Let us understand in this article what is Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect? Have you ever seen a greenhouse in which plants are grown during winter seasons or in higher altitudes? Why is this done? Do you know what the Greenhouse Effect is? Our Earth acts like a giant glass greenhouse. Warmth is needed by every organism to thrive, even plants. But what if this warmth turns to extreme heat? What is Global Warming? Why are polar ice caps melting?

The threat of global warming is real. The greenhouse effect causes an increase in the total temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere over time. The buildup of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere causes the climate to warm. Read on to explore much more about the causes and effects of global warming and greenhouse gases.

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Greenhouse refers to the house which is green and is specially constructed to grow plants during winters when the Sun’s intensity is low. Glass panels used in the greenhouse allow the sunrays to enter and trap them, i.e., does not allow them to escape. This provides sufficient warmth to the plants, which is necessary for their growth and development—the same way.

Our Earth’s atmosphere also acts as a greenhouse, and our Earth gets warmth from the Sun’s radiation. This natural process is called the greenhouse effect. Certain gases like carbon dioxide \(\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{2}}}} \right){\rm{,}}\) methane \(\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{4}}}} \right)\) and nitrous oxide \(\left( {{{\rm{N}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{O}}} \right)\) act like glass panels of the greenhouse, which allows the sunrays to enter the atmosphere but does not allow them to escape. These gases are called greenhouse gases.

This process keeps the Earth’s atmosphere warm, thereby maintaining the temperature and sustenance of life. When solar radiation reaches the Earth’s surface, then the Earth’s surface is heated by sunlight; it radiates part of this energy back toward space as infrared radiation and some of which is absorbed by greenhouse gases. These radiations are heat-producing radiations, because of which the earth atmosphere has an average temperature of more than \({14^ \circ }{\text{C}}.\) A very high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is present on Venus, which causes an extreme greenhouse effect resulting in surface temperatures as high as \({450^ \circ }{\text{C}}\left({{{840}^ \circ }{\text{F}}} \right).\)

What would have happened if greenhouse gases were not there?

1. If these rays were not there, then the temperature of Earth would have been \( – {19^ \circ }{\text{C}}\) and covered with ice.
2. Life in such low temperatures would have been impossible.

Fig: Greenhouse Effect

Effect of Increased Greenhouse Gases- Global Warming

Definition- Global warming refers to the gradual warming or heating of the Earth’s atmosphere, surface and oceans.

If the concentration of greenhouse gases like \(\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{2}}}} \right)\) and other air pollutants increase in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the Earth’s surface, they trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. Anthropogenic activities have further increased the levels of greenhouse gases in the air by changing the landscape by cutting down plants, and thus they can no longer take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, and this gas starts building up in the air rather than fueling the growth of plants. Thus, by cutting down trees and forests for industrial and other human purposes, more carbon dioxide is also added into the atmosphere. Global warming is disturbing the entire ecological balance of the environment due to the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, causing the rise in water levels.
In the last decade, Earth’s average temperature has increased by \({6^ \circ }{\text{C}}.\) This increase is enough to melt the polar ice caps. As this increase in temperature is happening worldwide, it is called Global Warming.

Greenhouse Gases

1. Mainly an increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes an enhanced greenhouse effect.
2. An increase in some other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide, artificial chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons \(\left( {{\rm{CFCs}}} \right)\) also enhances the greenhouse effect.
3. Some other greenhouse gases are hydrofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and water vapour.

The enhanced greenhouse effect is the impact on the climate from the additional heat retained because of the increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that humans have released into the Earth’s atmosphere since the industrial revolution causing extreme weather changes in recent past years.

Fig: Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Causes of Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

The enhanced Greenhouse Effect is due to an increase in greenhouse gases. This increase of greenhouse gases is due to

a. Burning fossil fuels
b. Burning of agricultural land
c. The smoke of running vehicles
d. Smoke from chimneys of the factories
e. Cutting down of trees or deforestation
f. The use of different electronic devices at home also releases harmful chemicals

Fig: Causes of the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Global Warming and its Effect

1. Rise in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere, water and surface.
2. The melting of glaciers has increased to \(31\% \) than it was happening \(15\) years earlier.
3. Rise in sea levels causing coastal erosion.
4. Unpredictable weather patterns include unusual, severe, unseasonal weather.
5. Land degradation
6. Loss of wildlife and biodiversity
7. It results in extreme weather conditions like extreme heat or extreme cold.
8. Between \(1960\) and \(2015,\) less snow cover has been recorded.
9. Permafrost is also getting reduced in the northern hemisphere.
10. Glacier retreat has been occurring since \(1850,\) due to which the number of glaciers has been decreased.
11. An increase in temperature has resulted in a water shortage.
12. Increased temperature of the environment causes severe illness.
13. Coral reefs are also affected by global warming.
14. EL-Nino Effect– From the last \(3\) years, we are still in the EL-Nino effect. Although this phenomenon is temporary and repeats itself generally once in \(10\) years or \(7\) years, due to the melting of polar ice caps, we are still in the EL-Nino effect.

What is the EL-Nino Effect?

1. It is a temporary increase in the surface water temperature of oceans near the equator.
2. The air which is in contact with that warm water will rise.
3. But the water temperature is not so high that water vapour can be formed. So, only the warm air will rise and will make clouds.
4. But these clouds are without water vapour, so they are not going to precipitate, i.e. no rainfall or monsoon. And we know that everything is dependent on monsoon-like agriculture, water table, etc. The weather cycle also gets affected.

Fig: Consequences of Global Warming

Steps to Reduce Global Warming

1. Plant more trees.
2. Reduce, reuse and recycle substances.
3. Use of less hot water.
4. Turning off electronic devices when not in use.
5. Use of public transport.
6. Use of cycles instead of fuel vehicles.
7. Reducing the smoke emissions from industries by using filters.

Summary

Certain gases like carbon dioxide \(\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{2}}}} \right){\rm{,}}\) methane \(\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_{\rm{4}}}} \right)\) and nitrous oxide \(\left( {{{\rm{N}}_{\rm{2}}}{\rm{O}}} \right)\) are called greenhouse gases that do not allow the sunrays to escape. This keeps the Earth’s atmosphere warm, which is necessary for the growth of plants, for our and other organisms survival. This is the greenhouse effect. But the enhanced greenhouse effect is harmful as it causes global warming, which means a rise in temperature worldwide. This global warming is harmful as it causes melting of polar ice caps, resulting in rice of sea level causing coastal erosion, Glaciers retreat, Loss of wildlife and biodiversity, etc. Causes of increase in greenhouse gases are Burning fossil fuels, Burning of agricultural land, Smoke of running vehicles, deforestation, use of different electronic devices, etc. Different steps can be taken to reduce global warming, like afforestation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1. What are the \(5\) main causes of global warming?
Ans: Causes of global warming is due to increased greenhouse gases which in turn are increased due to-
1. Burning of agricultural land
2. The smoke of running vehicles
3. Smoke from chimneys of the factories
4. Cutting down of trees or deforestation
5. Burning fossil fuels

Q.2. What is global warming and its effect?
Ans: Increase in temperature worldwide is called Global Warming. This is due to an increase in greenhouse gases. Following are the effects of global warming:-
1. Rise in temperature
2. Melting of glaciers
3. Rising sea level
4. Unpredictable weather patterns
5. Land degradation
6. Loss of wildlife and biodiversity

Q.3. How does greenhouse cause global warming?
Ans: Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, etc., helps in keeping the Earth warm by trapping infra-red radiations. But as these greenhouse gases are increasing, more infra-red radiations are trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere resulting in an increase in the temperature of Earth. This is global warming.

Q.4. How can you stop global warming?
Ans: Global warming can be reduced by:-
a. Afforestation
b. Adapting Reduce, reuse and recycle
c. Using public transport
d. Reducing the smoke emissions from industries, etc.

Q.5. How do we know global warming is caused by humans?
Ans: Humans are the main culprit of global warming which are due to human activities like deforestation, setting up of factories, use of vehicles, burning of agricultural land, etc. These all are the activities of we humans that are responsible for global warming. So, we can say global warming is caused by humans.

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