Carbon dioxide is having a dual impact on human life. While on one part, their recent finding — that the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere has doubled in the past 20 years — is building concerns for life on earth and the after-effects of global warming; on the other, they are relieved that the released CO2 through the burning of fossil fuels is cooling the upper atmosphere, good for low-Earth-orbit satellites like the International Space Station.

But, then what to choose? — Technology, without which survival is a fable or health and lives having the direct burns of this soaring earth’s temperatures?

According to scientists, carbon dioxide cools the upper atmosphere — the region about 50-800 km above Earth’s surface boosting the radiative effect. The thinning of the thermosphere with increase in CO2 there, making operating of some low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites such as the International Space Station, orbiting about 350 km above Earth easier.

Do you know, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 2.5 per cent each year for the past five years? - the new data from the Cape Grim air pollution monitoring station in north-west Tasmania have found this.

But, it has been predicted to be something like a two degree warming over the next 100 years!

And the consequences! -

• Global Warming Already Causing Extinctions! The devastating phenomenon is already killing species and that too, at a much faster rate than had originally been predicted!

– At least 70 species of frogs, mostly mountain-dwellers that had nowhere to go to escape the creeping heat.

– 100 to 200 cold-dependent animal species - like penguins and polar bears — are in deep trouble.

• Stronger and more frequent hurricanes and typhoons are threatening Caribbean and Pacific islands!

• Half the World’s Penguin Species Marching Towards Extinction.

• Fish stocks will be badly affected by ocean acidification — a direct result of CO2 levels.

• Small islands in this region as well as low-lying coasts such as Guyana and Belize are having dire prospects.

• Climate change already affecting UK’s marine life

• Global-warming weakened reefs could suffer more storm damage

So, it is now for us to decide our priorities and our fate! - Satellite-based technology, industrialization or curbing disastrous ‘direct impact’ of global warming on us and our surrounding?

Photo courtesy: Indiana daily Student News, NASA