What I Know in Short About The Greenhouse Effect

Carbon dioxide is a natural constituent of the atmosphere and has a concentration of little over 0.032 percent by volume, a ratio of 1 to 450 with oxygen. In spite of its small amount, carbon dioxide plays a very important and useful role in the biosphere until its ration is disturbed. It is like glass, transparent to visible light but absorbing the infra-red radiations. It lets the sun’s rays through to the earth, but traps the heat which would otherwise be radiated back into space. With the natural levels of carbon dioxide the earth’s temperature is a comfortable 15 degree Celsius; any increase in its level makes the earth hotter.

The Keeling Curve of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

However, a great concern is growing because of the steadily increasing carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. It is estimated that from 1700 o 1975, its concentration has increased by nearly twenty- five percent since the process of industrialization started in this world. Most scientists agree that there a global warming. This is known as the greenhouse effect. Besides carbon dioxide, other gases like methane, nitrous oxides and chlorofluorocarbons have also been detected. The big worry now is how plants, animals or the ecosystem will respond to this.

English: Macro photograph of coca-cola bubbles. Deutsch: Makro-Fotografie von Coca-Cola-Bläschen. Japanese: コカ・コーラの泡のマクロ写真。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is difficult to say for certain what would happen but a lot of research proves that the temperature of the lower atmosphere is likely to increase. This would result in the rising of the global sea level because of two major reasons. First, the rise in atmospheric temperature will make the temperature of the oceans warmer. Because of this heat, the water of the earth will expand. Secondly, the temperature rise will cause the polar ice caps to melt. This means that the sea level will increase and this would definitely affect the lives of those millions who live along the coastal and delta regions.

Plants will be affected by the rising levels of greenhouse gases in two ways. First, the high concentration of carbon dioxide will have a fertilizing effect and will encourage plant growth. Secondly, there are bound to be climatic changes. Climate shift will upset the present day cropping pattern over large geographical areas. Some animals will die out completely while others will migrate northwards. Insects will breed faster. Many wetlands will dry out; some food chains will be broken or altered or disappear completely. The overall impact is indeed distressing.