At present time greenhouse effect is one of the most widespread and disputable issues around the world. In terms of this paper we would like to touch this topic as well. We will discuss the nature of greenhouse effect and its consequences for the Earth and humanity. In addition, we will speak about human activities, which contribute to greenhouse effect.
Before we start our discussion, it is necessary to give a definition of greenhouse effect. In general, there are two distinct notions implied by this term. Natural greenhouse effect plays crucial role in our ecosystem and the climate of the Earth. It can be said that greenhouse effect creates such climate, which guarantees habitability of the Earth by creation of necessary temperature.
Another type of greenhouse effect is also known as human enhanced. Unlike natural greenhouse effect, manmade greenhouse effect is absolutely harmful for the Earth and its inhabitants. It is remarkable that “not only do increased concentrations of greenhouse gases affect the atmosphere, but also the oceans, soil and biosphere” (“The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change”, n.d.).
The fact that people constantly interfere in natural processes cannot remain unnoticed. Unfortunately, today there are a lot of human activities, which contribute to greenhouse effect. Our desire to improve quality of life leads to incredible changes in the Earth’s climate.
It is considered that the first step towards increased greenhouse effect was Industrial revolution. As a result, today we may speak about numerous human activities, which affect our climate and contribute to greenhouse effect. The most widespread among them are growth of Earth’s population, change of climate in urban areas, increased number of burning gases, deforestation and changes in usage of land. All of the mentioned above activities have inevitable connection with emission of greenhouse gases. Results of such activities are more than regrettable and many impacts may be already seen.
References
Elvingson, P., Agren, C. (2004). Air and the environment. Swedish NGO Secretariat on Acid
Rain. Retrieved 9 May 2011 from http://www.airclim.org/airAndEnvironment/
Pidwirny, M. (2006). The Greenhouse Effect (2nd ed). Fundamentals of Physical Geography.
Retrieved 7 May 2011 from
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7h.html
The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change. (n. d.). Retrieved 8 May 2011 from
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/GreenhouseEffectAndClimateChange.pdf
