2_Economics for Sustainability - Essay Example

Hundreds of millions of individuals might suffer water shortages, hunger and coastal flooding as a result of global warming. Scientists warn that if the world does not aggressively control climate change, the consequences will be disastrous. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are collecting in the atmosphere resembling a thickening blanket. The blanket traps the heat from the sun, thereby causing the earth to warm up (Houghton 2004, p. 30). Although temperatures vary naturally, over the past five decades, the average worldwide temperature has augmented at the fastest rate witnessed in history.

Greenhouse gases emissions to the atmosphere emanates from the human activities. It is approximated that ninety percent of greenhouse gases emissions are human produced. Greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide have caused much of the observed increase in world’s temperatures. Failure to lower level of greenhouse gases emissions, especially carbon dioxide, will destroy the global economy (Maslin 2007, p. 15). As Weart (2008, p. 37) notes, life on Earth relies on energy emanating from the sun.

Approximately half the light getting into the globe’s atmosphere passes via the clouds and air to the surface. The light is absorbed and subsequently radiated upward in the form of infrared heat. Approximately ninety percent of this heat is subsequently absorbed by the conservatory gases and emitted back towards the earth’s surface, which is warmed to a life supporting average of fifteen degrees Celsius. A layer of greenhouse gases principally water vapour and smaller amounts of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide act as a thermal blanket for the planet.

The thermal blanket absorbs heat and warms the Earth surface. Scientists have come to an agreement that the primary cause of the recent trends in global warming entails expansion of the greenhouse effect by