energy facilities. Third, investment in energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction technologies must be increased. However, technology cannot be accumulated in a short period of time, so it is necessary to strive for technological development based on long-term investment plans.
So far, we have discussed the changes caused by global warming, the problems that arise as a result, and their causes. We have also discussed our approach to addressing these issues. The global warming we are experiencing in the 21st century will be much more severe than anything experienced by humankind in the 20th century or in the past 10,000 years. The impact on humankind will therefore be enormous. However, the uncertainty surrounding the impact of global warming on humanity is also great, and there are reasons to be pessimistic in many situations. Nevertheless, considering the impact of continued global warming, we cannot simply stand by and watch the situation unfold. It is clear that we must pay attention to future climate issues and make efforts to minimize global warming.
