We all know that the greenhouse effect is the main reason for climate change and global warming. In this article, I will break down the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth's surface. When the Sun's energy in the form of radiation reaches the Earth's surface, some of its radiation gets reflected. So, what happens to the other amount of energy released by the Sun? It will be absorbed and gets re-radiated by the greenhouse gases. This process is known as the Greenhouse effect. So, now we discovered a new word called greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are defined as gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. There are predominantly four greenhouse gases. They are CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Chloro Fluro Carbons. Now, let us study Carbon dioxide. CO2 consists of Carbon and Oxygen. The key sources of CO2 are deforestation, fossil fuel combustion, and cement production. CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere. CO2 contributes to 82% of greenhouse gases in the air. There were about 270 parts per million volumes(ppmv) of CO2 in the atmosphere by the mid-nineteenth century. Now the amount of ppmv in the atmosphere is 400 million! Methane, also known as CH4, consists of Carbon and Hydrogen. The key sources of Methane are Fossil fuel production, Agriculture, and Landfills. Due to the chemical bonds within the molecule, Methane is much more efficient at absorbing heat than CO2(as much as 86 times). Methane gas is also used as fuel. When burned, it releases CO2 into the atmosphere. Methane contributes between 10 to 25% to global warming. Nitrogen Oxide(NO2) is a natural part of the Nitrogen cycle. Nitrous Oxide is laughing gas. It consists of Nitrogen and Oxygen. The key sources of NO2 are fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, biomass combustion, and industrial processes. It only contributes to 6% of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Nitrous Oxide is 300 times stronger than CO2 and takes more than 114 years to break down. CFCs are the only artificial greenhouse gas. The predominant source of CFCs is refrigerators. CFCs destroy the ozone layer, which protects us from harmful rays. Fluorinated gases also warm the lower layers of the Earth. Fluorinated gases account only for 3% of greenhouse gases. They are 23,000 times stronger than CO2. So, we learned about greenhouse gases. Now, let us think about the ways we can prevent the greenhouse effect.
1.We should reduce the usage of fossil fuels. We can use carbon-negative technology, such as using biochar, that keeps excess carbon underground.
2.Use more energy-sufficient sources for power and transportation.
3.Eating a diet, which consists of 80% of vegetables reduces emissions.
4.Use public vehicles rather than private vehicles. Burning fossil fuels for transport adds up to 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. So, use buses and trains for transporting to some places than using your private vehicles.
5.Use bioplastics made from plastics rather than using plastics that come from fossil fuels. Using materials that don't release greenhouse gases is an effective way of preventing the greenhouse effect.
So, if we follow these steps, we can reduce the greenhouse effect to some extent. We should follow these steps to prevent the greenhouse effect, which prevents climate change.
Prajwal Karthikeya
The Carbon Newsprint
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