Green Times

The term “green house effect” has become a cliche in climate related terminology. Today, the world is in the grip of the greenhouse effect. The Earth’s temperature is rising, which will have a deleterious effect on the biosphere and living organisms on it.Composition

The greenhouse effect is induced by a number of gases popularly known as greenhouse gases. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases can warm the atmosphere up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases. This gas contributes to increasing the global mean temperature. The level of carbon dioxide was 270 ppm (parts per million) during the pre-industrial era. In 1970, the level reached 313 ppm, only to jump to 375 ppm in 2005. The present level of carbon dioxide is 385 ppm. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has revealed projections of an increase in carbon dioxide emissions ranging from 541 ppm to 970 ppm by the year 2100 under the assumption that the fossil fuels will be sufficient for up to 2100 and beyond with the result that the present level will continue rising, depending upon the level of advances humans will make in the years to come.

Carbon dioxide is generated by industrial activity such as burning fossil fuels. Other human activities such as cement production and land-use change, especially deforestation too contribute to climate change These activities induce a concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The Earth gets energy from the sun in the form of radiation. As the energy enters the Earth, the lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere absorb it. The earth reflects back into space 30 per cent of the energy received from the sun and the rest of the energy is absorbed, which gives rise to warming of the Earth. Certain gases in the atmosphere such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone trap the energy from the sun. If this phenomenon does not take place, the Earth would be about 60 degrees Fahrenheit colder.

The greenhouse effect is a very important phenomenon. Without it, the Earth would be too cold for living beings to survive. On the other hand, if the greenhouse effect is intense, there will be a problem for the living beings and the ecosystems..

Global warming, which is a phenomenon climatologists all over the world are expressing their concern about, is the direct fallout of the increased greenhouse effect. It warms up the lower atmosphere of the Earth. It is observed that Mars and Venus are also undergoing the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824. The phenomenon was quantitatively investigated by Svante Arrhenius in 1896.

There is an international protocol, dubbed the Kyoto Protocol, in place for retrenching emissions of greenhouse gases. Over the past several years, much knowledge has been garnered through scientific research about the effects of global warming. It is obvious that greenhouse gas emissions are greater in the developed world, which is dominated by smokestack industries, than in the developing world. The Kyoto Protocol has certain provisions for exemption designed for the benefit of the developing and poor countries. But the USA and Australia have panned these provisions. It may be noted that the USA has not signed the Kyoto Protocol yet.

The cost-benefit analysis involving restricting emissions of greenhouse gases vis-a-vis the cost to be incurred on adopting alternative energy sources so as to cut back on such emissions has been being discussed in several countries.

China and India are gigantic developing countries due to their robust economies. There is a debate about to what degree they should be allowed to restrain greenhouse gas emissions. According to a report released in 2006, China’s carbon dioxide emissions are expected to exceed that of the USA in the coming few years. But the country holds that it is not bound to restrain such emissions as its per capita emissions are around one-fifth of those of the USA. Similarly, India, one of the biggest industrial countries in the world, has also maintained its stand on similar lines.

Importance

It is important that the world should realize the harmful impacts the greenhouse effect is exerting on the living beings and their ecosystems. A rise in global warming would bring about adverse phenomena like glacial retreat and a rise in sea level. This would jeopardise the human civilization itself. As such, it would be better for the developed and developing countries to come to a rallying point for adhering to the Kytoto Protocol so as to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases rather than be in loggerheads with each other as things stand at present. After all, saving the Earth should invariably be the common goal of all the countries in the world.
Source: Gorkhapatra, Nepal