Life on earth depends on sunlight. A part of the sun’s energy is deflected by the outer atmosphere and scattered back into space. The rest reaches the earth’s surface and is reflected upward again as infrared radiation.
The heat caused by infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases: water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane, which slows its escape from the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases act as “blanket” for infrared radiation– it keeps the lower layers of the atmosphere warmer and the upper layers colder, than if the greenhouse gases were not there. This phenomenon is called greenhouse effect.
Human activities and the greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is an essential environmental prerequisite for life on Earth but human activities are distorting and accelerating the natural process by creating more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than are necessary to warm the planet to an ideal temperature.
Deforestation – Trees take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in its place, which maintains the optimal balance of gases in the atmosphere. As more forests are cut down fewer trees remain to perform this function.
Burning of fuel – Burning of natural gas, gasoline, coal and oil raises the level of carbon dioxide in the air.
Fertilisation – Use of certain fertiliser and some farming practices lead to release of methane and nitrous oxide.
Industrial waste – Many industries produce gases that do not occur naturally but leads to greenhouse effect and global warming.
Image sources:
https://www.myclimatechange.net/UserImage/3/Definition/GreenhouseEffect.jpg
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