Global warming a serious challenge-II

Global warming, pollution threatening roof of the world: The Chinese scientists had warned in early 2005 that the fragile environment of the Tibet-Qinghai plateau, known as the roof of the world, is under serious threat from global warming.
The plateau includes more than 360,000 square kilometres (140,000 square miles). The plateau is the cradle of rivers in China, India and Pakistan and home to many rare animals, plants and medical herbs.
The entire plateau area is deteriorating due to climate change as a consequence of global warming, overgrazing and increasing human activity.
Researchers found that the climate of the plateau, which has an average elevation of 4,461 metres (14,721 feet) and includes Mount Everest, has warmed, rainfall has increased and glaciers have shrunk.
From the 1980s on, the plateau has experienced a period in which the temperature has obviously been on the high side and it has been noted that the days above freezing were increasing.
Despite the increased rainfall the area of glaciers is shrinking. The Himalayan and Tibetan glaciers feed Asia's greatest rivers including rivers of Pakistan. Global conservation group WWF in early 2005 warned that the plateau's wetlands have seen declining water levels and lake shrinkage and that rivers and streams have dried up. It said melting glaciers would first cause flooding down streams to low-land Asian countries and later droughts.
From 1990 to 1991, people saw dirty snow falling in the Mount Everest area which scientist determined was polluted by oil smoke floating from the Persian Gulf region. It was the westerly that blew the soot of the burning oilfields in the Middle East to the mountain and seriously contaminated both the air and the water environment at its north scope.
Meanwhile overgrazing and frequent human activity has badly damaged grasslands, resulting in serious soil erosion and a drop in soil fertility.
One can conclude from common sense that when such large glaciers melt away having huge weights definitely have exerted severe stresses on the plates of the earth due to enormous shift of loads. The Almighty Allah has categorically expressed that mountains are pillars on earth and when these pillars melt away then one can foresee the consequent stresses due to bending moments and sheer stresses faced by the earth plates.
None else can better visualise the effects of shifting loads resulting in dangerous bending moments, sheer force and reduction of metacentric heights, decrease in stability better than the professionals of merchant marine who fully understand the issues and consequences of endangering the rightening lever value on board ships that are attributable towards making a ship either tender or stiff or even result in the capsize of the ship itself.
It is on record that the huge mountains have also shifted from place and the devastating earthquake in Azad Kashmir, frontier province of Pakistan is an eye opener to the responsible stewards of the Government of Pakistan.
The support extended by the Government of Pakistan, the people of Pakistan and other countries towards the relief work for the victims of the earthquake is highly commendable.
Lot has been expressed in the print media, television and seminars for the relief of the victims and devising ways and means to combat with such disasters.
In brief I can only submit the following suggestions:
a) Building up of a National Disaster Management System in Pakistan.
b) Emergency Planning and major incident response (Crisis Preparedness Programme).
c) Allocation of reasonable funds from the Foreign Exchange National Reserves for meeting the cost to combat such disasters.
d) Organisation of Health Services in the event of disasters like earthquake, flooding etc.
e) Introduction of compulsory training schemes of basic fire fighting, civil defence, and elementary first aid to the citizens of Pakistan to meet the challenges of any disaster.
It is evident from above that global warming is attributable to disasters world-wide and in the case of increasing human activity the emission of greenhouse gases and their consequent effects are imminent. It is therefore expected that in near future the world may face hurricanes, storms, floods, and earthquakes, spread of cancer, diseases, water shortage and many more such disasters.
The need for curbing upon global warming is thus imperative to save the earth rather than finding ways and means to provide relief to the victims of disasters.
It is the duty of the Government of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan to introduce an Awareness Campaign to inform public about the harmful effects of greenhouse gases and endeavour best to take positive steps to safeguard the planet
SURE WAY TO COMBAT DISASTERS:
a) Reduce pollution from vehicles and power plants.
b) Explore alternative energy sources such as wind, sea, solar, geo-thermal and nuclear source. Pakistan has a daily mean sunshine duration of 8-8.5 hours; these values are among the highest in the world. The need is to take advantage of solar technologies to meet the challenges of electricity deficit The Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan has a coastline of some one thousand kilometers.
These coastal areas have enough wind speed to help generate electricity; this wind force can also be converted to mechanical energy, which can directly be used to operate prime movers for electricity generation and operating pumps directly.
Renewable Energy sources are much cheaper as compared to Thermal Energy resources and are also environmentally friendly.
c) Manufacture of more efficient appliances. The lack of political wills to make the existing technology into widespread use is the main hurdle for exploring alternative energy. Use of more efficient appliances and equipments in our homes and offices.
d) Strict laws to be framed to .cap emission of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping pollutants from power plants, industrial facilities and transport fuels, stricter efficiency requirement for electric appliances will also help reduce pollution.
e) Global warming can trigger a sudden catastrophe. It is possible to cut power plant pollution and have enough electricity by the following methods.
f) By phasing out the decades-old, coal burning power plants and replace them with cleaner plants.
g) Adopt ways and means to obtain "Clean Coal" technology, whereby most of carbon dioxide is eliminated and the so obtained carbon dioxide can be used safely for carbon dioxide flooding in oil wells to obtain more crude.
From the above, we have briefly mentioned the effects of greenhouse gases that alone have already damaged the ozone layer. As a human being we all believe that when human souls depart from the body it reaches the sky. Kindly consider when souls depart in the name of Allah due to the treacherous murder of their body, screaming in agony and anguish calling for the support of the Almighty what havocs can be caused to the entire humanity and earth!
INITIATING EARLY WARNING SYSTEM Consequent upon global warming the oceans are getting warmer. The main reason being that oceans store vast amounts of heat,much more than the heat stored by the atmosphere, because water is 1000 times more dense and has a heat holding capacity four times that of air. Ocean currents are primary highways for the transport of heat around the globe.
When earthquake occurs at sea bed it triggers the heat stored at its bottom heat energy thus triggered suddenly cause strong currents and ferocious high waves; the water from shores rushes back to the effected area of earthquake at the sea bed and further sets up higher levels of kinetic energy that further aggravates the heat energy causing waves to become more ferocious that make their way towards the shores causing "Tsunami"- a great disaster.
During the time period of "high tide"; we witness the waves approach towards the shore and when is the time period of "low tide" the waves going away from the shores. The periods of high and low tide is over a span of few hours; as such the phenomenon of accidence and residence of water towards and away from the shore is slow, gradual and takes time.
I suggest that the duration of time of commencement of high tide and low tide may be displayed along the coastline of Pakistan. Awareness programs and leaflets may be circulated and made available to the public.
In case the public/ authorities notice sudden residence of waves to greater lengths; all must run away as far as possible from the shores.
Human life is more precious and thus can be saved, however, damage may be caused to the area, All must agree that life is more precious than anything in the world.
Furthermore, this simple warning system can also be advertised on hoardings of several organisations including the Government. At the bottom of the hoardings the time for high tide and low tide on daily basis can be displayed electronically making the public aware.
This system, if adopted can also generate finances and will also render the coastline some beauty, grace and of course awareness to the ordinary public saving the much precious human life.
(Concluded)