| Greenhouse Warming 101 |
For starters: What are greenhouse gases?
Atmospheric trace gases that keep the Earth’s surface warm are known as greenhouse gases. About three-quarters of the natural greenhouse effect is due to water vapor. The next most significant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Methane, nitrous oxide, ozone in the lower atmosphere, and CFCs are also greenhouse gases.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), along with other chlorine- and bromine-containing compounds, have been extremely useful man-made substances in the fields of safety, refrigeration units, aerosol propellants, electronic cleaning solvents, and blowing agents. These chemicals have been used in virtually all sectors of society including commercial, industrial and household applications since the 1930s and it was not known that these chemicals are destructive to our Earth's ozone until 1973.
How does the greenhouse effect work?
The greenhouse effect is a natural process: sunlight passes through the atmosphere, warming the Earth’s surface. Next, the land and oceans release energy in the form heat, or infrared radiation, into the atmosphere and maintains a balance with the incoming energy. Carbon dioxide, water vapor and a few other naturally occurring gases can absorb a fraction of this radiation, allowing it to warm the lower atmosphere.
This process of heat absorption, which maintains the surface temperature enough so we can survive, is what is known as the greenhouse effect. Now if the natural barrier of greenhouse gases were to just disappear, the Earth's average surface temperature would be far too cold for much of life including us.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
We humans have been raising the concentration of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of agriculture around 200 years ago. Since that time, many other greenhouse gases have increased on our account.
Increased levels of greenhouse gases will continue a pattern of increasing the trappings of infrared radiation. This means that the atmosphere is likely to warm, changing climate and weather patterns.
This enhanced greenhouse effect is what we are focusing on when we refer to greenhouse warming and the warming of the planet by the additional effects of human activity which change the Earth's atmospheric composition.
What’s the difference between the enhanced greenhouse effect and ozone depletion?
Ozone depletion is a completely different problem than greenhouse warming. Again though, we humans are the cause for this issue.
Ozone depletion has been happening since the late 1970s. It is caused by CFCs, industrially produced chemicals used in the past for refrigeration, plastic making and fire fighting. Once in the atmosphere, these chemicals destroy ozone in the stratosphere, 12 to 18 miles (20-30 km) above the ground. This is the ozone layer, which stops much of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching us.
Damage to the ozone layer means that over much of the planet, more ultraviolet radiation reaches the ground than in the past.
Both the greenhouse effect and ozone depletion are due to chemicals released into the air by peoples’ activities. Another similarity is that CFCs are ozone destroyers and greenhouse gases.
In a curious turn of events, the warming effect of CFCs is offset by the fact that these chemicals destroy ozone, also a greenhouse gas, in the lower stratosphere.
Is greenhouse warming just a theory?
Yes and no! The effect of greenhouse gases on climate is based on observations and scientific interpretations, as is the evidence that human activities have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.
The way in which these increases will affect our future climate is, and can only be, the result of theoretical calculations.
However, there is unequivocal evidence that greenhouse gases are increasing in the atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution the level of carbon dioxide alone has risen from approximately 280 PPM (parts per million) to approximately 360 PPM. This will have an effect on the Earth's climate but to what degree is unknown.
Isn’t greenhouse warming just part of a natural cycle?
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon, but the extra gases produced by human activity are making it stronger.
We are now adding to these gases faster than oceans and plants can absorb them — the greenhouse effect is being ‘enhanced’ by humans. There is strong evidence that recent changes are unprecedented and not due to natural causes.
When considering how climate will be affected, we need to be mindful that greenhouse warming due to the enhanced greenhouse effect will be in addition to the natural fluctuations of climate.
Back to greenhouse gases
Climactic cycles are natural processes that effect Earth's climate and some of these are well known (eg. the 4-7 year El Nino Southern Oscillation, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation, and Milankovitch cycles). The Milankovitch cycles are defined by wobbles in the Earth’s orbit every 23,000 years (called 'precession'), the Earth’s change in axial tilt every 41,000 years( called 'obliquity') and the Earth’s change in orbital shape around the Sun every 100,000 years or so (called 'eccentricity'). The 100,000 year cycle of Earth's changing orbital shape account for the past six Ice Ages, however all the fluctuation of solar radiation since then has only been a minor contributor in worldwide cooling over the Ice Ages. All this means that changes in other factors amplify the effect of orbital variations. The other factors amplifying Earth's natural processes are changes in greenhouse gases and the expansion and contraction of the polar ice sheets. Observing beyond glacial cycles, scientists have found that fluctuations in carbon dioxide closely matched the worldwide temperature changes, with carbon dioxide concentrations reaching a maximum of 280 PPM during warm periods and dropping to about 180 PPM during cold periods. However, since the Industrial Revolution, concentrations have risen to 370 PPM – an unprecedented level in at least the past 400,000 years. Though we humans cannot take credit for all the increasing CO2 concentrations, we must take some of the blame due to modern agriculture, industry and transportation.
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The negative impact of pollution, more specifically greenhouse gases and greenhouse warming, is already being felt all around the world. We are here to counter that impact. The mission first starts with informing and giving you the proper tools needed to alert others and raise awareness. Second, you can buy from us and put a start to the end by countering the negative impact of pollution with products that have extremely little or no impact on our environment and or spread awareness. Finally, you must share your insights with others so that we can spread awareness around the world, bring more into the movement, and eventually bring back mother Earth so that future generations may share in our beliefs of preservation. We hope you will do what you know must be done. If you follow us and our strategy we know you can and will make a positive impact. Our success is directly measured by your success! We are all in this together.
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