What Is Green-House Effect and How Does It Work - Essay Example

The sun expels continuous radiation on the surface of the earth. The ability to keep the earth warm is the key to all greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. The GHGs work in conjunction to keep a balance of heat absorbed and reflected by the earth’s surface to maintain a perfect environment for survival. However, an imbalance leads to varying degrees of abnormality leading to a change in climate. When solar rays hit a dark surface, heat is absorbed while the polar ice caps tend to reflect heat off. Every part of the earth absorbs and reflects heat differently resulting in differential heating and cooling of the earth. Elevated levels of any of the above-mentioned greenhouse gases can disrupt the balance which leads to increased temperature of the earth resulting in ‘Global Warming’ (UCAR, n.d.).

What are Green House Gases?
Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (MH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride (SH6) are collectively called as GHGs because they trap the solar radiation within the earth’s surface (Ramseur et al, 2008)

What is the present level of atmospheric carbon dioxide? Why has Carbon dioxide increased since 1860?
The level of carbon dioxide is increasing at an accelerating pace with each passing decade. The safety limit of atmospheric Carbon dioxide is 350 ppm (parts per million). However, since 1988, the level of CO2 has continued to rise. The current level of CO2 in the atmosphere is 396.78 ppm (CO2NOW, 2012). The International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals in its report that CO2 emission from fossil fuels hit 31.6 Gigatonnes (Gt) in 2011, just 1Gt below the threshold limit as predicted by researchers (Woodwell et al 1984). According to the Energy Information Administration, there has been an increase of 25% in GHG emissions since industrialization.

What are some predicted environmental damages if carbon dioxide emissions are not reduced?

The predicted environmental damages include a rise in sea level. This may further lead to the degradation of mangroves leading to environmental damages caused by cyclonic storms. Mangroves act as a barrier to wave off cyclonic effects into the mainland. Depletion of the Ozone layer is yet another serious threat. A depleting layer of ozone leads to the penetration of ultraviolet rays of the sun to reach the earth’s surface causing damage to soil properties, bio-degradation, and causing skin cancer. Mitigating the effects of climate change can be accomplished by providing possible incentives and through CSR programs aimed at controlling the carbon footprint.

Various Multinationals and powerful business houses are motivated to control this aggravating problem and thus take steps to mitigate carbon emissions. Technological progress has ensured research in this particular field leading to a better understanding of the current scenario. Various software tools have been developed to mark the carbon footprint so that the carbon emission could be reduced by the participatory management system. All these technological progress have been possible because complete data have been formulated into respective models of development (Green House Gas Emissions, 2012; Smith, Schellnhuber, & Qader Mirza, n.d.)

In your analysis, how certain do we need to be about future predictions before acting on this problem?
There is enough discourse on the reliability of models related to climate change since the climate is a dynamic system. Climate change models are mathematical codes that are run on powerful computers after a series of observations. The confidence in predicted models comes from the fact that all model fundamentals are based on the facts of physical laws and atmospheric sciences on the conservation of mass, energy, and momentum guided by other sources of related work. Over the decades of development, mathematical models have been a prominent source of confidence for providing a warning in response to increased levels of Greenhouse gases. The second argument for confidence in such models of a dynamic system is due to their stimulating properties to incorporate current trends of climatic structure.

The third source of confidence in climate models framework comes from the fact of their ability to reproduce past climatic conditions. The limitation of climate models' ability to predict the weather for a few days does not restrict the process of prediction of long-term climate changes, as they vary from one another. Nevertheless, Climate models still show significant errors. Though these errors are generally greater on smaller scales however larger discrepancies remain. For example Deficiency in Simulation on El-Nino Southern Oscillation. However, confidence in mathematical climate change models comes from credible quantitative estimates for future predictions, particularly on a large scale. Therefore models are credible and unambiguous pictures of climate change concerning increasing greenhouse gases (Scientific Predictions, IPCC Climate Prediction Model, 2011).

Conclusion:
With the advancement of technology, there will be an increase in carbon emissions.  Read More