So I did some reading up, and realised that Earth is dying!! Or maybe, retaliating against our inconsiderate actions.
The Aral Sea is a saline endorheic basin in Central Asia; it lies between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan, in the south. The name roughly translates as "Sea of Islands", referring to more than 1,500 islands that once dotted its waters.
Once among the four largest lakes of the world with an area of 68,000 square kilometres, the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet Union irrigation projects. By 2007 it had declined to 10% of its original size, splitting into three lakes – the North Aral Sea and the eastern and western basins of the once far larger South Aral Sea. By 2009, the south-eastern lake had disappeared and the south-western lake retreated to a thin strip at the extreme west of the former southern sea. The maximum depth of the North Aral Sea is 42 metres (as of 2008).
The region's once prosperous fishing industry has been virtually destroyed, bringing unemployment and economic hardship. The Aral Sea region is also heavily polluted, with consequent serious public health problems. The retreat of the sea has reportedly also caused local climate change, with summers becoming hotter and drier, and winters colder and longer.
There is now an ongoing effort in Kazakhstan to save and replenish the North Aral Sea. As part of this effort, a dam project was completed in 2005; in 2008, the water level in this lake had risen by 12 metres from its lowest level in 2003. Salinity has dropped, and fish are again found in sufficient numbers for some fishing to be viable. However, the outlook for the remnants of the South Aral Sea remains bleak.
Just look at how, opportunistic behaviour of humans, fuelled by greed, can lead to such consequences. Just like this, we are close to losing one of the four largest lakes in the world! I happened to come across this article on Yahoo News about UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to the area, and I was utterly shocked. And I doubt most of us even know that such lakes existed.
Here's another extract from Wikipedia:-
Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-
20th century and its projected continuation. Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C between the start and the end of the 20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century was very likely caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation. The IPCC also concludes that variations in natural phenomena such as solar radiation and volcanic eruptions had a small cooling effect after 1950. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 40 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries.
Climate model projections summarized in the latest IPCC report indicate that the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C during the 21st century. The uncertainty in this estimate arises from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations and the use of differing estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions. Most studies focus on the period leading up to the year 2100. However, warming is expected to continue beyond 2100 even if emissions stop, because of the large heat capacity of the oceans and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects include changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, species extinctions, and changes in agricultural yields. Warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe, though the nature of these regional variations is uncertain.
Greenhouse effect schematic showing energy flows between space, the atmosphere, and earth's surface. Energy exchanges are expressed in watts per square meter.
So if you still do not understand, let Professor Simon put it in simple terms for you:
Our daily actions contain carbon output. For example, switching on the air-conditioner or taking your car for a spin. The carbon output will accumulate over time, and with industrialisation has led to much deforestation globally, there is just not enough trees and plants to absorb the carbon dioxide. The excess carbon dioxide are thus gathered in the upper atmosphere because of their relative lighter mass, blanketing the Earth. Isn't that a good thing? No, that is not benefical to us at all. The trapped heat from carbon dioxide output will circulate around Earth continuously, leading to unusual climate changes which is what we are facing now. The ice glaciers are already melting, and the rate at which it is going means some low lying coastal countries will be submerged within the next 100 years. Moreover, we all need sunlight to survive, especially plants. Without sunlight, Earth's temperature will fall gradually, leading to the next Ice Age. That is one scenario that we humans, also known as homosapiens, will become extinct. Yes, extinction, our desendents will perish due to our actions. You may think that in another 100 years you are long gone, laid to eternal rest, all decomposed and smelly. So you probably won't care. Stop and take a look around you, do you think your ancestors will want these to befall on you? I don't think so. Or maybe you will think that you are just one single person on Earth, surely what you do will not affect the rest much. You are absolutely wrong. What we are facing today is the accumulated effect of billions of people who thought the same way as you. These has to stop, or at the least, reduced.
Education is the way to go. Educate the people around you. Explain to them the consquences of their results. You can choose to enjoy life, the way I do. Turn off the computer if you are not going to use it rather then set it to sleep mode. Switch off that air-conditioner, and turn on your fan. Yes it may not yield the same effect, but it is little things in life that matters most. Just like love! So go on and spread the love around, start from today and you may just save a better tomorrow.
On a lighter note, take a look at this:
Leon and me were mugging at Fajar McDonald's last evening through to this morning around 5am (uber shag I tell u), and there was this group of uncles who came in to catch liver soccer telecast Almeria vs Real Madrid. Final score was Almeria 1-2 R.Madrid. This uncle in particular was damn funny! He placed bets on R.Madrid to win by 1 and 2 goals difference, so he kept commenting on the players. When C.Ronaldo squandered a few chances when he was through onto goal, the uncle said."yi boh gao gang hu lah. jit eh ai dam poh gang hu jia eh lip eh." Translated as "He not skill enough lah. This one need some skill one." Uche kept harassing R.Madrid's defence, and the uncle went,"jit eh or gui si bei lui hiam. mai ti siao leh kan ni na." Means "This blackie damn dangerous. Don't play leh. knn." And when Benzema came on, he commented,"uah ji kor gui lip lai. jit eh shi ji jia gui lai eh." Translated as "Sub in a bull. This one is a bull man." LOL!! We laugh until cramp loh. Hahaha.. Look at his sitting posture, one leg on a chair each, all at 4am in the morning. LMAO.
Oh, and yes, I finally know how to insert pictures in my posts. :))
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