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Global dimming and its impacts
08:54 |
| Image Source: dailyguideafrica |
Global dimming determines the drop in solar energy which is
reaching earth’s surface. This phenomenon was firstly observed by Israel
researchers. It was found out that between the years 1950 to 1980, amount of solar
energy reaching earth’s surface had dropped 60% in British Isles, 30% in
Russia, 10% in US and 9% in Antarctica.
The cause of global dimming is accumulation of bigger
man-made particles in air. As earth takes some amount of light from sun and rest
is reflected back to the cosmos. This reflection of light is done by water
droplets present in atmosphere.
As clouds contain most of the water of atmosphere, it
contains tiny droplets of water which reflects light. As in air, impurities
like Sulphur dioxide and aerosols are accumulating due to pollution. This
polluted air when holds water particles, impurities too act as liquid particles
making the clouds much bigger. Thus these clouds act as a giant mirror which
reflects light back to space. Although
global dimming is like dimming of a light source which will obviously cause
discomfort so are its negative impacts. With negative impacts, this phenomenon
has some positive perks too!
Negative impacts:
As lesser light is available to earth, it’s causing lesser
evaporation and thus lesser rain. In 1984, Sahel in Northern Africa didn’t
witnessed monsoon for a decade causing death of many people due to famine. Scientists
claim that the effect of global dimming will not be for millions of people but
it will affect billions of people with it. Asian monsoons are reason of
rainfall for almost half of the world. It is assumed that if Asian rainfall
started affecting adversely due to global dimming, it will affect nearly three
billion people of the world!
Positive impact:
After reading about the deadly impacts of global dimming,
it’s obviously difficult to believe that it will possess some positive impacts.
Positive side of this coin is that it saves us from “global warming”. Global
warming is surely an issue of concern to our survival. When more light is
reflected back i.e lesser is the rise in the temperature of earth. So, it
contributes to control global warming. If this phenomenon of global dimming
will vanish, it’ll increase the temperature of earth by one degree centigrade
which takes several decades to increase. Thus its obvious global dimming is
saving us from much larger problems!
It’s actually a silent killer which is a threat to human
life. In both the cases, either global dimming or global warming, human species
have to witness ill effects. Only the difference is that global warming can
take away lives immediately if global dimming vanishes. On the other hand,
global dimming act as a sweet poison which will not kill immediately but
eventually!
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