Greenhouse gases and Greenhouse Effect
What are greenhouse gases?
Any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface termed as greenhouse gas, this contributing to the greenhouse effect. The major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are carbon di oxide, water vapor, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gas. The greenhouse gases release in the atmosphere by both means natural and anthropogenic activity.
Natural source of greenhouse gases
- Volcanic eruption
- Ocean
- Permafrost
- Wetlands
- Forest fire
Anthropogenic source of Greenhouse gases
- Burning of fossil fuel
- Deforestation
- Farming
- Industrial waste and landfills
- Process emission (from industrial operation)
What is Greenhouse Effect?
The Greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon in which heat is trapped in the Earth's atmosphere by gases known as Greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect helps in maintaining a stable average temperature of 13.7°C in the Earth's atmosphere; without it, the average temperature will be around -17°C.
The concentration of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, ranged between 200 and 280 ppm over the last 80,000 years, prior to the industrial revolution. Since the 1800s, this concentration has nearly doubled, now reaching around 420 ppm. This increase disrupts the Earth's natural systems, leading to extreme weather events and contributing to climate change.
What are the main sources of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions?
Fossil energy Use
Fossil fuel is the main source of energy used across the globe, which are the key contributor of greenhouse gases emission. They are used in generation of electricity, transportation and heat production; It accounts for around 73% of the global greenhouse emission. In which majority of the greenhouse gas emission accounts from industrial use which contributing 24.2% followed by building operations (17.5%) transportation (16.2%) and other operations accounts for 15.3%.
Process emission from Industries:
Industrial process emissions account for approximately 5.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, During the production of clinker, a main component in cement production release CO2 as a byproduct during the reaction of converting CaCO3 to CaO .
Waste
Wastewater contributes about 1.3% to global greenhouse gas emissions. The organic matter and residues from animals, plants, humans, and their waste products accumulate in wastewater systems. As this organic matter decomposes, it generates methane and nitrous oxide.
Landfills account for approximately 1.9% of emissions. These low-oxygen environments facilitate the decomposition of organic matter, which primarily converts to methane.
Agriculture, Forestry, and Land Use:
Agricultural activities are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, each with varying impacts. From grassland degradation to crop cultivation. The carbon trapped inside the soil are released during cultivation activity, release of GHG gases during livestock production, rice cultivation, crop burning and synthetic fertilizer usages.
Effect on greenhouse gases
Global warming
The phenomenon of rising global temperatures in the Earth's atmosphere is primarily linked to the greenhouse effect, driven by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants. This disruption of the Earth's energy system has resulted in climate change, leading to consequences such as altered weather patterns, rising sea levels, ocean temperature rise, melting ice caps, extreme precipitation, intense storms, and loss of biodiversity.
Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, water molecules reacts with the carbon dioxide form carbonic acid. Ocean are the natural carbon sink, due to the increase in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the average pH range of ocean is 8.2 where it is now 8.1 and will reach 7.8 by the end of century. This will affect the population of phytoplankton, destruction in coral reef.
Fish and other seafood products provide vital nutrients for more than three billion people around the globe and supply an income for 10 to 12 percent of the world’s population.