TITLE:
Global Warming, a More Catastrophic Climate Change Reality of the 21st Century Than Ever Before: Underlying Factors, Impact and Youth Led Mitigation
AUTHORS:
Mathias Tumwebaze, Mabuga William, Mpairwe Harold, Kisembo Brian Ronica
KEYWORDS:
Global Warming, Climate Change, Youth Inclusive Climate Mitigation, Greenhouse Gases
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.13 No.9,
September
26,
2025
ABSTRACT: Global Warming is the recent and ongoing increase in global average surface temperature. We are currently experiencing serious changes in earth usual temperature, a notable climate change in totality referred to as global warming. Climate change is the long-term shift in weather patterns and average temperatures. Ordinary weather shifts can be in a particular place or the entire earth in totality as it is for the current earth warming. Whereas natural changes in sun’s activity, large volcanic actions and earth orbital movements accounted for such climate changes in the past, since 1800 Human activities like burning of fossil fuels; coal, oil, deforestation and industrialization accounted for the unprecedented Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions in the 21st century, leading to exceedingly greater global average surface temperatures. The current extreme warming is a global climate change in totality. This paper aimed at exploring global warming and its implication as climate change reality of the 21st century, suggesting cost-effective youth inclusive mitigation strategies. Results: Published literature reveal two underlying causes of climate change as, Natural processes and Human activities. The two, are major sources of Green House-gas emissions that directly bring about global warming-climate change effect. GHGs, form a stratospheric layer that prevent excess heat escape, thereby excessively warming the earth-atmosphere surface. Greenhouse gases, Carbon dioxide (CO2), Water vapour (H2O), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Ozone (O3) are natural GHGs, but also man-made (synthetic GHGs) like Fluorinated Gases (F-Gases); Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCS), Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) with more Global warming potential than natural GHGs, together cause extreme warming of earth. GHGs form a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and cause global warming. Consequences include raising sea levels with flooding of coastal towns, longer and more damaging wild fires, shrinking of ice sheets and snow cover, thawing permafrost, Ocean acidification, famine/hunger, Eco-Anxiety, Drought effects on flora and Fauna and extinction of species. Urgent Youth inclusive mitigation actions include, moving away from use of fossil fuels to renewable energy use like solar power, wind energy and geothermal, ensure energy efficiency and adopt sustainable means of transport like buses, youth inclusive awareness campaigns, afforestation and reforestation, reduced waste production, restoration and conservation of ecosystems wetlands, emission reduction policy implementation of 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as use of Carbon Capture technologies. Conclusion: Global warming is real. The effects are catastrophic than ever before in the 21st century due to accumulation of GHGs in atmosphere from Human activities. Urgent mitigation needed today is everyone’s role including youth. Together, we can save our planet by making it green again.