Green house effect: Friend or foe

CO₂, Methane, water vapour, black carbon (due to incomplete combustion of solid fuels), N₂O, CFC_S, Hydrofluro carbon, oxides of sulphur, Halon, Tetra Flouro methane etc are present in atmosphere which are transparent to short waves but absorbs long waves emitted by the earth surface are known as green house gases and their effect is collectively known as green house effect.

Positive aspects

1.     Green house gases are responsible for maintenance of habitable temperature.

2.     According to one estimate of IPCC (Intergovernmental panel on climate change) in the absence of green house gases, temperature of the earth surface and lower atmosphere will drop to -10 to -20 degree Celsius depending upon the localized concentration of green house gases.

3.     Green house gases are responsible for maintenance of low diurnal range of temperature.

4.     Increase in the concentration of CO₂ which is main green house gas, is responsible for increase in dark rate of dark reaction of photosynthesis. As a result, it increases overall productivity up to 30% to 40%. This is termed as CO₂ fertilization effect as CO₂ is behaving almost as fertilizers.

Negative aspects

1.     Main cause for global warming. Global warming means gradual increase of temperature of earth’s surface and lower atmosphere due to absorbance of long waves emitted by earth’s surface.

2.     Due to global warming the glaciers are melting at a faster rate and increasing the level of oceans. Due to this the coastal areas are endangered to be submerged by 2050.

Now you can decide whether it is useful to us or not.

We can control this effect by lowering our carbon footprints and planting more trees.

AUTHOR:

AJAY PARMAR

(Assistant Professor Civil Engineering Department Geeta ENgineering College Panipat)