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Greenhouse Effect Definition
What is the Greenhouse Effect?A greenhouse is a house made of glass that can be used to grow plants. The sun’s radiations warm the plants and the air inside the greenhouse. The heat trapped inside can’t escape out and warms the greenhouse which is essential for the growth of the plants. Same is the case in the earth’s atmosphere. During the day the sun heats up the earth’s atmosphere. At night, when the earth cools down the heat is radiated back into the atmosphere. During this process, the heat is absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. This is what makes the surface of the earth warmer, that makes the survival of living beings on earth possible. However, due to the increased levels of greenhouse gases, the temperature of the earth has increased considerably. This has led to several drastic effects. Let us have a look at the greenhouse gases and understand the causes and consequences of greenhouse effects with the help of a diagram. Also Read: Global Warming Greenhouse Gases
 The Diagram shows Greenhouse Gases such as carbon dioxide are the primary cause for the Greenhouse Effect The major contributors to the greenhouse gases are factories, automobiles, deforestation, etc. The increased number of factories and automobiles increases the amount of these gases in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases never let the radiations escape from the earth and increase the surface temperature of the earth. This then leads to global warming. Also Read: Our Environment Causes of Greenhouse EffectThe major causes of the greenhouse effect are: Burning of Fossil FuelsFossil fuels are an important part of our lives. They are widely used in transportation and to produce electricity. Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide. With the increase in population, the utilization of fossil fuels has increased. This has led to an increase in the release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. DeforestationPlants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to the cutting of trees, there is a considerable increase in the greenhouse gases which increases the earth’s temperature. FarmingNitrous oxide used in fertilizers is one of the contributors to the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. Industrial Waste and LandfillsThe industries and factories produce harmful gases which are released in the atmosphere. Landfills also release carbon dioxide and methane that adds to the greenhouse gases. Effects of Greenhouse EffectThe main effects of increased greenhouse gases are: Global WarmingIt is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. The main cause for this environmental issue is the increased volumes of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane released by the burning of fossil fuels, emissions from the vehicles, industries and other human activities. Depletion of Ozone LayerOzone Layer protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. It is found in the upper regions of the stratosphere. The depletion of the ozone layer results in the entry of the harmful UV rays to the earth’s surface that might lead to skin cancer and can also change the climate drastically. The major cause of this phenomenon is the accumulation of natural greenhouse gases including chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, methane, etc. Smog and Air PollutionSmog is formed by the combination of smoke and fog. It can be caused both by natural means and man-made activities. In general, smog is generally formed by the accumulation of more greenhouse gases including nitrogen and sulfur oxides. The major contributors to the formation of smog are automobile and industrial emissions, agricultural fires, natural forest fires and the reaction of these chemicals among themselves. Acidification of Water BodiesIncrease in the total amount of greenhouse gases in the air has turned most of the world’s water bodies acidic. The greenhouse gases mix with the rainwater and fall as acid rain. This leads to the acidification of water bodies. Also, the rainwater carries the contaminants along with it and falls into the river, streams and lakes thereby causing their acidification. Runaway Greenhouse EffectThis phenomenon occurs when the planet absorbs more radiation than it can radiate back. Thus, the heat lost from the earth’s surface is less and the temperature of the planet keeps rising. Scientists believe that this phenomenon took place on the surface of Venus billions of years ago. This phenomenon is believed to have occurred in the following manner:
In simple words, increasing the greenhouse effect gives rise to a runaway greenhouse effect which would increase the temperature of the earth to such an extent that no life will exist in the near future. Also Read: Environmental Issues To learn more about what is the greenhouse effect, its definition, causes and effects, keep visiting BYJU’S website or download the BYJU’S app for further reference.
The gradual increase in temperature due to the greenhouse effect caused by pollutants, CFCs and carbon dioxide is called global warming. This phenomenon has disturbed the climatic pattern of the earth.
The major greenhouse gases are: 1) Carbon dioxide 2) Methane 3) Water 4) Nitrous oxide 5) Ozone 6) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Carbon dioxide and water vapour absorb infrared radiations coming to the earth and partly reflect it back to the earth’s surface. Due to this, the surface of the earth gets heated up. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect.
Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, farming and livestock production all contribute to the greenhouse effect. Industries and factories also play a major role in the release of greenhouse gases. Earth’s most abundant greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, CFCs, and water vapour. These gases are present near the Earth’s surface. They absorb solar energy that is radiated back from the surface of the Earth. The absorption of radiation results in the heating up of the atmosphere. Hence, greenhouse gases are essential for maintaining the temperature of Earth for the sustenance of life.
Earth’s greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic). Greenhouse gases have different chemical properties and are removed from the atmosphere, over time, by different processes. Carbon dioxide, for example, is absorbed by so-called carbon sinks such as plants, soil, and the ocean. Fluorinated gases are destroyed only by sunlight in the far upper atmosphere. How much any one greenhouse gas influences global warming depends on three key factors. The first is how much of it exists in the atmosphere. Concentrations are measured in parts per million (ppm), parts per billion (ppb), or parts per trillion (ppt); 1 ppm for a given gas means, for example, that there is one molecule of that gas in every 1 million molecules of air. The second is its lifetime—how long it remains in the atmosphere. The third is how effective it is at trapping heat. This is referred to as its global warming potential, or GWP, and is a measure of the total energy that a gas absorbs over a given period of time (usually 100 years) relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide. Radiative forcing (RF) is another way to measure greenhouse gases (and other climate drivers, such as the sun’s brightness and large volcanic eruptions). Also known as climate forcing, RF quantifies the difference between how much of the sun’s energy gets absorbed by the earth and how much is released into space as a result of any one climate driver. A climate driver with a positive RF value indicates that it has a warming effect on the planet; a negative value represents cooling. What Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions?Since the start of the Industrial Revolution and the advent of coal-powered steam engines, human activities have vastly increased the volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. It is estimated that between 1750 and 2011, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide increased by 40 percent, methane by 150 percent, and nitrous oxide by 20 percent. In the late 1920s, we started adding man-made fluorinated gases like chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, to the mix. In recent decades we’ve only picked up the pace. Of all the man-made emissions of carbon dioxide—the most abundant greenhouse gas released by human activities, and one of the longest-lasting—from 1750 to 2010, approximately half were generated in the last 40 years alone, in large part due to fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes. And while global greenhouse gas emissions have occasionally plateaued or dropped from year to year (most recently between 2014 and 2016), they’re accelerating once again. In 2017, carbon emissions rose by 1.6 percent; in 2018 they increased by an estimated 2.7 percent. Five Major Greenhouse GasesThe most significant gases that cause global warming via the greenhouse effect are the following: Carbon Dioxide Methane Nitrous Oxide Fluorinated Gases Although fluorinated gases are emitted in smaller quantities than other greenhouse gases (they account for just 2 percent of man-made global greenhouse gas emissions), they trap substantially more heat. Indeed, the GWP for these gases can be in the thousands to tens of thousands, and they have long atmospheric lifetimes, in some cases lasting tens of thousands of years. HFCs are used as a replacement for ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), usually in air conditioners and refrigerators, but some are being phased out because of their high GWP. Replacing these HFCs and properly disposing of them is considered to be one of the most important climate actions the world can take. Water Vapor
Big Bend Power Station, a coal-fired power plant in Tampa, Florida Where Do Greenhouse Gases Come From?Population size, economic activity, lifestyle, energy use, land use patterns, technology, and climate policy: According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), these are the broad forcings that drive nearly all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Here’s a closer look at greenhouse gas emissions by source. Electricity and Heat Production Agriculture and Land Use Changes Trees, plants, and soil absorb carbon dioxide from the air. The plants and trees do it via photosynthesis (a process by which they turn carbon dioxide into glucose); the soil houses microbes that carbon binds to. So nonagricultural land-use changes such as deforestation, reforestation (replanting in existing forested areas), and afforestation (creating new forested areas) can either increase the amount of carbon in the atmosphere (as in the case of deforestation) or decrease it via absorption, removing more carbon dioxide from the air than they emit. (When trees or plants are cut down, they no longer absorb carbon dioxide, and when they are burned or decompose, they release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.) In the United States, land-use activities currently represent a net carbon sink, absorbing more carbon dioxide from the air than they emit. Industry Transportation Nationwide, cars and trucks are responsible for more than 80 percent of transportation-related carbon emissions. Buildings Other Sources Greenhouse Gas Emissions by CountrySince the start of the Industrial Revolution, more than 2,000 billion tons of carbon dioxide have been released into the atmosphere by human activities, according to the Global Carbon Project. North America and Europe are responsible for approximately half of that total, while the emerging economies of China and India have contributed another 14 percent. For the remainder, 150-plus countries share responsibility. An analysis of carbon dioxide emissions by country today shows that China now leads the pack, responsible for 27 percent of all emissions. Next comes the United States (15 percent), the European Union’s 28 member states including the United Kingdom (10 percent), and India (7 percent) next. Together, these global powers account for almost 60 percent of all emissions.
People receive water from a tanker on a hot day in Allahabad, India. The Consequences of the Greenhouse EffectToday’s human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is rising rapidly, and according to the IPCC, the planet is heating up. Between preindustrial times and now, the earth’s average temperature has increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1.0 degrees Celsius), with approximately two-thirds of that warming occurring in the last handful of decades alone. According to the IPCC, 1983 to 2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1,400 years (in the Northern Hemisphere, where assessment is possible). And all five of the years from 2014 to 2018 were the hottest on record globally. If warming trends continue at the current rate, it’s estimated global warming will reach 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels between 2030 and 2052. Fueled by man-made greenhouse gas emissions, global warming is altering the earth’s climate systems in many ways. It is:
These changes pose threats not only to plants and wildlife, but directly to people. Warmer temperatures mean insects that spread diseases like dengue fever and Zika can thrive—and heat waves are getting hotter and more lethal to humans. People could go hungry when our food supply is diminished thanks to droughts and floods—a 2011 National Research Council study found that for every degree Celsius that the planet heats up, crop yields will go down 5 to 15 percent. Food insecurity can lead to mass human migration and political instability. And in January 2019, the Department of Defense released a report that described the threats to U.S. military installations and operations around the world due to flooding, droughts, and other impacts of climate change.
A solar array and wind turbine at the National Wind Technology Center in Jefferson County, Colorado The Greenhouse Effect SolutionThe earth has always experienced warm and cool phases, with natural forces—from the sun’s intensity, volcanic eruptions, and natural changes in greenhouse gas concentrations—affecting how much energy from the sun our planet absorbs. Scientists say that as recently as a couple of centuries ago, the planet underwent a “Little Ice Age,” caused by a decrease in solar activity and an increase in volcanic activity. But today’s climatic warming—particularly the increase in temperatures since the mid-20th century—is occurring at a pace that can’t be explained by natural causes alone. According to NASA, “natural causes are still in play today, but their influence is too small or they occur too slowly to explain the rapid warming seen in recent decades.” In other words, humans are the problem. But we may also be the solution. We have the ability to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, though doing so certainly won’t be easy. Overhauling our energy systems will require transformative, aggressive global action—and now. According to the IPCC, we must decrease greenhouse gas pollution by 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. To allow global warming to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (which the IPCC has identified as the threshold for avoiding climate change’s worst impacts) would mean more intense drought, extreme heat, flooding, and poverty, the decline of species (including a mass die-off of the world’s coral reefs), and the worsening of food shortages and wildfires. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will require significant effort at the international, national, and local levels. First and foremost, we must slash fossil fuel production, consumption, and pollution by ramping up our use of clean, renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies and by investing in fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. We must end fossil fuel subsidies and better leverage “cap and invest” programs, carbon pricing, and carbon capture, storage, and utilization technologies (which catch the carbon dioxide from emissions sources like power plants or directly from the air and permanently bury it underground or convert it into other materials). We must protect our carbon-storing forests and reduce food waste and the emissions that go with it. And as individuals, we must commit to taking carbon-cutting actions in our daily lives. Currently the United States faces the additional hurdle of an administration doubling down on fossil fuel use by rolling back standards aimed at reducing emissions from dirty power plants and cars and trucks (in other words, from the electricity and transportation sectors, the nation’s two largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions). President Trump is also working to withdraw the nation from the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement even though nearly two-thirds of Americans believe we should do more to tackle climate change, not less. Still, decision makers, companies, leaders, and activists across the country and around the world staunchly believe we must act on climate change. For just as the emissions of man-made greenhouse gases long ago are inducing the climate change we see now, the emissions we release today will impact us long into the future. This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as time and place elements, style, and grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories. |
What do we mean by greenhouse effect
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