Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy
reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed
and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.

The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. This process maintains
the Earth’s temperature at around 33 degrees Celsius warmer than it would otherwise be,
allowing life on Earth to exist.

Greenhouse Gases

Our planet contains many gases which form a surface layer and prevent unwanted radiations to
reach the surface. These gases are in certain proportions breaking which, the components get
disturbed. The greenhouse gas absorbs and emits these radiations within the range which
ultimately causes the greenhouse effect. The common greenhouse gases found in Earth’s
atmosphere are:

1. Ozone (O3)

2. Methane (CH4)

3. Nitrous oxide (N2O)

4. Water vapor (H2O)

5. Carbon dioxide (CO2)

6. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Step 1: Solar radiation reaches the Earth's atmosphere - some of this is reflected back into space.
Step 2: The rest of the sun's energy is absorbed by the land and the oceans, heating the Earth.
Step 3: Heat radiates from Earth towards space.
Step 4: Some of this heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, keeping the Earth
warm enough to sustain life.
Step 5: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and land clearing are increasing
the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
Step 6: This is trapping extra heat, and causing the Earth's temperature to rise.
 Enhanced greenhouse effect:-

The problem we now face is that human activities – particularly burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and
natural gas), agriculture and land clearing – are increasing the concentrations of greenhouse
gases. This is the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing to warming of the Earth.

What causes the man-made greenhouse effect?

The man-made (or anthropogenic) component of the greenhouse effect is caused by man’s
activities that emit greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

The most important of these is the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels contain carbon, and when
they are burnt this carbon combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide.

Changes in land use are also important sources of greenhouse gas emissions. For example
deforestation results in the emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere that was previously
stored on the Earth’s surface in the form of trees and other vegetation, or locked up in soils.

We emit carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in enormous quantities because we burn so much
fossil fuel and the changes in land use that we have implement are so widespread.

This is why carbon dioxide is the most important gas in the man-made component of the
greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse gases and global warming

"Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation, and are in significant enough quantity,
can force the climate system. These type of gas molecules are called greenhouse gases," Michael
Daley, an associate professor of Environmental Science at Lasell College told Live Science. Carbon
dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases act like a blanket, absorbing IR radiation and
preventing it from escaping into outer space. The net effect is the gradual heating of Earth's
atmosphere and surface, a process known as global warming.

These greenhouse gases include water vapor, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O) and other gases,
according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since the dawn of the Industrial
Revolution in the early 1800s, the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gasoline have greatly
increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially CO2. "Deforestation
is the second largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere ranging between 6
percent and 17 percent,"
Atmospheric CO2 levels have increased by more than 40 percent since the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution, from about 280 parts per million (ppm) in the 1800s to 400 ppm today. The
greenhouse effect, combined with increasing levels of greenhouse gases and the resulting global
warming, is expected to have profound implications, according to the near-universal consensus
of scientists.

If global warming continues unchecked, it will cause significant climate change, a rise in sea levels,
increasing ocean acidification, extreme weather events and other severe natural and societal
impacts, according to NASA, the EPA and other scientific and governmental bodies.

Global warming and its Causes

With the approach of Industrial revolutions, the use of chemicals in the factories has increased
to a dangerous amount. Along with it, deforestation due to industrial or economic purposes and
the excess burning of fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal, has increased the concentration
of atmospheric carbon dioxide from 315 ppmv (part per million by volume) to about 363 ppmv
since 1958. These are some of the primary reasons for which the heat gets trapped in the
atmosphere thus causing global warming.

Consequences of Global warming

 Warmer climate: On average, the Earth’s temperature will become warmer than earlier,
while some places will get warm while others may not.

 The rise of sea level: Due to global warming, the glaciers and ice sheets of Greenland and
Atlantic will melt which will add water to the sea level, thus causing many disasters like
Tsunami. A rise in sea level will also have an economic impact especially on the low-lying
coastal areas and islands causing unavoidable soil erosion.

 Agricultural impact: According to multiple experiments, with the high concentration of

CO2 in the atmosphere, the growth of crops is twice than the normal growth. At the same
time, the shifting of the climatic pattern may change the areas where crop
production becomes faster and better thus affecting the normal amount of agriculture.
How to prevent Global Warming?

We cannot stop the rise in the level of carbon dioxide but it can be reduced by

1. By using fuel-efficient vehicles.

2. Replace regular incandescent light bulb with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

3. Switch to solar panels and other energy-efficient appliances which save both money and
also reduces the carbon footprint.

4. Turn off the light and other electronic devices if they are not in use.

5. Plant more trees. By planting more trees helps in reducing global warming as plants
utilize carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis, which is the main cause
of Global warming.

Global warming and climate change

Climate change is caused by both natural factors and human activities.

Natural processes include changes in the Earth's orbit of the sun which causes changes in the
sun's intensity, plate tectonics changing the position and size of the continents and volcanic
activity changing carbon emissions.

Since the early 20th century human activities have significantly changed the composition of the
Earth's atmosphere due to the emission of greenhouse gasses. These human activities include
the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas and peat in factories, the carbon emissions from
car exhausts, methane and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture and the change of how land
is being used for example deforestation and urbanisation.

What is the difference between global warming and climate change?

These terms are often used interchangeably however they refer to slightly different things.

Global warming refers to the long term warming of the planet. Scientists have shown there has
been rise in global temperature since the early 20th century most notably since the 1980s. These
has been an average increase in temperature of 0.40C since 1980 to 2008.

This warming has mainly been caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas and peat.
Climate change refers to a much broader range of changes that are happening to Earth's climate
caused by this warming. Some of these changes include melting ice-caps, rising sea levels and
changes in natural processes such as plant blooming times.