The role of techonology - Research Proposal Example

Essentially, the greenhouse effect functions like this. When sunlight pierces the atmosphere and hits the earth’s surface, not all of the sun’s solar energy is absorbed. It is a delicate balance and because these greenhouse gases have been artificially increased by man-made technology, more build up in the atmosphere has occurred. This traps more of the sun’s energy inside our atmosphere and reflects less back in to space. This occurrence is causing the earth to warm. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the most common of the greenhouse gases.

Although cutting down the rainforests is contributing heavily to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, a larger portion is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal to power our technology. Fossil fuels are burned by factories, vehicles and electricity-producing power plants to name a few sources. Most of this excessive fuel consumption and its poisonous, pollutant and greenhouse-enhancing byproducts are located in the U.S., Europe and Russia (Breuer, 1980). It is estimated that man-made influences represent about half of the CO2 output in the world.

The rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are becoming increasingly worrying. “The concentrations of CO2 in the air around 1860 before the effects of industrialization were felt, is assumed to have been about 290 parts per million (ppm). In the hundred years and more since then, the concentration has increased by about 10 percent” (Breuer, 1980, p. 67). Eighty percent of the world’s population accounts for just 35 percent of CO2 emissions. The United States and Soviet Union combined are responsible for generating half of the air pollution.

Worldwide, “carbon dioxide emissions are increasing by four percent a year.” (Miller, 1990, p. 450). The scientific community agrees that global temperatures are rising due