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1. INTRODUCTION
Absorbed by land, oceans, and vegetation at the Research identifies methane and carbon dioxide
surface, the visible light is transformed into heat as the main greenhouse gases [41]. Therefore,
and re-radiates in the form of invisible infrared the reduction of methane concentration in
radiation. During the day, earth heats up, but at the atmosphere, both from natural and
night, all the accumulated energy would radiate anthropogenic sources, is indispensable to tackle
back into space and the planet's surface the negative outcomes of global warming.
temperature would fall far below zero very
rapidly. The reason this doesn't happen is that 2.7 Greenhouse Effect
earth's atmosphere contains molecules that
absorb the heat and re-radiate the heat in all
Atmospheric scientists first used the word
directions. This reduces the heat radiated out to
'greenhouse effect' in the later 1800s. At that
space called greenhouse gases because they
time, it was used to designate the naturally
serve to hold heat in like the glass walls of a
happening functions of trace gases in the
greenhouse, these molecules are responsible for
atmosphere and did not have any negative
the fact that the earth enjoys temperatures
implications. It was not up until the mid-1950s
suitable for our active and complex biosphere
that the term greenhouse effect was attached to
[14,36].
concern over climate alteration. And in
contemporary decades, we often hear about the
2.6 Sources of Greenhouse Gas greenhouse effect in somewhat negative terms.
Emissions The negative concerns are related to the
possible impacts of an improved greenhouse
In recent times, one of the major sources of effect. It is important to remember that without
greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is from water the greenhouse effect, lifecycle on earth as we
resource recovery facilities (wastewater know it would not be possible.
While the earth's temperature is reliant on upon These greenhouse gases include water vapor,
the greenhouse-like action of the atmosphere, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O) and other
the extent of heating and cooling are toughly gases. Since the dawn of the Industrial
influenced by several factors just as Revolution in the early 1800s, the scorching of
greenhouses are pretentious by various fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gasoline have
factors. greatly increased the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
In the atmospheric greenhouse effect, the type of specifically CO2, National Oceanic and
surface that sunlight first happenstances are the Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
most important factor. Forests, grasslands, "Deforestation is the second largest
ocean surfaces, ice caps, deserts, and cities all anthropogenic basis of carbon dioxide to the
absorb, reflect, and radiate radiation differently. atmosphere ranging between 6% and 17%," said
Sunlight falling on a white glacier surface Daley. [42,43].
strongly reflects back into space, resulting in
minimal heating of the surface and lower Some human activities like the production and
atmosphere. Sunlight falling on a dark desert soil consumption of fossil fuels, use of various
is strongly absorbed, on the other hand, and chemicals agriculture, burning bush, waste from
contributes to significant heating of the surface incineration processes and other industrial
and lower atmosphere. Cloud cover also affects activities have increased the concentration of
greenhouse warming by both reducing the greenhouse gases (GHG), particularly CO2, CH4,
amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's and N2O in the atmosphere making them harmful
surface and by reducing the amount of radiation [44].
energy emitted into space [31].
This increase in atmospheric GHG concentration
Scientists outline the percentage of solar energy has led to climate change and global warming
reflected back by a surface. Understanding local, effect, which is motivating international efforts
regional, and global effects are life-threatening to such as the Kyoto Protocol, signing of Paris
foretelling global climate change. Agreement on climate change and other
initiatives to control negative outcomes of the
2.8 Greenhouse Gases and Global greenhouse effect. The contribution of a
Warming greenhouse gas to global warming is commonly
expressed by its global warming potential
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon (GWP) which enables the comparison of global
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and halogenated warming impact of the gas and that of a
compounds emissions are caused by human reference gas, typically carbon dioxide [45].
activities and some do occur naturally. The
GHGs absorb infrared radiation and trap heat in Atmospheric CO2 intensities have increased by
the atmosphere, thereby enhancing the natural more than 40% since the beginning of the
greenhouse effect defined as global warming. Industrial Revolution, from about 280 parts per
This natural occurrence warms the atmosphere million (ppm) in the 1800s to 400 ppm today. The
and make life on earth possible, without which last time Earth's atmospheric levels of
the low temperature will make life impossible to CO2 reached 400 ppm was during the Pliocene
live on earth [17]. Epoch, between 5 million and 3 million years
ago, according to the University of California,
"Gas molecules that captivate thermal infrared San Diego’s Scripps Institutions of
radiation, and are in a substantial amount, can Oceanography [46].
force the climate system. These type of gas
molecules are called greenhouse gases," The greenhouse effect, collective with growing
Michael Daley, an associate professor of levels of greenhouse gases and the resultant
Environmental Science at Lasell College told global warming, is expected to have profound
Live Science. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other consequences, according to the near-universal
greenhouse gases turn like a blanket, gripping consensus of scientists [10,43].
Infrared (IR) radiation and preventing it from
evading into outer space. The net effect is the If global warming undergoes unimpeded, it will
steady heating of Earth's atmosphere and cause noteworthy climate change, a rise in sea
surface, and this process is called global levels, increasing ocean acidification, life-
warming. threatening weather events and other severe
natural and societal impacts, according to NASA, Royal Society Science Policy Centre;
the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) and 2010.
other scientific and governmental bodies 2. Live Science Topic. Greenhouse News &
[10,46,47]. Features; 2016-2017.
3. U.K. Met Office. Warming: A guide to
2.9 Can the Greenhouse Effect be climate change. Exeter, U.K.: Met Office
Overturned? Hadley Centre; 2011.
4. Le Treut H, Somerville R, Cubasch U, Ding
Several scientists approve that the impairment of Y, Mauritzen C, Mokssit A, Peterson T,
the Earth's atmosphere and climate is long-gone Prather M. Historical overview of climate
the point of no reoccurrence or that the change. In: Climate Change 2007: The
destruction is near the point of no return [47]. Physical Science Basis. Contribution of
"I agree that we have passed the point of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment
avoiding climate change," Josef Werne, an Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
associate professor at the department of geology Climate Change. Cambridge University
& planetary science at the University of Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and
Pittsburgh. In Werne's opinion, there are three New York, NY, USA; 2007.
options from this point forward: 5. Lacis AA, Schmidt GA, Rind D, Ruedy RA.
Atmospheric CO2: Principal control knob
1. Do nothing and live with the moments. governing earth's temperature. Science.
2. Acclimatize to the changing climate 2010;330(6002):356-359.
(which includes things like rising sea level
and related flooding).
3. Alleviate the impact of climate change by
belligerently enacting policies that actually
reduce the concentration of CO2 in the
atmosphere [47,48].
3. CONCLUSIONS
COMPETING INTERESTS
REFERENCES