Almost 70 percent of the ultraviolet rays from the sun are reflected back from the ice caps around the world and only 30 percent are absorbed. The oceans reflect back only 30 percent and absorb the rest. This is the primary cause of global warming. Normally, the reflected rays would pass through the atmospheric ring around the earth, but if the ring has got thickened it will reflect the rays back to the earth, compounding the warming effect. Much like a glazed green-house in a garden traps sun’s heat, green house gases thicken the atmospheric ring, trapping the rays reflected back from the earth.
Green house gasses are produced when fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are burned. The overall warming will go on reducing the area of the ice caps and increasing that of the oceans. The vicious cycle thus set in motion will result in rapid melting of glaciers, completely depleting our reserve of water in about 30 years.
KHURSHID ANWER
Lahore
