In the point of fact, the rising temperature of Earth's atmosphere is the core issue of environmental and social debates around the world. The temperature of the Earth's surface is rising with the passage of time and rationally speaking, some very adverse effects of this gradual and catastrophic rise have started appearing in different parts of the world, threatening both plant and animal life on the surface of the Earth. This gradual rise in temperature is regarded as Green House Effect. As a matter of fact, there is only s single source of radiations coming on Earth and that source is Sun. the radiations coming from Sun are short wave radiations and when these rays and absorbed and then emitted by the Earth's surface, the process of green house effect starts.
When sunlight (i.e. visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum) enters a greenhouse its wavelength is small, thus facilitating its penetration through the glass. However, when light reflects off the plants and earth inside the green house, it loses much of its energy, its wavelength increases and it becomes infra-red radiation. Infra-red radiation cannot penetrate the glass and thus, cannot escape the greenhouse. This entrapment of energy causes the temperature inside the greenhouse to increase. Furthermore, the trapped air inside the greenhouse prevents loss of energy through convection.
Our Earth behaves much in the same way as a greenhouse, where ozone plays the role of the glass walls. Sunlight enters our atmosphere after passing through ozone and on reflection is converted into infra-red radiation. This radiation fails to escape into the space and causes a rise in Earth's temperature. However, this entrapment of infra-red radiation in our atmosphere is due mainly to some gases that absorb infra-red radiation and prevent its escape into space. Thus, a rise in the temperature of Earth due to the absorption of infra-red radiation by certain gases is called Greenhouse Effect, and the gases are called greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases are basically those gases that contain three or more atoms in their molecules. Carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H20(g)), ozone (O3), methane (CH4) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are greenhouse gases; carbon dioxide being the major contributor.
Greenhouse effect is important to keep the temperature of Earth feasible for life and prevent the Earth from freezing. However, as the cliché goes, everything in excess is injurious, and so is greenhouse effect. It is one of the major causes of global warming, which itself has many detrimental consequences.
Global warming causes snow caps and glaciers to melt. This causes flooding and also causes the sea level to rise. Flooding in turn causes famines and plays a major role in the spread of diseases. Apart from that, global warming greatly affects weather patterns. Drastic changes in weather patterns in turn cause calamities such as torrential rains, hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones etc. All this added together means loss of precious life and resources, and destruction of Earth.
Increase in the concentration of CFCs and carbon dioxide due to industrial development and human activities, over the years, has greatly increased the greenhouse effect, and this in turn has increased global warming. The evident results of global warming and greenhouse effects have finally rung the alarm in human ears to keep a check on the extent to which they exploit nature. When CFCs were first produced, they were supposed to replace toxic solvents, and scientists were unaware of their impact on atmosphere. Slowly and gradually, they ate away at the ozone, until recently when scientists realized their hazardous implications and started working on more environmental friendly replacements like hydro fluorocarbons.
Rationally speaking, what's done is done, but as they say, it's never too late. We may not possibly be able to reverse the damage already done by this increased concentrations of green house gasses in our atmosphere and the resulting damaging results, but we can try to save what we still have. Putting a stop to cutting down forests, reforestation, banning the use of CFCs, saving energy including electricity, gas and diesel, reducing the amount of fuel burnt and properly disposing of garbage instead of burning it; these are just a handful of things that we can do to reduce the greenhouse effect.
About Author / Additional Info:
An enthusiastic writer.