ESC306 Lecture Notes For Weeks 8 & 9

GREENHOUSE EFFECT
• The greenhouse effect is the process by which

radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms
the planet's surface to a temperature above
what it would be without this atmosphere.
• Radiatively active gases (GHG) in a planet's
atmosphere radiate energy in all directions.
• GREENHOUSE EFFECT - A part of the
radiation that falls on the earth is absorbed
by the earth’s surface and a part is reflected
back into space. A part of the reflected
radiation is trapped by the atmosphere. The
trapped radiations further warm the earth.
• (Trapped heat warms a house). The trapping of radiations by the
earth’s atmosphere is similar. That is why it is called the greenhouse
effect. Without this process, life would not have been possible on the
earth. But now it threatens life. CO2 is one of the gases responsible for
this effect.
• GLOBAL WARMING - A Serious Threat: Global
warming can cause sea levels to rise
dramatically. In many places, coastal areas have
already been flooded. A temperature rise by
more than 2 degrees Celsius will have adverse
effect on rainfall patterns, agriculture, forests,
plants and animals.
• Majority of people living in regions which are
threatened by global warming are in Asia. A
recent climate change report gives us only a
limited time to keep the greenhouse in check –
i.e., by the end of the century - a level
considered dangerous.
What can we do to reduce air
pollution?
• There are many success stories in our fight
against air pollution. For example, a few
years ago, Delhi was one of the most
polluted cities in the world. It was being
choked by fumes released from automobiles
running on diesel and petrol.
• A decision was taken to switch to fuels like CNG
and unleaded petrol. These measures have
resulted in cleaner air for the city. There is a
need to switch over to alternative fuels instead
of the fossil fuels for our energy requirements.
These could be solar energy, hydropower and
wind energy.
Water Pollution
• - Water becomes “dirty” when we use it for washing

clothes, bathing, etc. This means that we are adding
some materials to the water, which spoil its quality
and changes its smell and colour. Whenever harmful
substances such as sewage, toxic chemicals, silt, etc.,
get mixed with water it becomes polluted. The
substances that pollute water are called water
pollutants.
How water is polluted
• Many industries discharge harmful chemicals into

rivers and streams, causing the pollution of water.
• Examples of such industries are oil refineries,
paper factories, textile and sugar mills and
chemical factories.
• These industries cause chemical contamination of
water.
•The chemicals released include arsenic,
lead and fluorides which lead to toxicity
in plants and animals. There are
regulations to prevent this.
• Industries are supposed to treat the waste
produced before discharging it into waters,
but quite often the rules are not followed.
The soil is also affected by impure water,
causing changes in acidity, growth of
worms, etc.
• Sometimes untreated sewage is thrown directly
into rivers. It contains food wastes, detergents,
microorganisms, etc.
• Water contaminated with sewage may contain
bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites which
cause diseases like cholera, typhoid and
jaundice.
• Hot water can also be a pollutant! This is
usually water from power plants and
industries. When released into rivers, it
raises the temperature of the water body,
adversely affecting the animals and plants
living in it.
• Potable Water - Water which is suitable for
drinking is called potable water.
• Various physical and chemical processes in the
sewage treatment plants help to clean water
before discharging it into water bodies. Similarly,
municipal bodies treat the water before
supplying it to households.
•Do you know?
•25% of the world’s population is
without safe drinking water!
• We can think of creative ideas like re-using
water used for washing and for other
household tasks. For example, water used
for washing vegetable may be used to water
plants in the garden.
• Think about this!
• While brushing your teeth, leaving the tap
running may waste several liters of water.
• A tap that drips once every second wastes
a few thousand liters of water every year.
• Pollution is no longer a distant
phenomenon. It is affecting the quality of
our daily lives. Unless we all realise our
responsibility and start using environment-
friendly processes, the very survival of our
planet is in danger.
WEEK SIX LECTURE NOTES
• Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases

Climate Change:
• refers to the rise in average surface
temperatures on earth
• Also known as global warming
Climate change (global
warming)
The issues:
1.Are humans responsible for most of the global temperature
rise of the past century or so, or is the increase just a typical
fluctuation in global temperature?
2.If most of the temperature rise can be attributed to increases
in anthropogenic CO2 emissions, what are the likely
consequences if no action is taken to curb these emissions?
• The Earth is about 33OC warmer than expected if we consider
only the amount of solar energy received and reflected.
• Trace atmospheric gases, H2O and CO2, trap infrared

radiation that would otherwise be re-emitted into space.
• This effect is known as the Greenhouse Effect - the

mechanism that keeps greenhouses hotter than we might
expect.
The Earth’s energy balance
• Warmth of last 50 years is very likely higher than any 50 year
period in last 500 years and likely the highest in last 1,300
years.
• Global average sea levels in the last interglacial period
(125,00 years ago) was likely 4 – 6 m higher than in 20th
century due to retreat of polar ice.
• It is very likely that anthropogenic greenhouse gases have
contributed to most of the warming.
A promising approach -
CO2 sequestration in the oceans
• Separating CO2 from methane (natural gas) in wells
and pumping it back.
• Controlling population growth and economic
development,
• energy conservation, alternate energy sources, and
CO2 sequestration are key elements in mitigating
climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol
• Kyoto Conference in 1997 - 161 countries were
represented.
• Binding emissions targets were set for six greenhouse
gases for 38 countries; the goal was to reduce emissions
by 5% around 2010.
• Emissions credit trading was established.
• Emissions credit could also be given by helping
developing nations reduce emissions through improved
technology.
Greenhouse Gases
•A greenhouse gas - a gas in an
atmosphere that absorbs and emits
radiation within the thermal infrared
range. This process is the fundamental
cause of the greenhouse effect.
• The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's
atmosphere are
• water vapor,
• carbon dioxide,
• methane,
• nitrous oxide, and
• ozone.
• Without greenhouse gases, the average
temperature of Earth's surface would be
about −18 °C (0 °F), rather than the present
average of 15 °C (59 °F). In the Solar System,
the atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan
also contain gases that cause a greenhouse
effect.
• Human activities since the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution (taken as the year
1750) have produced a 40% increase in the
atmospheric concentration of carbon
dioxide, from 280 ppm in 1750 to 400 ppm
in 2015.
•This increase has occurred despite the
uptake of a large portion of the
emissions by various natural "sinks"
involved in the carbon cycle.
•Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions come from combustion of
fossil fuels, principally coal, oil, and
natural gas, along with deforestation,
soil erosion and animal agriculture.
Energy Production and the
Management of Natural Resources
• Renewable and nonrenewable energy resources
• Issues associated with the use and extraction of Earth’s resources
(e.g., mining, land reclamation, deforestation)
Applications of Science and
Technology in Daily Life
• Chemical properties of household products
• Communication (e.g., wireless devices, GPS, satellites)
• Science principles applied in commonly used consumer products (e.g.,
batteries, lasers, polarized sunglasses, and fiber optic cables)
• Water purification
• Common agricultural practices (e.g., genetically modified crops, use of
herbicides and insecticides)
• DNA evidence in criminal investigations
• Nanotechnology
Impact of Science & Technology
on Public Health Issues
• Nutrition, disease, and medicine (e.g., vitamins, viruses, vaccines)
• Biotechnology (e.g., genetic engineering, in vitro fertilization)
• Medical technologies (e.g., medical imaging, x-rays, radiation therapy)

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GREENHOUSE EFFECT

• The greenhouse effect is the process by which

earth’s atmosphere is similar. That is why it is called the greenhouse

• - Water becomes “dirty” when we use it for washing

• Many industries discharge harmful chemicals into

• Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases

• Trace atmospheric gases, H2O and CO2, trap infrared

• This effect is known as the Greenhouse Effect - the

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