By Miho Matsuzaka
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Recently, we hear a lot about global warming, and many calamities have occurred around the world this year. In Japan, typhoons struck four times. The biggest typhoon, No. 14, hit the Kyushu district and caused great damage, and as I write, Typhoon No. 20, is headed toward Japan. Overseas, hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma hit America. An earthquake also caused great damage in the Tohoku district, and there was an earthquake in Pakistan and a tsunami hit Sumatra last December. What will happen to the earth in the future?
There was a surprising article in the Hokkaido Shimbun on October 9, 2005. The small village of Shishmaref, Alaska, which faces the Bering Sea, is going to disappear due to the rise in sea levels. Global warming, repeated rainstorms, and erosion have increased rapidly. According to "The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment" research paper, tide water temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere reached record highs in 2003. They say the warming of Alaska is advancing five to ten times faster compared with other areas. In addition, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that satellite observations at the end of September show that the sea ice in the area of the Arctic Ocean recorded an all-time low, and the melting is getting rapidly worse. In addition to the effects of global warming, the reflection rate of luminary light from ice and snow has decreased causing an increase in the absorption rate of heat and is accelerating the melting. If this state continues, it is possible that summer ice from the Arctic Ocean will disappear completely.
As a result, the level of the oceans may increase. At present, the low areas in danger are countries such as the Maldives, Bangladesh, and the mouth of the Nile river. If this happens, most coastal lands will disappear by the rise in sea levels and millions of people will have to move to other areas. In Japan, 90 percent of sandy beaches will disappear. In addition, if global warming gets worse, the increase of desertification, the effects on agricultural production and water resources, and an increase of incidence of tropical infectious diseases such as malaria will greatly influence our lives.
There is another problem which is caused by global warming. Coral reefs around the world are becoming bleached and may soon become extinct because of rising seawater temperatures. High temperatures cause coral to lose algae. Algae give color to coral and supply it with nutrients. The bleaching phenomenon can be triggered by an increase of only 1 to 2 degrees and has been seen six times in the past 20 years. In 1998, the condition of coral reefs was the worst in recorded history, and the ecosystem of coral reefs around the world was affected. Tide water becomes acidic when atmospheric carbon dioxide continues to increase and it has a devastating affect on shellfish and coral. An international study team consisting of Japan, the United States, Europe, and Australia predicts that shellfish and coral reefs will disappear in the Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean within 100 years. And as shelled plankton decrease, fishes and whales will lose their food supply.
In 1992, the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) was enacted to prevent global warming. The aims of the Treaty are to reduce the density of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide because of the effects on people. Each country should carry out this plan literally.
There are various things that we can do to prevent global warming in our lifetime. There are endless ideas such as keeping air-conditioning set at a specific temperature, energy conservation, restriction of deforestation, increasing tree planting, cutting usage of fossil fuels, the adoption of hybrid cars, and practical uses of plant fuel. These things will affect our lives in important ways. We have to be conscious of global warming. Moreover, we canŐt pollute the earth any more; we should live to care for the earth and learn to be more environment-friendly.