Greenhouse effect

The warming of the temperature of Earth by the gases trapped in the atmosphere is known as greenhouse effect. It is natural and is important to sustain life on Earth. Unfortunately since industrial revolution there has been an excessive increase in the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It has increased manifolds due to human activities. This has contributed to climate change and global warming.

• Some naturally present elements on Earth produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that can be found in oceans, methane that is produced by decaying of plants due to natural forest fires and nitrogen oxide that is present in soil and water in small amounts. Only fluorinated gases are produced by humans and are not present in nature.
• Water Vapour is also crucial in greenhouse effect. Water vapour absorbs thermal energy, mostly when the humidity rises in the air. This raises the temperature in the atmosphere.
• Animals breathe oxygen from the atmosphere and release carbon dioxide and methane gases. It is also one of the natural causes of greenhouse effect.

• Burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal is one of the greatest contributors of the greenhouse effect. Burning fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is the cause of greenhouse effect. Further, the atmosphere is polluted by the release of methane gas from Earth when the gas, coal mines or oil wells are dug.
• Deforestation is another major cause of greenhouse effect. Trees help in reducing the carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. By clearing away forests and trees the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere continues to rise.
• Artificial nitrogen is used for the fertilization of crops, which is released as nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere increases greenhouse effect.
• Industrial gas is released in to the atmosphere at very high rate across the world. Industrial gases include gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and fluorine gas.
• Farm animals such as goats, pigs, cows also contribute to greenhouse gases. Methane is produced in their stomach when they digest their food and is released through their manure into the atmosphere. Clearing away forest to expand farmland for raising farm animals further elevates the emission of greenhouse gases.

So, the human activities are the major reason for the rise in emission of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gas emission causes global warming which has several adverse effects on human life and our nature.