Friday, November 24, 2006 Peña: Fighting global warming with pollution By Rox Peña E-ssue
GLOBAL warming is one of the major environmental issues that we face today. Climate experts say that the Earth has warmed by around one degree Fahrenheit in the last 100 years. This is due to the huge volume of Carbon Dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, which act like a blanket that trap the heat from the sun. This warming effect is similar to that of a garden greenhouse hence heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases.
Actually, greenhouse gases are beneficial because without them, heat would escape back into space and Earth's average temperature would be about 60ºF colder. Through time, Mother Nature has put in place the right amount of "blanket" to attain just the right temperature in the Earth's surface.
Unfortunately, the balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere was disturbed. The volume of heat-trapping gases released in the atmosphere has increased in the last century, mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuel, deforestation, methane gas released in animal waste and increased cattle production. When more and more greenhouse gases are released, the "blanket" is thickened, and naturally the Earth is warmed.
A recent report by the Earth Policy Institute says a record high of 7.9 billion tons of carbon was emitted in 2005 from the burning of fossil fuel. Half of all energy-related carbon emissions come from only four countries. The US, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, accounts for 21 percent of carbon emissions. It is followed by China, which emits 18 percent. Other major contributors to global carbon emissions are Russia, Japan, India, Germany and Canada.
The Kyoto Protocol is the international response to combat global warming. Signatories committed to curb their emission of greenhouse gases. But the US, the biggest emitter of these gases, has not signed the agreement. Thus, scientists are looking for other ways to reverse global warming in the light of "not-so-good" response to the problem.
Recently, prominent scientists, including a Nobel Prize winner, have come up with a controversial proposal during the UN conference on climate change. They raise the idea of creating a "shade" of pollution to cool the earth. It's like creating an umbrella of black smoke to prevent the sun's heat from reaching the earth. It has to be reintroduced regularly, as the pollutants fall back into the Earth through rain and other means. It is a temporary relief while experts are looking for more permanent ways of dealing with the problem.
An example cited is the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991. The huge volcanic eruption spewed 10 millions tons of sulfur into the stratosphere. Sulfur dioxide is a known air pollutant, which reflects solar radiation. Pinatubo's very large eruption resulted in a reduction in the normal amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface. This is believed to have cooled the Earth by 0.9 degree Fahrenheit for one year.
As expected, the controversial suggestion was met with mixed reactions. Some say that this proposal is meant to startle policy makers. It's a message that if they don't address the global warming issue seriously, radical actions may have to be taken, at least on experimental stage. Others are worried about the possible side effects, like acid rain and health problems.
If this proposal gets off the ground, it would probably cause a major shift in environmental policies. Imagine that instead of apprehending polluting vehicles and factories, they might actually be encouraged to pollute. It is an awkward approach in solving a problem.
I hope the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases would get their act together and address the global warming problem, so we will not be so desperate as to intentionally pollute to solve another pollution problem.
