Green House Gases

Posted on July 30, 2009 in Latest News

Green house gases refer to the gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, ozone and methane. Of these prominent contributors to the phenomenon of the green house effect are water vapor and carbon dioxide.

The green house effect refers to the phenomenon of the heating up of the earth. Just like in a green house, heat is trapped for artificial breeding of crops saplings, the green houses gases contribute towards keeping the earth warm. In the absence of these gases, the earth’s temperature will be 39 degrees Celsius lower than it is now.

People often mistakenly account gases such as oxygen and nitrogen to be green house gases as well. Such is not true. These gases only take part in the formation of the compound gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide which result in the green house effect.

Naturally produced carbon di oxide is supposed to be at least 20 times larger than the carbon dioxide produced through human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and changing land use. However, the gradual disappearance of carbon sinks such as forests and other sanctuaries is increasing the effect of such anthropogenic activities on the balance of gases in the atmosphere.

In the light of the increased dependency of human life on high-intensity energy sources, carbon sequestration is proving to be a major problem. The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere today stands at close to 380 parts per million. This is about 100 units higher than the count in pre-historic times. The global campaign against climate change and global warming is targeted at reducing this concentration.

For this, we need to change our energy consumption patterns and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels based energy sources. Additionally, a massive campaign for afforestation as well as saving the present green lungs of the earth has to be taken up.

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