Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouse Gases

  • Greenhouse gases are gaseous components of the atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared radiation, leading to the greenhouse effect.

Key Greenhouse Gases

  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Released through natural processes like respiration and volcanic eruptions and human activities such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels.
  • Methane (CH4): Emitted during the production and transport of coal, oil, and natural gas. Methane is also emitted by livestock and other agricultural practices, as well as by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
  • Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Released during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass.
  • Fluorinated Gases: A group of synthetic gases used in a range of industrial applications. These are much less common but are potent greenhouse gases often released in certain industrial processes.

Impact of Greenhouse Gases

  • Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the planet’s temperature to increase, a process known as global warming.
  • This leads to a change in the Earth’s climate patterns, a phenomenon referred to as climate change.
  • Climate change has potential impacts on biodiversity, sea levels, weather patterns, and human societies.
  • By absorbing infrared radiation and slowing its escape from atmosphere, greenhouse gases help maintain Earth’s energy balance and moderate the Earth’s temperature.

Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • A range of strategies are employed to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, like using cleaner energy sources, improving energy efficiency and carbon sequestration.
  • International conventions and protocols, such as the Paris Agreement, work to reduce countries’ emissions globally.
  • Carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems are economic mechanisms to incentivise reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Summary

Understanding the characteristics of greenhouse gases, their sources and the impacts of their accumulation in the atmosphere is crucial to mitigating climate change and preserving the environment.