Greenhouse Effect

Introduction of greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is when the temperature rises because the suns heat and light is trapped in the earths atmosphere. This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a very hot day, the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot. This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows, but it cant get back out. cant get out. As a result, the temperature rises. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth. The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it

The suns heat can get into the car through the windows but is then trapped. This makes what ever the place might be, a greenhouse, a car, a building, or the earths atmosphere, hotter. This diagram shows the heat coming into a car as visible light and infrared light (heat). Once the light is inside the car, it is trapped and the heat builds up, ust like it does in the earths atmosphere. !ometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us. The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on. "ithout it, the earth would be free#ing, or on the other hand it would be burning hot. $t would be free#ing at night because the sun would be down. "e would not get the suns heat and light to make the night somewhat warm. %uring the day, especially during the summer, it would be burning because the sun would be up with no atmosphere to filter it, so people, plants, and animals would be e&posed to all the light and heat. Page '

Greenhouse Effect

Greenhouse gasses

(reenhouse gasses are gasses are in the earths atmosphere that collect heat and light from the sun. "ith too many greenhouse gasses in the air, the earths atmosphere will trap too much heat and the earth will get too hot. As a result people, animals, and plants would die because the heat would be too strong. The Biggest Danger This effect moderated temperature on the )arth long before humans began changing the chemistry of the atmosphere. *ike a well managed greenhouse, the )arths surface remained warm, but not too hot, and thus allowed the growth of the lush ecosystems we have inherited. The increase in heat+trapping gases in the )arths atmosphere caused by human activity means the greenhouse effect could, like a poorly managed greenhouse that is left closed up on a hot summer day, overheat and do great damage to all the living creatures on the )arth.

Page ,

Greenhouse Effect

The Main Causes: Human Emissions The primary greenhouse gases include

carbon dioxide methane nitrogen oxides, and fluorinated gases

These make up only one percent or less of the )arths atmosphere, but they are almost entirely responsible for all of its heat trapping capacity. Greenhouse gas levels have increased dramatically since the start of the industrial revolution. .ased on scientific study of the )arths past, it is believed that the atmosphere of the )arth contained about ,/0 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dio&ide before the industrial revolution began, and about .1, ppm of methane. 2ow the )arths atmosphere has about 3/4 ppm of carbon dio&ide and about './ ppm of methane. Im acts of Different Greenhouse Gases 5arbon dio&ide is the largest contributor to global warming, and occurs in relatively high concentrations. On the other hand, methane occurs in low concentrations, but it has a much higher heat+trapping capacity than carbon dio&ide per unit volume. $n fact, methane is ,0 times more potent per unit as a greenhouse gas than carbon dio&ide measured on a '00 year scale, and '00 times more potent measured on a '0 year scale. (6ethane breaks down relatively 7uickly in the atmosphere to simpler molecules.) Other trace gases, like nitrogen o&ides, and other human+created fluorinated gases have heat trapping capacities ,00+300 times more potent than carbon dio&ide.

Page 3

Greenhouse Effect

Humans !re Enhancing the Effect "e have initiated a new geological age- the Anthropocene 8 the age created by humans. "e are brining this new geological era into being by radically increasing the impact of the greenhouse effect. Carbon levels have increased in the atmosphere as a result of our burning large volumes of fossil fuels that have been trapped underground for millions of years. "e have cut down millions of acres of forest and every tree contains carbon, and as a tree is burned or decomposes, that carbon is released into the atmosphere. "e have dangerously increased methane levels in the atmosphere as well. 6ethane leaks from natural gas wells and coal mines. $t is also created anytime organic matter decays under o&ygen+ staved conditions. This occurs in rice paddies, and in the guts of herbivorous animals. As humans have cleared forests to make farms and e&panded the number of cows, sheep, and goats, we have increased the amount of methane in the atmosphere. The arctic tundra is also now melting, and releasing enormous volumes of methane and carbon dio&ide. "e !re Creating #e$ Greenhouse Gases 9umans are now synthesi#ing more artificial nitrogen, for use as fertili#er, than all of the natural nitrogen fi&ing process of all of the plants on )arth. $n nature, nitrogen is pulled from plants out of the atmosphere in a process called nitrogen fi&ation. .ut when this artificial nitrogen is applied to farmland, some of it is released into the atmosphere as nitrogen o&ide, a powerful greenhouse gas that is several hundred times more potent per unit volume than either carbon dio&ide or methane. !nother set of highly other industrial purposes. otent gases are fluorinated gases. These are accumulating in our

atmosphere. :luorinated gases are a set of chemicals used as refrigerants, for insulation, and for

Page ;

Greenhouse Effect

!bru t Climate Change Is %n redictable %ramatic weather changes arent gradual, according to a growing body of evidence. <ather, the )arths climate maintains a specific range of temperature and weather behavior for e&tended periods. Over time, pressure builds up from changes in the chemistry of the atmosphere, or changes in solar radiation. Once enough pressure has built, then the )arth enters a period of abrupt climate change. Tem erature increases $ill be extreme in some places and unnoticeable in others. The human enhancement of the greenhouse effect on the planet )arth does not mean that there will be an even heating of the continents and oceans. The net effect, however, will be a potentially devastating disruption of weather, rainfall patterns, storms, and sea level rise. $f we do not stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, we may face unfathomable conse7uences.

Global $arming doing to the environment

(lobal warming is affecting many parts of the world. (lobal warming makes the sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands. This is a big problem for many of the plants, animals, and people on islands. The water covers the plants and causes some of them to die. "hen they die, the animals lose a source of food, along with their habitat. Although animals have a better ability to adapt to what happens than plants do, they may die also. "hen the plants and animals die, people lose two sources of food, plant food and animal food. They may also lose their homes. As a result, they would also have to leave the area or die. This would be called a break in the food chain, or a chain reaction, one thing happening that leads to another and so on.

Greenhouse Effect
Atmospheric scientists first used the term =greenhouse effect= in the early '/00s. At that time, it was used to describe the naturally occurring functions of trace gases in the atmosphere and did not have any negative connotations. $t was not until the mid+'>40s that the term greenhouse effect was coupled with concern over climate change. And in recent decades, we often hear Page 4

Greenhouse Effect

about the greenhouse effect in somewhat negative terms. The negative concerns are related to the possible impacts of an enhanced greenhouse effect. This is covered in more detail in the (lobal 5limate 5hange section of this "eb site. $t is important to remember that without the greenhouse effect, life on earth as we know it would not be possible. "hile the earth=s temperature is dependent upon the greenhouse+like action of the atmosphere, the amount of heating and cooling are strongly influenced by several factors ust as greenhouses are affected by various factors. $n the atmospheric greenhouse effect, the type of surface that sunlight first encounters is the most important factor. :orests, grasslands, ocean surfaces, ice caps, deserts, and cities all absorb, reflect, and radiate radiation differently. !unlight falling on a white glacier surface strongly reflects back into space, resulting in minimal heating of the surface and lower atmosphere. !unlight falling on a dark desert soil is strongly absorbed, on the other hand, and contributes to significant heating of the surface and lower atmosphere. 5loud cover also affects greenhouse warming by both reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth=s surface and by reducing the amount of radiation energy emitted into space. !cientists use the term albedo to define the percentage of solar energy reflected back by a surface. ?nderstanding local, regional, and global albedo effects is critical to predicting global climate change. Basic mechanism

The )arth receives energy from the !un in the form ?@, visible, and near $< radiation, most of which passes through the atmosphere without being absorbed. Of the total amount of energy available at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), about 40A is absorbed at the )arth=s surface. .ecause it is warm, the surface radiates far $< thermal radiation that consists of wavelengths that are predominantly much longer than the wavelengths that were absorbed. 6ost of this thermal radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and re+radiated both upwards and downwardsB that radiated downwards is absorbed by the )arth=s surface. This trapping of long+wavelength thermal radiation leads to a higher e7uilibrium temperature than if the atmosphere were absent. Page C

Greenhouse Effect

This highly simplified picture of the basic mechanism needs to be 7ualified in a number of ways, none of which affect the fundamental process.

The solar radiation spectrum for direct light at both the top of the )arth=s atmosphere and at sea level

The incoming radiation from the !un is mostly in the form of visible light and nearby wavelengths, largely in the range 0.,D; Em, corresponding to the !un=s radiative temperature of C,000 F. Almost half the radiation is in the form of GvisibleG light, which our eyes are adapted to use.

About 40A of the !un=s energy is absorbed at the )arth=s surface and the rest is reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere. The reflection of light back into space8largely by clouds 8does not much affect the basic mechanismB this light, effectively, is lost to the system.

The simple picture assumes e7uilibrium. $n the real world there is the diurnal cycle as well as seasonal cycles and weather. !olar heating only applies during daytime. %uring the night, the atmosphere cools somewhat, but not greatly, because its emissivity is low, and during the day the atmosphere warms. %iurnal temperature changes decrease with height in the atmosphere.

Page 1

Greenhouse Effect

Role in climate change

Hear The Feeling 5urve of atmospheric 5O, concentrations measured at 6auna *oa Observatory. !trengthening of the greenhouse effect through human activities is known as the enhanced (or anthropogenic) greenhouse effect. This increase in radiative forcing from human activity is attributable mainly to increased atmospheric carbon dio&ide levels. 5O, is produced by fossil fuel burning and other activities such as cement production and tropical deforestation. 6easurements of 5O, from the 6auna *oa observatory show that concentrations have increased from about 3'3 ppm in '>C0 to about 3/> ppm in ,0'0. The current observed amount of 5O, e&ceeds the geological record ma&ima (I300 ppm) from ice core data. The effect of combustion+produced carbon dio&ide on the global climate, a special case of the greenhouse effect first described in '/>C by !vante Arrhenius, has also been called the 5allendar effect. .ecause it is a greenhouse gas, elevated 5O, levels contribute to additional absorption and emission of thermal infrared in the atmosphere, which produce net warming. According to the latest Assessment <eport from the $ntergovernmental Janel on 5limate 5hange, Gmost of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid+,0th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrationsG.

Page /

Greenhouse Effect

Real greenhouses

A modern (reenhouse in <9! "isley The Ggreenhouse effectG is named by analogy to greenhouses. The greenhouse effect and a real greenhouse are similar in that they both limit the rate of thermal energy flowing out of the system, but the mechanisms by which heat is retained are different. K,1L A greenhouse works primarily by preventing absorbed heat from leaving the structure through convection, i.e. sensible heat transport. The greenhouse effect heats the earth because greenhouse gases absorb outgoing radiative energy and re+emit some of it back towards earth. A greenhouse is built of any material that passes sunlight, usually glass, or plastic. $t mainly heats up because the !un warms the ground inside, which then warms the air in the greenhouse. The air continues to heat because it is confined within the greenhouse, unlike the environment outside the greenhouse where warm air near the surface rises and mi&es with cooler air aloft. This can be demonstrated by opening a small window near the roof of a greenhouse- the temperature will drop considerably. $t has also been demonstrated e&perimentally (<. ". "ood, '>0>) that a GgreenhouseG with a cover of rock salt (which is transparent to infra red) heats up an enclosure similarly to one with a glass cover. Thus greenhouses work primarily by preventing convective cooling.

Bodies other than Earth

$n our solar system, 6ars, @enus, and the moon Titan also e&hibit greenhouse effects.K,>L Titan has an anti+greenhouse effect, in that its atmosphere absorbs solar radiation but is relatively

Page >

Greenhouse Effect

transparent to infrared radiation. Jluto also e&hibits behavior superficially similar to the anti+ greenhouse effect.K30LK3'L A runaway greenhouse effect occurs if positive feedbacks lead to the evaporation of all greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.K3,L A runaway greenhouse effect involving carbon dio&ide and water vapor is thought to have occurred on @enus.K33L

The government doing to sto global $arming

The government is doing many things to help stop global warming. The government made a law called The 5lean Air Act so there is less air pollution. (lobal warming is making people get very bad illnesses that could make them disabled, very sick, and sometimes even die. The 5lean Air Act is making many companies change their products to decrease these problems. Jart of the law says that you may not put a certain amount of pollutants in the air. 9airspray and some other products, like foam cups, had this problem. 6aking and using these products let out too much volatile organic compounds (@O5s), o#one+destroying chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons (5:5s), and related chemicals (such as 5O,) into the air. 2ow, almost all of these products have a label on them telling people what this product can do to the environment and many people. .y ,0'4 all products listed on the 5lean Air Act will have this label on themAlmost all of the other chemicals that could be harmful will have this label on them hopefully by this time (,0'4) as well.

The other dangerous chemical

!ome other chemicals that cause air pollution and are bad for the environment and people are-

&'one( O#one is produced when other pollution chemicals combine. $t is the basic element of smog. $t causes many different kinds of health issues dealing with the lungs. $t can damage plants and limit sight. $t can also cause a lot of property damage. Page '0

Greenhouse Effect

)&C*s +volatile organic com ounds, smog formers-( @O5s are let into the air when fuel is burned. This chemical can cause cancer. $t can also harm plants. #&x +nitrogen dioxide-( This chemical forms smog. $t is also formed by burning sources of energy, like gas, coal, and oil, and by cars. chemical can eat away buildings and statues. C& +carbon monoxide-( The source of this chemical is burning sources of energy. $t causes blood vessel problems and respiratory failures. .M(/0 + articulate matter-( The source of this chemical is plowing and burning down fields. $t can cause death and lung damage. $t can make it hard for people to breathe. The smoke, soot, ash, and dust formed by this chemical can make many cities dirty. 1ulfur Dioxide( This chemical is produced by making paper and metals. This chemical can cause permanent lung damage. $t can cause acid rain which kills trees and damages building and statues. 1olution to 1to Global "arming .y investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and increasing the efficiency of the cars we drive, we can take essential steps toward reducing our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels that cause global warming. There are lotof companies dedicated to building engines and inventions that could save us from the effects of global warming. ?sing energy more efficiently and moving to renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, and bioenergy) would significantly reduce our emissions of heat+trapping gases. The ?nited !tates currently produces 10 percent of its electricity from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil, but only two percent from renewable sources. .y creating new Gfree energyG sources like wind power or electric cars. "e can slow down the effects of global warming. "hat we really need is a new engine for cars that would take no This chemical causes problems in the respiratory system (including the lungs). $t causes acid rain, and it can damage trees. This

Page ''

Greenhouse Effect

gasoline whatsoever or any other type of fuel that creates carbon dio&ide. 6any inventors in the past have created free energy machines, many of those were lost with time.

2Climate change is really ha

ening,2 says Cicerone3

Asked what is causing the changes, 5icernone says it=s greenhouse gases- G5arbon dio&ide and methane, and chlorofluorocarbons and a couple of others, which are all 8 the increases in their concentrations in the air are due to human activities. $t=s that simple.G .ut if it is that simple, why do some climate science reports look like they have been heavily edited at the "hite 9ouseM "ith science labeled Gnot sufficiently reliable.G $ts a tone of scientific uncertainty the president set in his first months in office after he pulled out of a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. %O)! T9) (<))29O?!) )::)5T )@)2 )N$!TMThe greenhouse warming of the )arth=s surface is believed by some people to be physically impossible. They claim it would violate the ,nd *aw of Thermodynamics, which basically states that energy must flow from where there is more to where there is less. The reason for this apparent violation is that the e&istence of greenhouse gases in the 5O*%)< layers of the atmosphere make the surface "A<6)<, which would suggest energy flow from colder to warmer, which would seem to violate the ,nd *aw. .ut the greenhouse effect is kind of like adding a lid to cover a pot of water on the stove...even though the lid is colder than the water, its presence actually makes the water warmer. $t=s the TOTA* (net) flow of energy which must be from warmer to colder, which is indeed the case in both the greenhouse effect, and adding a lid to the pot of water on the stove.

Page ',

Greenhouse Effect

Here is a gra h sho$ing the data on Tem erature in the %nited 1tates for 4005, notice that in most states the tem eratures $ere 2much above normal23

Conclusion
The greenhouse affect is a natural process where the atmosphere traps some of the sun=s energy, warming the )arth enough to support life. Although the greenhouse effect is a nature cycle, humans have greatly increased the concentrations of greenhouse gases, thus causing a significant increase in the overall greenhouse effect. A number of gases are involved in the human caused enhancement of the greenhouse effect. These gases include- carbon dio&ide (5O,)B methane (59;)B nitrous o&ide (2,0)B 5:5=s and o#one (03) Out of all these gases the most important is carbon dio&ide which accounts for around 44A of the change in the intensity of the )arth=s greenhouse effect. The conse7uence of the greenhouse effect is that there will a rise in the sea levels around the world, there will be dramatic climate changes, and agriculture will suffer from the flu&es of the weather. 9owever, it=s not too late to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, some effective ways to reduce emissions it to- use cleaner fuels, use energy efficient machines, develop alternative sources for energy and to plant more trees.

Page '3

Greenhouse Effect

6eferences
O)nvironment (lobal "arming and (reenhouse )ffect.P "orld Almanac .ooks, ,000. )JA (?nited !tates )nvironmental Jrotection Agency). (lobal "arming Fids !ite. "orld Almanac ,000. 6ahwah-

http-QQwww.epa.govQglobalwarmingQkids. *ast visited- %ecember ,00'. 2ational (eographic. $s .leaching 5orals "ay of 6aking the .est of a .ad !ituationM

http-QQnews.nationalgeographic.comQnewsQ,00'Q01Q 01,4Rcoralbleaching.html. *ast visited- %ecember ,00'. Jower !corecard. )lectricity and the )nvironment. http-QQpowerscorecard.orgQelecRenv.cfm. *ast visited- Sanuary ,00,. )JA. The Jlain )nglish (uide To The 5lean Air Act.

http-QQwww.epa.govQoarQoa7psQpegRcaaQpegcaain.html. *ast visited- Sanuary ,00,. O!un.P "orld .ook )ncyclopedia, '>1/.

Page ';