What is global warming?

I am sure you may have heard of the phrase “global warming”. You may be wondering “What is it exactly". Global warming is a phenomenon where the earth's average temperature rises due to increased amounts of greenhouse gasses, due to human activities. Greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone trap the incoming radiation from the sun.


What effect does global warming have on the environment?

The melting of ice in the arctic causes the destruction of species such as polar bears’ homes.
Changes in temperature cause changes in rainfall, causing severe and frequent storms, causing landslides, destruction of homes, and flooding.
Causes droughts.
The hunger of different species due to the destruction of crops and agriculture brings species one more step closer to extinction.
Human diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), and tick-borne encephalitis.
Poverty and displacement.
Mass migrations.


Now, this brings me to my main point of how do plastics cause global warming?

Plastics have become very popular in the past few years due to their price, durability, and lightweight. Although purchasing this product comes with a hefty cost for the environment as they originate from fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gasses. Alarmingly, at least 8 million tonnes of discarded plastic also enter our oceans each year, and plastic pollution at sea is on course to double by 2030. Plastic has even been found in the deepest place on Earth - the Mariana Trench almost 11 kilometers below sea level. It directly chokes and smothers a host of marine animals and habitats and can take hundreds of years to break down. As it does, sunlight and heat cause plastic to release powerful greenhouse gasses. As our climate changes, the planet gets hotter, and the plastic breaks down into more methane and ethylene, both greenhouse gasses increasing the rate of global warming. Due to increased plastic wastage, people tend to incinerate it which is a major source of air pollution. Burning plastics releases a mixture of poisonous chemicals that damage the health of the planet and the people exposed to polluted air. Black carbon is one such serious pollutant and has a large effect on global warming, up to 5,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. I believe there’s much we can do to re-use the plastics we produce, but it's no longer enough. It's time to put single-use plastic under wraps and begin re-imagining a future without it.