Under Graduate - Long Essay - University of Georgia

Long Essay - Part 2 - Long Essay (5,000 character limit, including punctuation and spaces)

1.    In the Georgia Tech spirit of innovation and improving the human condition, describe a societal problem that exists locally, regionally, nationally or globally and propose a feasible solution.

As a human being, I am affected by many unfortunate situations around me. Poverty, drought, famines, diseases, and many others leave a profound effect in my mind. Though we may not be able to eradicate those that are caused due to nature’s wrath there are many others which we can avoid. One of them is global warming.

Global warming has been occurring throughout the world and this has resulted in deteriorating the climatic conditions not only over a particular region, but the world over. Now it is difficult for us to say that in India we have primarily three seasons – summer, winter and rainy. No longer do these seasons last for the average three to four months as before.  The summers are harsh with rising temperatures, the winters are barely noticeable, and the rains cease to stick to it pre-determined timelines. All this has resulted in increasing poverty as farmers are not able to sow and reap their harvests in time. The repercussions are even felt by the consumer as the cost of necessary food supplies has gone beyond the common man’s reach.

Since global warming increases the current temperatures, the rate of evaporation would increase extensively and would result in an increased precipitation along with melting of ice packs and polar ice-bergs. This would result in lower annual temperatures. The greenhouse effect is one of the main and initial causes of global warming. The most common greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. These gases absorb infrared radiation of light and trap the heat caused by it within the lower atmosphere causing the heating up of the entire atmosphere. These gases have increased in volume due to industrialization and use of fossil fuels. The air we breathe is turning more and more poisonous with each passing day. Deforestation also caused a lot of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere as; forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. All carbon dioxide is now being released into the atmosphere. Scientists have come with strong evidence to suggest that these phenomena are having a major role in the increase of intensity of extreme storms worldwide.

When I read about the effects global warming, a sense of insecurity seeps into me. If this has already happened, what may happen to us in the future? It is a worrying sign for the future generations and our survival on this planet. I believe that all of this can still be reversed and our planet can still be stabilized in a manner where it can sustain mankind for infinite centuries to come.

Consumption of fossil fuels especially carbon-intensive coal should be reduced dramatically. Alternative sources of fuel should be developed and adopted for regular use. Solar energy should be harnessed. Solar energy is renewable and does not emit any harmful gases back into Mother Earth. Especially in a country like India which is sunny all through the year. Every home in India should be tempted to invest in these solar systems which in turn will become a source of revenue generator for the family in years to come. This would also help each individual in playing their part towards protecting the environment. Technology should be developed in a manner which would allow us to store carbon emissions underground and away from the atmosphere.

I myself contribute to cutting down on carbon emissions by regularly using public transport. I also am very particular about saving electricity and switch off lights every time I leave a room and also make limited use of air conditioners. In addition, I generally walk short distances rather than make use of an automobile. I love cycling too. Not only does it help cut down carbon-emissions but also helps keep us fit and healthy.

We recently had a very interesting seminar in our locality and almost every home in the locality has adopted measures to conserve energy and use appliances that are energy efficient. All light bulbs got replaced with fluorescent low watt bulbs. Living in a tropical country like India, we do not need a dryer to dry our clothes. Most women present pledged to avoid the use of dryers. Cutting down on garbage was another option everyone decided to follow. Planting trees is one activity that I am happy to note is happening all over the place. In the city I live in Mumbai, the municipal authorities have become very strict on the use of non-degradable plastic bags. So we can combat global warming in small ways too. All that it requires is commitment to do the right thing by every individual. I believe that every human being should personally contribute to reversing the effects of global warming first. If everybody contributes in their own small way, it will make a huge difference in global warming intensity and reduce atmospheric temperatures too. This is an issue of global importance and should be taken very seriously or else we might face severe consequences in the form of natural calamities and phenomena.