Green House Effect and Global Warming

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT AND
GLOBAL WARMING
UNIT-4
History of Earth’s Climate
• Earth formed ~4.6 billion years ago
• Originally very hot
• Sun’s energy output only 70% of present
• Liquid water present ~4.3 billion year
• Life appeared ~3.8 billion years ago
• Photosynthesis began 3.5-2.5 billion years ago
• Produced oxygen and removed carbon dioxide
and methane (greenhouse gases)
• Earth went through periods of cooling
(“Snowball Earth”) and warming
• Earth began cycles of glacial and interglacial
periods ~3 million years ago
The temperature of the earth is directly related to the
energy input from the Sun. Some of the Sun’s energy is
reflected by clouds. Other is reflected by ice. The
remainder is absorbed by the earth
If amount of solar energy absorbed by the earth is
equal to the amount radiated back into space, the earth
remains at a constant temperature
However, if the amount of solar energy is greater than
the amount radiated, then the earth heats up
If the amount of solar energy is less than the amount
radiated, then the earth cools down
Green house effect
• It is a natural phenomena because of which life is

possible.
• Water vapors and gases in atmosphere are
responsible for green house effect.
• A green house effect is a process by which radiation
from sun are absorbed by green house gas and not
reflected back into space. This insulates the surface
of earth and prevents it from freezing.
Green house
• Incident solar energy as short wave radiations,
mostly in the form of visible light, is absorbed by
earth surface and emitted into space as long wave
infrared (heat)radiations.
• There are several gases on earth surface primarily
water vapors and CO2 that are transparent to short
wave radiations but are nearly opaque to long wave
radiations.
• . This phenomena is called Green house effect, and
gases that have ability to absorb reflected radiations
and produce this effect are called green house gases.
• It is due to the natural occurrence of the greenhouse
effect that there is a higher atmosphere equilibrium
temperature otherwise, the earth’s mean surface
temperature would have been -18oC instead of +17oC.It
is thus, due to natural green house effect that earth
has habitable temperature and no wide variations
between day and night temperature. Therefore, its
importance, significance and necessity for the
existence of life on earth cannot be under estimated.
• However, there is a growing concern that increasing
concentrations of CO2 and other trace greenhouse
gases due to human activities will enhance the green
house effect and causing global warming.
Green house gases
• The most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, listed

in decreasing order of average global mole fraction, are:
• Water vapor (H2O)

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Ozone (O3)
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs and HCFCs)
• Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Per fluorocarbons (CF4, C2F6, etc.), SF6, and NF3
• Carbon Dioxide-Fossil fuel combustion, Déforestation,
Cément production
• Methane - Fossil fuel production, Agriculture, Landfills
• Nitrous Oxide-Fertilizer application; Fossil fuel and biomass

combustion; Industrial processes
• Chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12)- Refrigerants
• Hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23)- Refrigerants
• Sulfur Hexafluoride- Electricity transmission
• Nitrogen Trifluoride- Semiconductor manufacturing

Effects of Global warming
• An increase in global temperature at the rate of

about 0.3oC per decade.
• Addition of water vapor in atmosphere because
saturated vapour pressure increases with
temperature. Thus allowing trapping of more long
wave radiation and increasing temperature further.
• Flooding of many coastal areas due to rising sea
levels resulting from thermal expansion of the
oceans, melting of glaciers and ice sheet. This would
effect population near coastal line.
• Inundation of coastal salt marches and estuaries will
leave many species of reptiles, birds and fish without
breeding grounds leading to their extinction.
• Would lead to dislocation of suitable land for
agriculture and thus may adversely affect the world
food production. Eg rise in temperature would
decrease wheat production in Gangetic plains.
• Warming of Troposphere will be accompanied by
cooling of Stratosphere, thus changing the pattern of
air-mass movements which will change precipitation
pattern.
• Frequency and severity of storms, flood and drought
will increase.
• Alteration in hydrological cycle.
• Warming will bring disease vectors, waterborne
pathogens which will bring misery to human
population.
• There may be many other unexpected effects or
changes including negative impacts on human
settlements, exposed infrastructure, agricultural; fields,
fresh water resources, fisheries, tourism etc.
• Acidification of water bodies
• Runaway green house effect(temp increase, reaction
increase ,release of CO2increases.)
Control Measures
• Limited use of fossil fuels which is major source of

green house gases. Shift from coal to natural gas
• Using alternate sources of energy such as wind,
hydroelectric, geothermal, solar and nuclear energy
would decrease production of carbon dioxide.
• Replace chloro-fluoro carbons with substitutes
having little or no effect on ozone depletion.
• Increase the use of Bio-fertilizers.
• Increase in forest covers.
• Increase nuclear power plants
• Adopt sustainable agriculture.
• Stabilize population growth
• Remove carbon dioxide by photosynthetic
algae.
• Green House gas Protocol- it is international
accounting tool for government and business
leaders to understand, quantify and manage
green house gas emission.
POPULATION GROWTH
• Population growth is the change in population over

time, and can be quantified as the change in the
number of individuals in a population using per unit
time for measurement.
• Rapid growth in population is result of difference
between rate of birth and death.
• Next decade human population will grow by 1 billion.
• Growth of human population affects all people
through its impact on economy and environment.
• The combination of continuing high birth rate and
low death is creating a rapid population increase in
many countries in Asia.
• Overpopulation occurs when the population of the
living species exceeds the carrying capacity of its
ecological niche.
Consequences of Overpopulation
 Socio-economic problems-
• Shortage of essential goods
• Resource depletion eg. Drinking water is diminishing
and getting polluted.
• Hindrance in the process of development of
economy
• Low per capita income because resources and
benefits are shared by large population.
• Unemployment
• Pressure on agricultural land eg division of land
• Migration to urban area.
• Overcrowding and development of slums
• High crime rate
• Lack of basic amenities
• Low/ unhygienic living standard of people
 Energy crisis
• Energy consumption has increased because of which
consumption of fossil fuel has increased. Moreover
industrialization and urbanization has compounded
the problem further.
 Environment degradation-
Population explosion also cause environmental
degradation in many ways:
• Environmental pollution-Increased population
causes increase in pollutants in air, water and
soil.
• Public health and sanitation-Improper
sanitation may lead to numerous diseases.
• Deforestation- It result in increase in soil
erosion, floods, droughts etc.
Indian case study
• In 1921 population of India was 25crores.

• In 1999 population of India increased 100crores.
• In 2025 it is expected to cross 150crores.
• The present growth rate is 1.6% which is higher than
world growth rate of 1.3%.
Reason for growth rate is dip in death rate, early
marriage and tropical climate for early puberty.
Overcoming population growth
• Quick economic development would increase the per
capita income
• Significant reduction in birth rate
• Improvement in quality of population as well as better
education and health facilities.
• Death rate is needed to be brought down
• Integrated population planning with economic planning.
• We can achieve a sustainable global when communities,
governments and organizations take action to enable
people to choose smaller families through women
empowerment and easy access to high quality
education and family planning.

Green House Effect and Global Warming

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Green House Effect and Global Warming

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Green House Effect and Global Warming

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT AND

• It is a natural phenomena because of which life is

• The most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, listed

• Water vapor (H2O)

• Methane - Fossil fuel production, Agriculture, Landfills

• Nitrous Oxide-Fertilizer application; Fossil fuel and biomass

• Chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12)- Refrigerants

• Hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23)- Refrigerants

• Sulfur Hexafluoride- Electricity transmission

• Nitrogen Trifluoride- Semiconductor manufacturing

• An increase in global temperature at the rate of

• Limited use of fossil fuels which is major source of

• Population growth is the change in population over

• In 1921 population of India was 25crores.

You might also like