
Greenhouse Effect
Its effects on the Earth
The rise in the temperature of the
Earth’s atmosphere due to the presence of impure gases, that
are let out into the air through factories, industries and
automobiles lead to the Greenhouse effect. The common
greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, Nitrous oxide, and
Methane. The rise in the temperature of the atmosphere is
referred as Global warming.

"It has
been proved beyond doubt that the human activities like
burning of the fossil fuels , release of poisonous gases
are the major contributions to the increase in the
surface temperature of the Earth."

There has been a lot of discussion regarding green
house effect by the scientists and environmentalists, as to
what is the accepted level of temperature for the natural green
house effect. The most livable temperature band is now
considered to be around 59 degree Fahrenheit.
If there was no natural green house effect, then the planet
would have been about 90 degrees cooler, which is very cold and
not possible for the human beings or plants and animals to
survive this atmospheric temperature.
It has been proved beyond doubt that the human activities
like burning of the fossil fuels like coal and oil, release of
poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, methane etc into the
atmosphere are the major contributions to the increase in the
surface temperature of the Earth which in turn results in
Greenhouse effect. The scientists and environmentalists have
predicted that if this trend continues the Earth will have to
face serious consequences. The rise in the temperature levels
beyond the permissible limits of the greenhouse effect will
result in climatic changes, flooding, famine, droughts, rise in
sea levels etc.
Since the development of industries and
factories in this world, modern industrialists have burned
fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas which in turn
releases a lot of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The
most poisonous and the abundantly released gas is Carbon
dioxide. Billions of tones of Carbon dioxide are burnt into the
atmosphere every year and the quantity is increasing by about
5% every year. This has caused an increase of temperature on
the delicately balanced Earth’s atmosphere. A small amount of
increase in the atmospheric temperature will have a significant
impact on the Earth’s climate.
There has been tons and tons of fossil fuels being burnt by
the ever increasing population in this modern world which has
not been otherwise witnessed in the history of the Earth and
also cutting of the trees from the dense forests and jungles
have all altered the natural cycles of the Earth’s climate.
Whatever be the type of varying natural climatic changes
occurring these days, it cannot be considered to be purely
natural for the simple fact that the human activity has altered
or is altering any such natural cycle. There is also a huge
increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere which in turn has lead to a corresponding rise in
the level of the global atmospheric temperature.
All the expert analysis, point to gases like
carbon dioxide as the main contributors to the greenhouse
effect. Carbon dioxide is the gas that is exhaled by
everyone in this Earth and it has the properties to absorb
infrared radiation, which is the heat radiated away from a
warm object.
Earth cools off at night by radiating the heat back into the
space, which it gets from the sun during day, in the form of
infrared radiation. With carbon dioxide present in the air, it
will absorb some of the radiation and limit its exit into
space. Hence, the natural cooling mechanism of the Earth is
traversed.
Every year, as there is increase of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, there is subsequent decrease in the trees in the
rain and temperate forests. Forests and natural vegetation are
the only source in this planet to take in carbon dioxide from
the Earth and give out oxygen that is essential for the human
beings to breathe. Environmentalists say that, even if the
felling of the trees is stopped today, it will be very
difficult for the left over vegetation to soak up all the
carbon let out in the atmosphere every year.
The presence of increased carbon in the atmosphere has made
the oceans more acidic, killing of many sea creatures and
endangering the general health of the oceans all over the
world. The surface temperature of the oceans has also increased
for the past few centuries. Due to the expansion of the warm
water the sea levels rises and we see more variations in the
weather patterns.
Ozone, considered as a trace gas, helps to keep the earth’s
temperature at the recommended level in which plant, animal and
human life flourishes. The sun’s rays pass through the ozone
layer where the heat is trapped. Because of the blocking of the
hazardous UV rays and maintaining the earth’s surface warm
enough for living organisms, ozone is considered to be a very
important trace gas. But now, it has been discovered that the
ozone layer protecting the earth is getting thinner and is in a
rate of constant depletion.
The chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) produced by the humans for
various technologies of refrigeration and air conditioning is
the main cause for the ozone depletion. It is considered that
the even small amounts of CFC gas can break large amounts of
ozone.
All these will lead to the assumption that eliminating the
greenhouse effect will be the possible solution. But without
the greenhouse effect it will be difficult to survive in this
planet. What is needed is to keep the atmospheric temperature
levels at the permissible levels and this can be done with the
help and cooperation of each and every individual living in
this planet.
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