Greenhouse effect and global warming
Greenhouse effect refers to the increase of temperature of the earth’s surface and its immediate surrounding caused by a “blanket” effect of gasses that trap heat radiation (Ganesh, 2011). The greenhouse gasses decrease the frequency at which the surface of the earth reemits infrared radiations into the atmosphere. This leads to a relatively slower rate of energy loss to the immediate surrounding causing the surface of the earth together with the lower atmosphere relatively warmer than they should be.
There are two main causes of the greenhouse effect:”natural” and “man-made” greenhouse effects. The natural greenhouse effect is due to the cloud cover and water vapor suspended in the atmosphere. On the other hand, “man-made” is majorly due to emission of carbon iv oxide through human activities including fossil fuel burning, burning of rainforest, aerosols, gasses released by industries and locomotives. The greenhouse effect is the main cause of global warming greenhouse effect can be reduced by reducing the production of carbon dioxide gas, refining of gasses in industries through filters before releasing them into the surrounding, abolish aerosol use and recycling of waste materials such as papers and plastics (New York Time, 2012).
The greenhouse effect however has a positive effect for life on earth including the rise in temperature, which favors plant growth and provides a suitable environment for human existence (Weart, 2011). Otherwise, the temperatures could have been so low for the survival of most species.
Global warming emanates from the greenhouse effect. The radioactive emissions are absorbed by carbon dioxide, which causes a blanketing effect thus preventing escape of heat energy from escaping. Global warming has significantly affected the climatic change on earth. It has led to the emergence and increase of human diseases such as eye defects, cholera, and skin related illness, unusually high temperatures, droughts, melting of ice in the poles, for instance ice is melting continuously and by 2040, it may start experiencing an ice-free summer, and severe flooding. Severe rainstorms and rise in sea levels is becoming common due to global warming (National Geographic News, 2007).
The ozone layer depletion -majorly caused by global warming- has become a global phenomenon and is raising concern due to its multiple negative impacts. It causes dangerous consistent breathing ailments. This directly translates to damage in the economic and monetary terms. People have to spend large amounts of funds to manage and treat diseases. Quite unfortunate, some are considerably dangerous and may cause death. The rise of temperatures alters the moisture composition and changes the levels of precipitation (Maslin, 2007). This facilitates the drying of soils hence whenever a wildfire breaks; it spreads so rapidly. Wildfires come along with numerous losses including loss of lives and property.
Control
Use of renewable sources of energy such as geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, hydrokinetic energy, wind power, solar power and biomass may help in controlling global warming. The renewable sources of energy are cleaner and use of energy-efficient technologies that can replace coal burning that has been a key source of energy production.
Vehicle solutions include the use of advanced bio-fuels that come from waste materials (cellulosic bio-fuels). In addition, use of electric cars reduces the carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Planting of more trees and preventing deforestation improves greenhouse gas management hence sustainable development (Archer, 2011). Nuclear power generates extremely massive amounts of energy and has little effect on global warming.
References:
Archer, D. (2011). Global warming: understanding the forecast. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Ganesh, P. (2011). Global warming/green house effect. Indian Journal of Science & Technology, 4(3), 219-222.
Global warming and climate change (2012, July 4). The New York Times, p. A2.
Maslin, M. (2007). Global warming: effects, and the future. Norwalk: MBI Publishing Company.
National Geographic. (2007). Global warming fast facts. National Geographic News. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html.
Weart, S. (2011). Global warming: How skepticism became denial. Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists, 67(1), 41-50. doi:10.1177/0096340210392966
