We are at a time when many of us are blindly turning away from the fact that climate change is real and it will have a devastating effect on our lives and the environment if not addressed on the right time. Before we take a look at climate change, we must understand what the greenhouse effect is and how humans are accelerating the natural process of the greenhouse effect and contributing to climate change. Let’s take a look at each of these concepts broken down in this article to understand the link between the greenhouse effect and climate change.
What is “Greenhouse Effect”?
To explain briefly, the Greenhouse effect is a natural process where the atmosphere of the planet emits radiation that helps to warm up the surface of the planet. There are specific “Greenhouse gases” that are present in the atmosphere of the planet and they radiate energy and this energy is radiated in all direction. Now, a part of this radiated energy is directed to the surface and eventually warming it up.
The effect of the greenhouse depends on the temperature of the atmosphere and the number of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere.
This natural process of the greenhouse effect is important to sustain life on Earth. The devastating climate change that we are worried about is brought up due to the humans burning an excessive amount of fossil fuels and carrying out de-forestation, which influences the temperature of the Earth and its climate.
What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gas is a gas which traps the heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. They absorb and emit infrared radiation. These greenhouses gases cause the greenhouse effect. Although greenhouse gases occur naturally, various human activities are increasing the amount of these gases in the atmosphere. Some of the greenhouse gases are:
Nitrous Oxide
Methane (CH4)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Fluorinated gases such as Hydrofluorocarbons, nitrogen trifluoride, perfluorocarbon etc.
Water Vapor (H2O)
Ozone (O3)
Water vapour has got only 9 days of residence time, i. e. they leave the atmosphere of the Earth much faster than the other greenhouse gases. Most of the other greenhouse gases are mixed well and they take much longer to get rid off from the atmosphere. In short, most of the greenhouse gases can remain in the atmosphere, ranging from a few counted years to hundreds and thousands of years. However, it should be noted that Carbon dioxide is the main culprit that contributes greatly to the greenhouse effect.
What are some causes/human activities that increase the emission of greenhouse gases?
As it has been mentioned before, various human activities have led to an increase in the emission of the greenhouse gases and some of these are:
Excessive burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. These produce Nitrous oxide and Carbon dioxide, which are greenhouse gases.
Increase in farming also contributes to greenhouse effects. A large amount of Methane gas is produced by livestock when they digest food. Unless there is a balance, this adds to the greenhouse effect.
Using fertilizers that contain nitrogen. They produce the emission of Nitrous oxide.
Cutting down forests for various purposes. This also contributes to the issue as tress help with the regulation of CO2, by absorbing the gas from the atmosphere and releasing O2.
What are some impacts of the greenhouse effect on climate change?
Earth does undergo natural climate but with varying timescale from millions of years to a few counted years. Various methods are used to determine the climate changes of the past, such as lie core, sediments from lakes, glaciers, speleothems etc. But, considering the greenhouse effect, it does affects the climate, due to its consequences.
There are various consequences of the greenhouse effect and if not addressed right on time, they will surely have a devastating effect, alongside changing the climate of various regions throughout the globe.
Some of the consequences are:
Extreme changes in the weather
More flooding incidences
Occurrences of drought, with a shift in rainfall
Increase in the sea level and melting of ice
More incidences of extreme weather changes
more occurrences of natural disasters
However, it should be noted that, other than having a devastating effect on our environment, it will also have a negative effect on human health, society, and economy. Incidences of natural disasters can cause economic loss and loss of human lives as well. With changing climate due to the greenhouse effect, agricultural and forestry industries and many others will also come under the effect, adding to the problem.
To conclude, the link between the greenhouse effect and climate is clear and evident. The greenhouse effect has got consequences that lead to a change in the climate. We need to create mass awareness to make sure that we understand the effects that greenhouse effect can have on climate change, on the Earth and our daily lives. We need to come up with a solution to prevent the acceleration of greenhouse effect and climate change, to avert the disastrous end that lies ahead of us.
We are at a
time
when
many
of us are
blindly
turning away from the fact that
climate
change
is real and it will have a
devastating
effect
on our
lives
and the environment if not addressed on the right
time
.
Before
we take a look at
climate
change
, we
must
understand what the
greenhouse
effect
is and how
humans
are accelerating the
natural
process of the
greenhouse
effect
and contributing to
climate
change
.
Let
’s take a look at each of these concepts broken down in this article to understand the link between the
greenhouse
effect
and
climate
change
.
What is
“Greenhouse
Effect”?
To
explain
briefly
, the
Greenhouse
effect
is a
natural
process where the
atmosphere
of the planet emits radiation that
helps
to warm up the surface of the planet. There are specific
“Greenhouse
gases”
that are present in the
atmosphere
of the
planet and
they radiate energy and this energy
is radiated
in all direction.
Now
, a part of this radiated energy
is directed
to the surface and
eventually
warming it up.
The
effect
of the
greenhouse
depends on the temperature of the
atmosphere
and the number of
greenhouse
gases
present in the atmosphere.
This
natural
process of the
greenhouse
effect
is
important
to sustain life on
Earth
. The
devastating
climate
change
that we
are worried
about
is brought
up due to the
humans
burning an excessive amount of fossil fuels and carrying out
de-forestation
, which influences the temperature of the
Earth
and its climate.
What are
greenhouse
gases?
Greenhouse
gas
is a
gas
which traps the heat in the
Earth’s
atmosphere
. They absorb and emit infrared radiation. These
greenhouses
gases
cause the
greenhouse
effect
. Although
greenhouse
gases
occur
naturally
,
various
human
activities are increasing the amount of these
gases
in the
atmosphere
.
Some of the
greenhouse
gases
are:
Nitrous Oxide
Methane (CH4)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Fluorinated
gases
such as
Hydrofluorocarbons
, nitrogen
trifluoride
,
perfluorocarbon
etc.
Water Vapor (H2O)
Ozone (O3)
Water
vapour
has
got
only
9 days of residence
time
,
i. e.
they
leave
the
atmosphere
of the
Earth
much faster than the
other
greenhouse
gases
. Most of the
other
greenhouse
gases
are mixed
well and
they take much longer to
get
rid
off
from the
atmosphere
. In short, most of the
greenhouse
gases
can remain in the
atmosphere
, ranging from a few counted years to hundreds and thousands of years.
However
, it should
be noted
that Carbon dioxide is the main culprit that contributes
greatly
to the
greenhouse
effect.
What are
some
causes/human activities that increase the emission of
greenhouse
gases?
As it has
been mentioned
before
,
various
human
activities have led to an increase in the emission of the
greenhouse
gases
and
some
of these are:
Excessive burning of fossil fuels such as oil,
gas
, and coal. These produce Nitrous oxide and Carbon dioxide, which are
greenhouse
gases.
Increase in farming
also
contributes to
greenhouse
effects. A large amount of Methane
gas
is produced
by livestock when they digest food. Unless there is a balance, this
adds
to the
greenhouse
effect.
Using fertilizers that contain nitrogen. They produce the emission of Nitrous oxide.
Cutting down forests for
various
purposes. This
also
contributes to the issue as tress
help
with the regulation of CO2, by absorbing the
gas
from the
atmosphere
and releasing O2.
What are
some
impacts of the
greenhouse
effect
on
climate
change
?
Earth does undergo
natural
climate
but
with varying timescale from millions of years to a few counted years.
Various
methods are
used
to determine the
climate
changes
of the past, such as lie core, sediments from lakes, glaciers,
speleothems
etc.
But
, considering the
greenhouse
effect
, it does affects the
climate
, due to its consequences.
There are
various
consequences of the
greenhouse
effect
and if not addressed right on
time
, they will
surely
have a
devastating
effect
, alongside changing the
climate
of
various
regions throughout the globe.
Some of the
consequences are:
Extreme
changes
in the weather
More flooding incidences
Occurrences of drought, with a shift in rainfall
Increase in the sea level and melting of ice
More incidences of extreme weather
changes
more occurrences of
natural
disasters
However
, it should
be noted
that,
other
than having a
devastating
effect
on our environment, it will
also
have a
negative
effect
on
human
health, society, and economy. Incidences of
natural
disasters can cause economic loss and loss of
human
lives
as well
. With changing
climate
due to the
greenhouse
effect
, agricultural and forestry industries and
many
others will
also
come
under the
effect
, adding to the problem.
To conclude
, the link between the
greenhouse
effect
and
climate
is
clear
and evident. The
greenhouse
effect
has
got
consequences that lead to a
change
in the
climate
. We need to create mass awareness to
make
sure that we understand the effects that
greenhouse
effect
can have on
climate
change
, on the
Earth
and our daily
lives
. We need to
come
up with a solution to
prevent
the acceleration of
greenhouse
effect
and
climate
change
, to avert the disastrous
end
that lies ahead of us.