How is the Climate Changing?

 

Numerous scientists have approved that the main cause of the global warming trend is human expansion of the “greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse effect is caused by the gas carbon dioxide, together with other gases in the atmosphere. These gases cause warming that result when the atmosphere traps radiating heat from Earth towards space.  Greenhouse effect is natural and is required for continued survival of all Earth’s species. Due to too much greenhouse gases, the globes temperature is rising rapidly. Without human’s interfering with this process, greenhouse gases will provide detrimental effects on the earth.

A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide doesn’t absorb energy from the sun, but absorbs heat from the energy released from earth. Carbon dioxide lets light energy in and lets minimal heat out, the same process as a greenhouse. CO2 is released through natural processes such as respiration and volcano eruptions, and through human activities such as deforestations, land change uses and burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are used for electricity or transport requirements. When oil, gas or coal burns, carbon contained within it combines with oxygen in the air to create carbon dioxide. Currently, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing at the rate of about one part per million per year.  If this continues, some meteorologists expect that the average temperature of the earth will increase by about 2.5 degrees Celsius.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another gas that contributes to the earth’s rising temperatures is methane. Methane is a hydrocarbon gas produced by natural sources and human activities, such as decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture and specially rice cultivations as well as ruminant digestion and manure management associated with livestock. Methane is far more active than carbon dioxide, however is less evident in the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is another factor contributing to climate change. This gas is produced by soil cultivation practices such as the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production and biomass burning. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more powerful than CO2.

Greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere through an abundant amount of ways. The most common greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change is water vapour. Water vapour increases as the Earth’s atmosphere warms, so does the possibility of clouds and precipitation, making these some of the most important feedback mechanisms to the greenhouse effect. Therefore water vapour is a positive component of climate change.