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.