ISSUES OF THE ENVIRONMENT:
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT, CLIMATIC CHANGES AND GLOBAL WARMING

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The greenhouse effect is a natural process in which certain gases, called as ‘greenhouse gases’, trap heat that radiates from the earth’s surface. The term ‘ greenhouse effect’ was first used in 1827 by J. Furrier.A greenhouse is  construction of transparent structure to provide enough heat to the soil and plants.

The process of greenhouse effect involves the following effect:

1.       Light energy penetrates earth’s atmosphere as short wave radiation.

2.       This energy is absorbed by earth’s surface and changed into heat energy.

3.       The heat energy is radiated back into earth’s atmosphere as long wave radiation.

4.       Greenhouse gases absorb the heat radiation that strikes them on its way back to outer space.

5.       The greenhouse gases release the captured heat energy into the troposphere.

No green house effect means a lower temperature of earth’s surface, probably less then the freezing point of water. Thus, greenhouse gases act as a thermal blanket surrounding the earth.

Among different greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is the worse offender because of vast quantity generated through human activity. Some  important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, water vapor, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrogen oxides, methane, ozone  etc.

Change in climate and global warming is the main impact of greenhouse effect. Some interrelated effects are:

1.      The temperature on earth may increase by about 1.5 to 4.5 degree centigrade by the year 2050.

2.      Photosynthesis, water use efficiency and yield of plants would decrease.

3.      Food shortage because of shortage of agricultural crops.

4.      Sudden change in climate causing cyclones etc.

According to a recent report, climate is getting warmer and the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly noticeable. Much of Siberia is 3 to 5 degrees Celsius warmer, than it was in early 20^th century. Europe’s Alpine glaciers have lost half their volume since 1850.penguin population have crashed in Antarctica. Some other threats from climatic change are increase in storms, sea level rise destroying beach nesting sites, warmer seas could lead to some turtle species becoming entirely female,growing water scarcity.

Greenhouse gases are released in atmosphere in various ways, electric power stations based on fossil fuels emit huge amount of carbon dioxide, numerous factories burn immense quantity of coal releasing carbon dioxide in atmosphere, exhausts released from automobiles, deforestation and burning of firewood.