Posted on June 26, 2007 in Latest News
Global warming occurs mainly due to pollution caused by activities of mankind. Discussed below are the main causes of environmental pollution.
Energy production by burning fossil fuels
- Usually plants and water bodies absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for various natural processes. But human activities produce excessive carbon dioxide that remains in the atmosphere and adds to global warming.
- The main source of environmental pollution is burning of fossil fuels for various manufacturing industries. This increases the amount of carbon dioxide and methane, greenhouse gases that increase global warming. These gases are released when wood, wood products and solid waste are burned. The US is the largest source of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
- Large-scale deforestation for lumber and agriculture implies fewer trees to absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and more of it in the atmosphere.
- Automobiles are another source of pollution that add more than a billion ton of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year. Burning of coal in power plants adds more than two billion tons of carbon dioxide to the environment.
- Residential users and commercial sources are other causes of pollution.
- Exploration and production of oil and gas, and coal transport releases methane in to the atmosphere. Maintaining livestock, and decomposition of waste in landfills also emit methane gas.
- Agriculture involving cultivation of paddy in countries like India and China also contributes to the amount of methane in the atmosphere
- Agriculture and manufacturing activities release nitrous oxide in to the atmosphere. It traps three hundred times more heat than carbon dioxide and the levels of nitrous oxide have rapidly increased since the pre-industrial era.
Man made gases
Man made compounds; chlorofluorocarbons, hydro fluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride are the second largest pollutants causing global warming. Chlorofluorocarbons find application as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners. These are released during manufacture of aluminum; hydro fluorocarbons are released during the production of foam and other manufacturing processes. They remain in the atmosphere for a long time and trap heat. Moreover they are slowly damaging the ozone layer that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Efforts are on under the Montreal Protocol of 1985 to get nations to ban the use of chlorofluorocarbons. The US and Canada have put this ban in place while other countries need to enforce this ban too.
With increasing industrialization new pollutants will appear and add to global warming. It may not be possible to identify the source of these synthetic compounds a, nor find a solution to them. Therefore the only way to reduce this pollution is to adapt fuel-efficient technologies and the use of renewable sources of energy like solar and wind power.
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