If we consider the urgent problems of humanity, we can conclude that the most global of them is the greenhouse effect. He already makes itself felt and greatly changes the environmental conditions, but its exact effects are unknown, although it is clear that they may be irreparable.
To save humanity, one should find out the essence of the greenhouse effect and try to stop it.
It is still not possible to predict whether changes in the occurrence or geographic distribution of severe storms, such as tropical cyclones, are likely. Due to the limited understanding of some of the important sea level rise factors, these forecasts probably underestimate future sea level rise. In addition, regional sea level variations may differ from the global average.
Predictions are still subject to uncertainty, and there is less confidence in forecasts for regions the size of New Zealandthan for the whole planet. Due to limitations in understanding aspects of the climate system, some future changes may come as a surprise.
What it is
The essence of the greenhouse effect is similar to the principle of action of greenhouses, which is well known to all gardeners and gardeners. It lies in the fact that a greenhouse is formed above the planet, which, having transparency, freely passes through the sun's rays. They fall on the earth's surface, warm it. Heat normally must pass through the atmosphere, and its lower layers over the past few decades have become so dense that they have lost their capacity. Thus, the heat exchange is disturbed, which leads to the launch of the mechanism of the greenhouse effect.
The video below, one of New Zealand's leading climate scientists, Dr. David Ratt, discusses weather changes due to climate change and how rising levels affect us in the future. David Ratt video - What weather changes can we expect from climate change?
Video by David Ratt - How can rising sea levels affect us in the next 100 years? He is instructed to evaluate the most advanced scientific, technical and socio-economic research in the field of climate change. Greenhouse gases heat the atmosphere, absorbing some of the thermal radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface. The incoming solar radiation is transmitted through the atmosphere to the surface of the Earth. Energy is relayed by the Earth’s surface as thermal radiation. Some of the thermal radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases, and not retransmitted to space, and therefore the atmosphere is warming.
The definition of the greenhouse effect is approximately the following: an increase in temperature in the lower atmospheric layers in comparison with the effective indicators characterizing the thermal radiation of the Earth, which is observed from space. In other words, on the surface of the planet is much warmer than outside its atmosphere. And since the layers are very dense, they do not transmit heat, and it, under the influence of low cosmic temperatures, provokes the formation of condensate. A simplified diagram of the mechanism is presented below.
Do they change in the atmosphere?
Important greenhouse gases that are directly affected human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and ozone. Water vapor is also an important greenhouse gas. Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing due to human activity.
Why do we expect climate change?
Increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will absorb more thermal radiation, and the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere will heat up. This additional warming is called an enhanced greenhouse effect. The ultimate goal of the Convention is.
For the first time, the study of the greenhouse effect was taken up in the 19th century by Joseph Fourier, who suggested that the earth's atmosphere changes greatly and begins to resemble glass in greenhouses in its properties, that is, it lets the sun's rays through but prevents the heat from returning. Because of this, the so-called are synthesized, which consist of carbon, water vapor, ozone and methane.
Greenhouse gas emissions have raised the temperature in the world?
An important contribution that ordinary people can make is. Ensure maximum energy efficiency at home; Maintain, where possible, the release of energy from renewable sources; Drive an economical car and choose vehicles that tend to minimize the total energy consumption; When buying wood products, make sure they come from a renewable source. This is mainly due to human activities, mainly the use of fossil fuels, land-use change and agriculture. The balance of evidence indicates a significant human influence on global climate. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continued to grow. . Greenhouse effect - it is warming of the earth’s surface and a lower atmosphere caused by substances such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, which transmit the sun’s energy to the earth but prevent the passage of energy from the earth back into space.
The basis is the steam that provokes the formation of condensate. No less important is the role of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse effect, the volume of which has recently increased to 20-26%. The shares of ozone and methane in the atmosphere are 3-7%, but they also take part in the processes of the greenhouse effect.
The energy radiated by the sun is concentrated in the region of short wavelengths, including visible light. Most of the shortwave solar radiation propagates almost freely across the surface of the Earth to the surface. Part of the solar radiation is reflected directly in space by clouds and the earth's surface. Most of the solar radiation is absorbed on the surface of the earth, causing the surface and the lower part of the atmosphere to become warm.
Actions that can save the Earth
Heated Earth radiates up, just as a hot stove or bar heater radiates energy. However, the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere changes the radiation balance. Thermal radiation emitted by the Earth is concentrated on long waves and is strongly absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane.
The reasons
Planet Earth has already passed the greenhouse effect and global warming, and, probably, without such phenomena, humanity and all living things could not develop and live normally. Many centuries ago, the processes started due to the high activity of numerous volcanoes, the products of which erupted into the atmosphere. But with the spread of vegetation on the planet, the level of gases decreased, and the situation stabilized.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
If additional amounts of greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere, for example, from human activity, they absorb more infrared radiation. The surface of the Earth and the lower atmosphere will heat up until a balance of incoming and outgoing radiation is reached.
How does methane gas from cows damage our environment?
Methane is the so-called greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases affect the environment by heating the atmosphere. Over the past 200 years, greenhouse gas concentrations have increased significantly, in part due to human activity. One of the biggest factors in atmospheric methane concentration is farm cattle, especially cattle and sheep. These animals produce methane, naturally, as part of their digestion process, and tear it off, especially when they “chew gum.” As the population grew, the number of farm animals increased markedly to meet the human demand for food through meat and dairy products.
AT modern world The greenhouse effect is due to the following reasons:
- Active and uncontrolled use of various minerals extracted from the Earth’s interior that have combustible properties. Mankind seeks to use all the gifts of the planet, but it does it extremely thoughtlessly and rudely: in the process of burning and burning, a huge amount of various pollutants and carbon dioxide are polluting the atmosphere every day.
- Active deforestation throughout the Earth, which recently has acquired just a huge scale. Trees are cut down mainly for use as fuel, but sometimes they are cleared for construction. Anyway, reducing the number of green plants changes the composition of the air. Foliage absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. And the less vegetation on the planet, the higher the concentration of substances that thicken the atmosphere and enhance the effect of the greenhouse.
- A huge number of vehicles running on gasoline. During its operation, they are produced and immediately get into the air. They rush up, penetrate into the lower atmospheric layers and make them even more dense, enhancing the greenhouse effect.
- The development of the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere contributes to the rapid population growth. Each person, inhaling oxygen, exhales carbon dioxide, and he, as we know, is the main development of the greenhouse effect.
- Forest fires, which are increasingly occurring due to weather changes and the negligence of people, also aggravate the situation with the greenhouse effect. Every year, a huge number of trees are burned, and this means that an incredible amount of carbon dioxide is released into the air and atmosphere.
- Numerous landfills, flooded the surface of the Earth, in the process of decaying waste emit methane and other harmful substances that pollute the lower atmospheric layers.
- The rapid pace of industrial development. Various processing plants and other industrial companies emit a huge amount of exhausts and vapors that get into the atmosphere almost immediately and provoke a greenhouse effect.
- Introduction of chemical and synthetic substances into all spheres of life. They are contained in fertilizers, containers, clothing, food and other products of modern production. Some compounds do not decompose and emit fumes rushing into the atmosphere.
The links below provide graphs of recent trends in the most significant atmospheric greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Before we dive into the causes of the greenhouse effect, it is important for us to know what is. You must have heard about greenhouse effects during any debate. The light we get from the sun helps keep this planet warm. Only about 70% of the sunlight is absorbed by the oceans, land and atmosphere. Sunlight that falls on the surface of the earth is used for different purposes.
Possible consequences
It is not enough to know what a greenhouse effect is, in order to understand how dangerous it is. And in order to assess the global nature and seriousness of the problem, the consequences threatening the planet and all living things should be considered. They may be as follows:
- Atmospheric pollution and compaction of its layers contribute to global warming. For a long time scientists engaged in the study of climatic conditions, have noticed an increase in average annual temperatures by several degrees. And such changes can upset the overall balance, lead to heat and drought in some southern regions.
- Because of the greenhouse effect and the warming it causes, it is active. The water level in the oceans is growing rapidly, coastal areas may be completely flooded after a few decades. And if we take into account that various cultures are cultivated in these territories, then agriculture will be greatly damaged, and this, in turn, can provoke an acute shortage of food.
- Due to rising water levels in the world's oceans, many coastal cities may turn out to be flooded, and in the future even entire countries. As a result, people will simply have nowhere to live. And over some regions there is a real threat.
- Under the influence of high temperatures caused by the greenhouse effect, moisture evaporates much faster, and this has the most direct pernicious effect on the vegetation of the Earth. Reducing its volume will aggravate the problems and worsen the composition of the air. As a result, after a century, there may come a moment when there will simply be nothing to breathe on the planet.
- Heat is a threat to the health of many people, especially those suffering from cardiovascular and endocrine diseases. For good reason, in the summer period, mortality throughout the whole Earth is increasing markedly.
- Due to the greenhouse effect and the resulting serious climate change Not only the flora of the planet can suffer, but also fauna, that is, the animal world. Some of its representatives are already considered endangered, including due to.
- Mankind is already experiencing the power of natural anomalies: the strongest rainfall, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes and other phenomena that threaten human life.
Why global warming sometimes leads to a cold snap
It can be used for the production of solar energy, drying clothes or plants in the process of photosynthesis. But before all this infrared radiation can escape from the atmosphere into space, they are absorbed by those present in the atmosphere. The absorption of these emissions by greenhouse gases allows us to save this planet for people. Without the greenhouse effect, the temperature of this planet would be 30 degrees Celsius lower, and it would be too cold for us to survive.
The main greenhouse gases solely responsible for the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide, ozone, methane and water vapor. Although these gases make up 1% of our atmosphere, they act like a thick warm blanket that surrounds this planet and regulates climate control. In fact, it is necessary for all of us to survive on planet Earth. In short, the greenhouse effect is nothing more than a natural process developed by nature that helps to warm the earth’s surface and helps maintain ecological balance.
How to avoid serious consequences
The problem of the greenhouse effect on Earth is very relevant, so many scientists are actively developing and thinking through solutions.
- First, you should completely revise power consumption. It is desirable to refuse from combustible natural minerals and solid fuel materials by switching to natural gas or alternative and yet insufficiently developed natural sources, such as the sun, water, wind.
- Secondly, the greenhouse effect and its impact on planet Earth will weaken if humanity conducts a policy of saving and energy saving. To do this, for example, you can fully warm the house and use building and finishing materials that hold heat. Also at industrial and industrial enterprises should install equipment that will reduce energy consumption.
- Thirdly, one of the ways to combat the greenhouse effect can be a re-equipment of the transport system. It is not necessary to abandon cars, but it is possible to purchase exhaust gases that work without settling in the lower atmosphere, for example, on solar batteries or electricity. The development of alternative sources is underway, but its results are not yet known.
- Fourthly, it is necessary to restore the forests on the Earth, stop their cutting down, plant new trees. And if every inhabitant of the planet makes a contribution, then this will already have a significant effect on the overall situation. In addition, it is worth reviewing the cultivation of various crops, namely, to abandon polluting the atmosphere and enhancing the effect of the greenhouse chemical fertilizers and spraying poisons.
- Fifth, it is necessary to optimize the waste treatment system in order not to pollute the atmosphere and the planet. At industrial enterprises should be installed sewage treatment plants, minimizing emissions. The waste itself must be fully utilized or recycled and used as secondary raw materials. In addition, to reduce the number of landfills in the production should be used completely decomposing and harmless materials.
Now the essence of the greenhouse effect and its effect on the atmosphere are clear to you, and you know why the planet is in danger. Eliminating such a phenomenon is very difficult, but if all of humanity reconsiders its attitude towards the Earth and begins to act, then serious consequences can be avoided.
Now, although part of this heat is dissipated into space, part of it burns through the atmosphere, and part of it penetrates into the atmosphere and penetrates into the lower atmosphere and the surface of the planet. This, in turn, increases the average temperature of the Earth. Therefore, increasing the temperature of the Earth’s surface by increasing the amount of greenhouse gases leads to global warming.
Causes of the greenhouse effect
Burning fossil fuels: fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas have become an integral part of our lives. They are used on a large basis and for transportation. When they are burned, the carbon stored inside them is released, which combines with oxygen in the air to create carbon dioxide. With the increase in population, the number of vehicles also increased, and this led to an increase in the atmosphere. When these vehicles are working, they emit carbon dioxide, which is the main gas responsible for increasing the greenhouse effect.
Global Greenhouse Effect ecological problem
The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide acts in the atmosphere like glass in a greenhouse: it transmits solar radiation and does not transmit the Earth's infrared (thermal) radiation back into space. The content of greenhouse gases - CO 2, methane, etc. - is steadily increasing. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a powerful absorber of terrestrial radiation, which would otherwise be scattered in outer space. By absorbing and releasing this radiation energy, carbon dioxide makes the atmosphere warmer than it would otherwise be.
Although renewable sources are catching up, it may take some time before we can reduce our dependence on coal for electricity generation. Deforestation: Forests hold a large green area on planet Earth. Plants and trees consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, which humans and animals need to survive. The result of large-scale development was the urge of people to look for alternative places to live. When wood is burned, the accumulated carbon is converted back to carbon dioxide.
Photosynthesis helps reduce carbon dioxide. Plants absorb CO2 from the air and build their biomass from it. All land vegetation absorbs from the atmosphere about 20-30 billion tons of carbon in the form of its dioxide. One square meter of rainforest extracts 1-2 kg of carbon from the air. About 40 billion tons of carbon is absorbed per year by microscopic algae floating in the ocean.
Population growth: over the past few decades there has been a huge amount. Now this has led to an increase in demand for food, clothing and shelter. New industrial centers appeared in cities and towns that emit some harmful gases into the atmosphere, which increases the greenhouse effect. In addition, more people means more use of fossil fuels, which in turn aggravates the problem.
Agriculture: Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that is used in fertilizer and contributes to the greenhouse effect, which in turn. Industrial waste and landfills: industries that produce cement, fertilizer, coal mining, oil production, produce harmful greenhouse gases. In addition, filled with garbage, forms carbon dioxide and methane gas, which largely contributes to the greenhouse effect.
However, the vegetation of the Earth is not able to cope with increasing pollution of the atmosphere, which leads to climate change. Compared with the pre-industrial era, carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere increased by 28%. If you do not take measures to reduce emissions, by the middle of the XXI century, the average global temperature of the surface atmosphere will increase by 1.5 - 4.5 0 C.
What increase in greenhouse gases means to us?
Increased greenhouse gases directly increase the heat on the surface of the planet and lower the atmosphere. This has a ripple effect, as it can thin and even create holes in the ozone layer. This means that other radiation, such as ultraviolet rays, can leak from the sun.
What ultimately means for life on Earth is that it will have to adapt to the increase in temperature. We already know that life is very adaptive, but we do not know how long the ozone will continue to be depleted or at what price. More heat means that more fossil fuels will be burned to cool the heat. Burning these fossil fuels will again increase the amount of greenhouse gases and affect them.
This will lead to a redistribution of precipitation, an increase in the number of droughts, and the regime of river flow will change. The top layer of permafrost, which occupies about 10 million km 2 in Russia, is rising. The level of the World Ocean may rise by 20 cm by 2030, which will lead to flooding of coastal areas.
Analysis of the dynamics of climate data showed that in the 80s - early 90s. the average annual temperatures in the northern half of the East European Plain increased due to warm winters, the contingency of the areas of maximum variability of climatic characteristics with the geographical distribution of atmospheric pollution was noted.
As a result of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, the climate is changing, which leads to negative consequences in almost all areas of human activity.
In Russia, climate change will affect agriculture, forestry and water management. In the permafrost zone (about 55% of the entire country), as a result of melting ice, the economic infrastructure will deteriorate as the climate warms, the mining industry, transport and energy systems, and the communal economy will be damaged. Rising levels of the oceans will lead to flooding of the coastal zone, populated areas will be flooded, forestry, living and flora will suffer. Climate change will affect human health, possibly spreading many types of diseases.
In 1992, the UN member states signed the UN Climate Change Convention, which was ratified by Russia on November 4, 1994 and entered into force on March 6, 1995. The purpose of the Convention is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic impacts on the Earth’s climate.
In 1996, the Russian government adopted a federal targeted program "Preventing dangerous climate change and its negative impacts".
Total industrial carbon emissions in Russia in 1990 amounted to about 650–700 million tons. The most polluting industries are the fuel and energy, petrochemical, metallurgical and transport industries.
The impact of energy on the state of the air basin is mainly determined by the type of fuel burned. Emissions of power plants consuming coal amount to 139 mln. Kg per year of sulfur oxides, 21 mln. Kg of nitrogen oxides, 5 mln. Kg of solid particles.
Ferrous metallurgy is the next most intense source of air pollution. A huge role in atmospheric pollution is played by emissions from steel smelters.
A large amount of hydrocarbons is contained in emissions from the refining and petrochemical industries. Emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere at refineries occurs due to insufficient sealing of equipment.
One of the main sources of atmospheric pollution by carbon dioxide is road transport. The car can be called a chemical factory on wheels. The share of the car accounts for 60% of all harmful substances in the urban air. Automobile exhaust gases - a mixture of about 200 substances. They contain hydrocarbons, - not burned down or incompletely burned fuel components, the proportion of which increases dramatically if the car is running at low speed or at the moment of increasing speed at the start, i.e. during traffic jams or at a red traffic light.
There are several ways to combat this type of pollution: technical improvement of engines, fuel equipment, electronic fuel supply systems; improving fuel quality, reducing the content of toxic substances in exhaust gases as a result of the use of fuel burners, catalytic catalysts; use of alternative fuels.
The exhaust gases of cars can be neutralized with the help of special devices in the exhaust system of the car engine, called neutralizers. Flame neutralizer - device for neutralization
Exhaust gases of a car engine afterburner in an open flame. Thermal converter - thermo-storage device for neutralizing exhaust gases of a car engine using flameless combustion method. Liquid neutralizer is a device for neutralizing exhaust gases of automobiles by chemical bonding with liquid reagents.
The electric transport will relieve the population of exhaust gases.
A number of environmentalists put forward a sensible idea of a "tax on carbon dioxide emissions". The country, regardless of the level of industrial development, will receive a certain quota for the production of CO 2. Rich countries will be able to buy carbon credits from poorer countries. Such market relations could help, for example, Brazil get additional funds to combat the destruction of the rainforest. This tax would help boost investment in the development of alternative energy sources.
The first carbon dioxide production tax was introduced by Sweden in 1990. The Ministry of the Environment has set a goal to reduce
2000 in the country CO 2 emissions by 2.5%. A tax was also introduced on the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas.
In Russia, a way to utilize carbon dioxide using the latest technology. Carbon dioxide is extracted from flue gases. The operation is carried out by the method of gas separation using ion-exchange membranes, while the concentration of carbon dioxide is brought to 98-99%. Purified carbon dioxide is pumped into the repository, where it comes for further processing.
At the next stage, carbon dioxide is mixed with water vapor and subjected to electrochemical decomposition during electrolysis. As a result of the reaction with high temperature (1100-1150 0 С) ultra pure oxygen is released at the anode, and a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen at the cathode, i.e. synthesis gas, which serves as the main raw material for the production of hydrocarbon compounds, the entire spectrum of modern synthetic materials - from synthetic gasoline and diesel fuel to polymer products (plastics, varnishes, paints, solvents, etc.). This technology for producing hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide has no world analogues.
The introduction of new technologies will reduce the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, help create alternative raw materials for the synthesis of organic substances, and thus solve important environmental problems.
Literature
Agess P. Keys to the ecology of S.-P .: Hydrometeoizdat, 1982
Bogolyubov S.A. Ecology M .: Knowledge, 1997.
Kostenko O.K. Ecology M .: Aquarium, 1997.
Novikov Yu.V. Ecology, environment and man M .: Grand, 1998
MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING ECOLOGY
ESSAY
on the topic: "" GREENHOUSE EFFECT - GLOBAL
ECOLOGICAL PROBLEM""
Teacher: Pikulin Yu.G.
Student: Hatiugova V.V.
Group: H-10