CHRIST THE KING COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL, UMUEZEAGA

P . O . BOX 71 AKOKWA

ASSIGNMENT

ON

EXHAUSTIVE WRITE-UPS ON GREENHOUSE EFFECT, GLOBAL WARMING AND

CLIMATE CHANGE WITH IT’S CAUSES, EFFECTS AND PREVENTION OF THEIR
OCCURRENCE.

NAME: IKEAGWU CHIOMA LOVELYNE

DEPARTMENT: SCIENCES

LEVEL: SS3A

SUBJECT: BIOLOGY

TEACHER: SIR. OKWUDIRI ANOKWURU

DATE: 29TH OCTOBER, 2021.

 INTRODUCTION

Our climate is changing. Observed changes over the 20 th century include

increases in global average air and ocean temperature, rising global sea levels,
long-term sustained widespread reduction of snow and ice cover, and changes in
atmospheric and ocean circulation and regional weather patterns, which
influence seasonal rainfall conditions. Greenhouse effect, a warming of Earth’s
surface and troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere) caused by the
presence of water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and certain other gases in
the air. Of those gases, known as greenhouse gases, water vapour has the
largest effect.

The origins of the term greenhouse effect are unclear. French mathematician
Joseph Fourier is sometimes given credit as the first person to coin the term
greenhouse effect based on his conclusion in 1824 that Earth’s atmosphere
functioned similarly to a “hotbox”—that is, a heliothermometer (an insulated
wooden box whose lid was made of transparent glass) developed by Swiss
physicist Horace Bénédict de Saussure, which prevented cool air from mixing
with warm air. Fourier, however, neither used the term greenhouse effect nor
credited atmospheric gases with keeping Earth warm. Swedish physicist and
physical chemist Svante Arrhenius is credited with the origins of the term in
1896, with the publication of the first plausible climate model that explained how
gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap heat. Arrhenius first refers to this “hot-house
theory” of the atmosphere—which would be known later as the greenhouse
effect—in his work Worlds in the Making (1903).

The atmosphere allows most of the visible light from the Sun to pass through
and reach Earth’s surface. As Earth’s surface is heated by sunlight, it radiates
part of this energy back toward space as infrared radiation. This radiation, unlike
visible light, tends to be absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
raising its temperature. The heated atmosphere in turn radiates infrared
radiation back toward Earth’s surface. (Despite its name, the greenhouse effect
is different from the warming in a greenhouse, where panes of glass transmit
visible sunlight but hold heat inside the building by trapping warmed air.)

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth’s

atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat. This process makes Earth much warmer than it
would be without an atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is one of the things that
makes Earth a comfortable place to live.“ The greenhouse effect is a natural
process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the
Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and some is absorbed
and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. The absorbed energy warms the
atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. The main gases responsible for the
greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water
vapor (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic).
Greenhouse gases have different chemical properties and are removed from the
atmosphere, over time, by different processes.

CAUSES OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The major causes of the greenhouse effect are;

Burning of Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels are an important part of our lives. They
are widely used in transportation and to produce electricity. With the increase in
population, the utilization of fossil fuels has increased. This has led to an
increase in the release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Deforestation: Tropical forest trees, like all green plants, take in carbon dioxide
and release oxygen during photosynthesis. … When trees are cut down and
burned or allowed to rot, their stored carbon is released into the air as carbon
dioxide. And this is how deforestation and forest degradation contribute to
global.
Farming: Farming in particular releases significant amounts of methane and
nitrous oxide, two powerful greenhouse gases. Methane is produced by livestock
during digestion due to enteric fermentation and is released via belches. It can
also escape from stored manure and organic waste in landfills.

Industrial Waste and Landfills: The industries and factories produce harmful
gases which are released in the atmosphere. Landfills also release carbon dioxide
and methane that adds to the greenhouse gases.

EFFECTS OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Global Warming: It is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the average

temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. The main cause for this environmental
issue is the increased volumes of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and
methane released by the burning of fossil fuels, emissions from the vehicles,
industries and other human activities.

Depletion of Ozone Layer: Ozone Layer protects the earth from harmful

ultraviolet rays from the sun. It is found in the upper regions of the
stratosphere. Therefore, it’s depletion results in the entry of the harmful UV rays
to the earth’s surface that might lead to skin cancer and can also change
the climate drastically.

Smog and Air Pollution: In general, smog is generally formed by the

accumulation of more greenhouse gases including nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
The major contributors to the formation of smog are the automobile and
industrial emissions, agricultural fires, natural forest fires and the reaction of
these chemicals among themselves.

Acidification of Water Bodies: Increase in the total amount of greenhouse

gases in the air has turned most of the world’s water bodies acidic. The
greenhouse gases mix with the rainwater and fall as acid rain. This leads to the
acidification of water bodies.

WAYS OF PREVENTING THE OCCURRENCE OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Stop Funding Fossil Fuels Overseas: The UK and other wealthy countries
have a long-track record of funding fossil fuels abroad. The G7 announced in
2021 that it would stop funding coal-plants but not that it would stop funding
gas. Wealthy governments need to switch all their energy funding to renewable
energy. In addition they need to compensate poorer countries for the damage
caused by climate change (so-called Loss and Damage) and provide the climate
finance promised.

Improved Nutrition: Meat production results in extremely high greenhouse

gas emissions and is a major driver of deforestation and the destruction of
nature. In the UK we need to halve the amount of meat we eat by 2030 to help
reduce greenhouse emissions. Less but better meat production globally would
allow a significant increase in the amount of forests. This would be a boon for
biodiversity – and forests also take carbon out of the air.

Be Energy-Efficient: The government should provide householders with grants

to fit insulation and low carbon electric eco-heating. A local authority area-by-
area programme would be the most efficient and cost effective way of doing this.
A Fair Heat Deal which promises to ensure that fitting eco-heating is no greater
than replacing a gas boiler is needed.

Empower Women: Gender equality, secondary education for all girls, and
sexual and reproductive rights for women are fundamental human rights; absent
in too many parts of the world. They are necessary so that women can fully
contribute to tackling climate change   and adapting to it, including in politics,
policy and lifestyle choices.
Create An Equal World: The 1 billion wealthiest people in the world consume
most of the world’s resources. If we are to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all
8 billion people on our planet, we need to share our resources more fairly.

GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is an aspect of climate change, referring to the long-term rise of

the planet’s temperatures. It is caused by increased concentrations of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly from human activities such as
burning fossil fuels, and farming.

CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING

Power Plants: Forty percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions stem from
electricity production. Ninety-three percent of the electric industry emissions
result from burning coal. According to the EPA coal-fired power plants, municipal
and medical waste incineration account for two-thirds of U.S. mercury emissions.

Intensive Farming: Industrial farming and ranching releases huge levels of

methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Farming contributes forty
percent of the methane and twenty percent of the carbon dioxide to worldwide
emissions.

Fertilizers: The use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers increases the amount of heat

cropland can store. Nitrogen oxides can trap up to 300 times more heat than
carbon dioxide. Sixty-two percent of nitrous oxide released comes from
agricultural byproducts.

Oil Drilling: Burn-off from the oil drilling industry impacts the carbon dioxide
released into the atmosphere. Fossil fuel retrieval, processing and distribution
accounts for roughly eight percent of carbon dioxide and thirty percent of
methane pollution.
Permafrost: Permafrost, also known as frozen ground, is soil that remains at or
below 0°C (32°F) for at least two years. The melting of permafrost releases tons
of trapped green house gases which further speeds up the melting of more
permafrost. Scientists calculate that approximately five-hundred gigatons of
carbon is trapped in the Siberian permafrost alone. A single gigaton equals one
billion tons.

IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

More expensive home insurance: As insurance companies pay out huge

amounts to homeowners whose houses have been damaged by climate change
impacts, many are raising premiums to offset their costs. Home insurance rates
increased more than 50 percent between 2005 and 2015.

Outdoor work could become unbearable: With continued global warming,

heat waves are expected to increase in frequency, duration and intensity. People
who work outdoors, such as construction workers, miners, firefighters and
agricultural workers, will be most affected by increasing temperatures

Higher electric bills and more blackouts: The increased demand for
electricity, especially during peak periods, can also over-tax the electrical grid,
triggering brownouts or blackouts. Extreme weather, such as hurricanes, heat
waves or snowstorms, can cause power outages too.

Rising taxes: Municipalities are recognizing the need to make their

communities more resilient in the face of climate change impacts. Although
measures such as building seawalls or hardening infrastructure are hugely
expensive, the National Climate Assessment determined that resiliency measures
save money in the long run. Paying for mitigation and adaptation measures,
however, will likely have to be funded through higher property taxes or resilience
fees.
More allergies and other health risks: Warmer temperatures cause the
pollen season to be longer and worsen air quality, both of which can result in
more allergy and asthma attacks. Ground-level ozone, a major component of
smog, which increases when temperatures warm, can also cause coughing, chest
tightness or pain, decrease lung function and worsen asthma and other chronic
lung diseases.

PREVENTING GLOBAL WARMING OCCURRENCE

Walk, Bike(Run, Skate, move yourself): Get out of your car! Walking or
cycling is much better for our planet’s health (and your own) than even driving a
hybrid or an electric vehicle. Even if it’s just a couple trips a week you will be
making a big difference.

Ride the bus to work (or carpool): Try the bus out. Make a commitment to
use public transportation at least once a week. You can even ride your bicycle to
your nearest bus stop to make your commute easier. Most buses are equipped
with bicycle racks on the front of the bus. Post a message on your company
bulletin board to carpool with a colleague. Even carpooling once or twice a week
helps.

Plant a tree: Planting the right trees around your home or in the parkway can
help shade your home and reduce your energy usage during our hot summers.
Deciduous trees, or “canopy trees” have this effect (Palms do not). Trees also
beautify your home and can raise your property value. Most importantly, trees
clean our air and make our neighborhoods healthier.

Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning: Add insulation to your walls and attic.
Installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows lowers your
heating costs. By more than 25 percent (reducing the amount of energy used to
heat and cool your home). Turn down the heat while you’re sleeping at night or
away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your
thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save
about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

Change a Light Bulb: Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with
compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFL’s last 10 times longer than
incandescent bulbs and use two-thirds less energy. If you do not like the color
light the bulb gives off—replace bulbs in areas where it does not matter – such
as in closets, your garage, or storage spaces. Even changing just 1 bulb can
have a significant impact. If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb
with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same
as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

Buy a fuel efficient car (or hybrid vehicle): Buying a new car may be one of
the biggest environmental decisions you will make. A fuel efficient vehicle will
save you money and pollute less than larger, heavier vehicles. If you can, buying
a hybrid will significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that you are
putting into our atmosphere.

Buy local goods and products: Whether it’s getting the food you eat from
your local farmer’s market, or the clothing on your back, buying locally not only
supports our local economy but it also can save thousands of pounds of CO2 that
are emitted by shipping and transporting of goods made overseas.

Inflate your tires: Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them
monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.

Change the AC Filter: Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as

recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.

SUMMARY

Climate change can also be caused by human activities, such as the yearnings of
fossil fuels and the conversion of land for forestry and agriculture. Since the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution, these human influences on the climate
system have increased substantially. In addition to other environmental impacts,
these activities change the land surface and emit various substances to the
atmosphere. These in turn can influence both the amount of incoming energy
and the amount of outgoing energy and can have both warming and cooling
effects on the climate. The dominant product of fossil fuel combustion is carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The overall effect of human activities since the
Industrial Revolution has been a warming effect, driven primarily by emissions of
carbon dioxide and enhanced by emissions of other greenhouse gases.

The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has led to an enhancement

of the natural greenhouse effect. It is this human-induced enhancement of the
greenhouse effect that is of concern because ongoing emissions of greenhouse
gases have the potential to warm the planet to levels that have never been
experienced in the history of human civilization. Such climate change could have
far-reaching and/or unpredictable environmental, social, and economic
consequences.
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