Greenhouse effect and global warming

1) Selection of project: In recent past we experienced hottest summers, warmer winters and cloud bursts
in some part of country and at the same time intense droughts in other part. This is the effect of global
warming which is caused by excessive emission of greenhouse gases. The leading climate scientists from
the world over warn that we have about five years to avoid the dangerous climate change by controlling
the emission of greenhouse gases and to keep global warming in control so that we — along with the rest
of Earth's inhabitants — are best able to flourish in good health, and the world's poorest have the best
opportunity for hope. This study is to find the reasons behind the climate change, global warming and
best the ways to overcome it.

2) Hypothesis: In past few decades, we have observed that there is a rise in average temperatures of
Earth, rise in numbers of cyclones, rise in forest fires, rise in sea water level, rise in melting of ice cover
on Arctic and Antarctic regions, melting of glaciers, rise in number of drought years. As per the reports
published by various scientific research institutes, this change in climate is because of the rise in the
level of greenhouse gases which has led to global warming.

3) Objectives:

1. To know what are greenhouse gases.

4) Review of literature: The sun continuously bathes the Earth with energy in the form of sunlight. Much
of this energy is absorbed by the Earth, and then emitted as infrared radiation, or heat. Greenhouse gases
prevent the Earth from discarding as much of this heat as it otherwise would back into space. Without
naturally occurring greenhouse gases, the Earth would be a much colder place, inhospitable to modern
human existence. But by the same token, the additional greenhouse gases added to this store by humans
is slowly increasing the average temperature of the Earth system. Due to the quantity in which it is emitted
by humans, its longevity in the atmosphere, and its effects in trapping heat, carbon dioxide is the most
important of the greenhouse gases currently causing changes in the Earth's climate. The need of an hour
is to control the emission of greenhouse gases and the contribution from all the countries across the world
is expected.
5) Relevance: This report will study what is greenhouse gases, what is greenhouse effect, what is global
warming. What are the side effects of global warming on earth’s atmosphere. What are the measures
needed to be taken to control the global warming. The global warming has become a universal problem
and students must be aware of this fact and need to take all measures to arrest it and save our planet and
its nature.

6) Material and method used: For this study project, historical method is used. Since global warming is a
phenomenon which is carrying over many decades. It’s slow effect is now started affecting the
environment and we the people are now realizing the drastic changes happening in nature like increase
in Earth’s atmospheric temperature, increase in sea water level. A lot of research is happening in this area
and huge research material and data is available for our study. We are referring to this historical and
research data for our study.

7) Description of method followed:

Greenhouse gas: A greenhouse gas (abbrev. GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits
radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse
effect. On Earth, naturally occurring amounts of greenhouse gases cause air temperature near the surface
to be about 33 °C warmer than it would be in their absence. Without the Earth's atmosphere, the Earth's
average temperature would be well below the freezing temperature of water. The major greenhouse
gases are water vapour, which causes about 36–70% of the greenhouse effect; carbon dioxide (CO2),
which causes 9–26%; methane (CH4), which causes 4–9%; and ozone (O3), which causes 3–7%. Clouds also
affect the radiation balance through cloud forcing similar to greenhouse gases.

Human activity since the Industrial Revolution has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, leading to increased radiative forcing from CO2, methane, tropospheric ozone, CFCs and
nitrous oxide. According to work published in 2007, the concentrations of CO2 and methane have
increased by 36% and 148% respectively since 1750. These levels are much higher than at any time during
the last 800,000 years. Fossil fuel burning has produced about three-quarters of the increase in CO2 from
human activity over the past 20 years. The rest of this increase is caused mostly by changes in land-use,
particularly deforestation. Another significant non-fuel source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions is the
calcination of limestone for clinker production, a chemical process which releases CO2. Estimates of global
CO2 emissions in 2011 from fossil fuel combustion, including cement production and gas flaring, was 34.8
billion tonnes, an increase of 54% above emissions in 1990. Coal burning was responsible for 43% of the
total emissions, oil 34%, gas 18%, cement 4.9% and gas flaring 0.7%

In May 2013, it was reported that readings for CO2 taken at the world's primary benchmark site in Mauna
Loa surpassed 400 ppm. This is likely the first time CO2 levels have been this high for about 4.5 million
years. Monthly global CO2 concentrations exceeded 400 ppm in March 2015, probably for the first time in
several million years. On 12 November 2015, NASA scientists reported that human-made carbon dioxide
continues to increase above levels not seen in hundreds of thousands of years: currently, about half of
the carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels is not absorbed by vegetation and the oceans
and remains in the atmosphere.

Green House effect: The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere
warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere. If a planet's
atmosphere contains radiatively active gases (i.e., greenhouse gases) the atmosphere will radiate energy
in all directions. Part of this radiation is directed towards the surface, warming it. The downward
component of this radiation – that is, the strength of the greenhouse effect – will depend on the
atmosphere's temperature and on the amount of greenhouse gases that the atmosphere contains. On
Earth, the atmosphere is warmed by absorption of infrared thermal radiation from the underlying surface,
absorption of shorter wavelength radiant energy from the sun, and convective heat fluxes from the
surface. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere radiate energy, some of which is directed to the surface
and lower atmosphere. The mechanism that produces this difference between the actual surface
temperature and the effective temperature is due to the atmosphere and is known as the greenhouse
effect. The greenhouse effect is important, because it contributes to the survival of life on Earth. Without
the greenhouse effect, the temperature of the planet would be similar to conditions experienced on the
moon.

Global warming: Unfortunately, while a moderate greenhouse effect is vital to life, an elevated
greenhouse effect can be dangerous. Global warming is a rise in the average temperature of the Earth's
climate system. scientists were more than 95% certain that global warming is mostly being caused by
human (anthropogenic) activities, mainly increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases such as methane
and carbon dioxide (CO2). Human-made carbon dioxide continues to increase above levels not seen in
hundreds of thousands of years. Methane and other, often much more potent, greenhouse gases are also
rising along with CO2. Currently, about half of the carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels
remains in the atmosphere. The rest is absorbed by vegetation and the oceans. During the 21st century
the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 0.3 to 1.7 °C for their lowest emissions scenario
and 2.6 to 4.8 °C for the highest emissions scenario. Future climate change and associated impacts will
differ from region to region around the globe. Anticipated effects include warming global temperature,
rising sea levels and expansion of deserts in the subtropics. Warming is expected to be greater over land
than over the oceans and greatest in the Arctic, with the continuing retreat of glaciers and sea ice. Other
likely changes include more frequent extreme weather events including heat waves, droughts, heavy
rainfall with floods and heavy snowfall. Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security
from decreasing crop yields and the abandonment of populated areas due to rising sea levels. Because
the climate system has a large "inertia" and greenhouse gases will stay in the atmosphere for a long time,
many of these effects will not only exist for decades or centuries, but will persist for tens of thousands of
years.

8) Observation: One of the chief concerns about an increase in the greenhouse effect is global warming
and that the changes can become self-sustaining. As more greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere, its
ability to trap heat increases. As the warmth of the atmosphere increases, the amount of water vapor it
can hold increases as well, further boosting the effect. In addition, increased global temperatures threaten
to release large amounts of carbon that is currently frozen into permafrost zones, also exacerbating the
problem. Excessive heat retention could lead to massive changes in natural water distribution and
available land mass on a global scale. This growing store of greenhouse gases, is leading to extremes in
our weather and changing the long-term climate. Summers are becoming hotter, and droughts are longer
and drier. The oceans are becoming more acidic. Sea levels are rising as glaciers melt and the warmer
water expands. During the 21st century, glaciers and snow cover are projected to continue their
widespread retreat. Projections of declines in Arctic sea ice vary. Recent projections suggest that Arctic
summers could be ice-free (defined as ice extent less than 1 million square km) as early as 2025-2030.

9) Analysis: Due to global warming, the threat to our planet’s environment is increasing by each passing
day. If we do not act now, the newest and best science indicates that the average global sea level in 2100
will be 75 to 190 centimeters above 1990 levels, and continue to rise thereafter. Globally, extreme fire
danger days are already becoming more numerous in many parts of the world, and floods and cyclones
more intense than before. With much of Earth's biosphere already 'feeling the heat', the Great Barrier
Reef ecosystem is in grave danger both due to increased water temperatures, and increased acidification
as the ocean absorbs some of the additional carbon we have placed in the atmosphere. Changes have
been observed in the breeding and migratory patterns of birds, fish and animals; and plant species have
spread into latitudes that were previously too cold for them.

10) Result/ Conclusion / Findings: Calculations catalogued by the 2007 report tell us that if global
temperature rise is to be kept between 2.0 and 2.4°C, then the 'CO2 equivalent' concentration, which is
used as a combined measure of all Kyoto greenhouse gases, must not be allowed to exceed the range
between 445 and 490 parts per million (ppm). Current CO2 equivalent emissions are 455 ppm and rising.
To meet the 2°C guardrail target, we must halt increases in global CO2 equivalent emissions, and then
decrease them dramatically and steadily thereafter. Around the world, individuals, communities and
nations are implementing effective strategies to do their part to effect this change.

On 12 December 2015, the 195 countries participating in the 2015 United Nations Climate Change
Conference, COP 21 or CMP 11 which was held in Paris, agreed, by consensus, to the final global pact,
the Paris Agreement, to reduce emissions as part of the method for reducing greenhouse gas. In the 12-
page document, the members agreed to reduce their carbon output "as soon as possible" and to do their
best to keep global warming "to well below 2 degrees C".

11) Your opinion / Suggestions/ Follow up: Global warming has become a threat to our planet Earth’s
environment. The effects of global warming have already started to show up in the form of floods and
cyclones more intense than before. Rising sea level is a threat to people who live near the ocean. Some
low-lying areas will have more frequent flooding, and very low-lying land could be submerged completely.
Rising sea level can also harm important coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests and coral reefs. These
is an immediate need to control the emission of greenhouse gases. For this, cooperation from all the
countries is expected especially developed countries like United States of America, China and European
Union who are the major contributor of greenhouse gasses. The Paris agreement need to be implemented
immediately and UN should monitor the same.

12) Bibliography/ Reference:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/11/25/2753561.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/signs/sea-level.html