ed from the

osphere to
fect.

Of all the planets in our solar system, the Earth is

the only one that as far as we know supports
life. So why is our planet alone so hospitable?
In part, we owe our existence to a process called
the green house effect. Inside an artificial green
house filled with plants, the surrounding glass traps
the sun's energy, making it warm inside, even while
outside the temperature may be much colder. This
same effect happens every day on the Earth. Gases
within the atmosphere act like glass, trapping the
sun's heat. These gases include water vapour, carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The green-house effect was recognised by scientists
as early as 1822. French mathematician Jean Fourier
observed that the atmosphere reflected the earths
radiation back to the surface.
The greenhouse gases trap the Earths radiated energy,
which warms the surface of the earth by about 60
degrees Fahrenheit. Without the green house effect,
the Earths average temperature would be 3 degrees
Fahrenheit, which is uninhabitable for man. Indeed,

it is doubtful whether any life at all would have

evolved.
The most important green house gases and human
activities that contribute to their emissions are :
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) : These gases were
regularly used (under the name of freon), in particular
in aerosol sprays, refrigerators and expanded foams,
before being banned due to their harmful effects
on the ozone layer. These gases with a life-span
of 60 to 120 years depending on their formulation,
have contributed to the greenhouse effect. Certain
CFCs are now replaced by hydrofluorocarbons (HFC),
which, with two other fluorinated gases
(perfluorinated hydrocarbons and sulphur
hexafluoride), contribute in a lesser degree to the
greenhouse effect.
Methane (CH 4 ) : It is given off by the
decomposition of organic matter in environments
such as rice paddies, discharges and swamps. It is
also produced by fermentation, by the rumination
of cattle, and by the exploitation of accumulations

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

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of natural gas and coalmines. The increase, essentially

of agricultural origin, is linked to world demographic
growth. Concentration has increased by 145% since
1750. While CH 4 is a very effective greenhouse
gas, its life-span is only about ten years.
Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) : CO2 or carbonic gas is
naturally present in the atmosphere, the earths
biosphere and the oceans, between which exchanges
are made. It is produced by volcanic eruptions, as
well as by animal and plant respiration. CO2 is
absorbed by plants (photosynthesis) and by the
oceans. The increase in waste output is above all
due to the combustion of fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural
gas) for transport, industry and energy production.

The deforestation of the tropical forests, which

serve as carbon storage sites, also contributes to
this increase due to the gases given off by fires.
In 100 years, the concentration of CO2 has increased
by 30%. It is responsible for half of the increase
in the greenhouse effect. The problem: its lifetime
in the atmosphere, before being trapped by the
plants or the oceans, is on the order of several
hundred years.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) : It is produced by the action
of micro-organisms in agricultural soils and tropical
forests, in water and by plant combustion. Its
increase, 7.6% in the last 100 years, is in particular
related to the use of nitrogenous fertilizer. The

life-span of N2O is 150 years.

Water vapour : It is the most important green
house gas on the planet, given the area of ocean
from which it is emitted. Humanity does not directly
affect its levels. However, increased temperature
leads to increased evaporation, and therefore
increased water vapour, which amplifies the warming.
Thus any modification of the climate due to the
increase in other green house gases results in a
readjustment in the levels of water vapour, which
in turn feeds back on temperatures. The problem
becomes more complicated when one considers
the role of the clouds; they cool the Earths surface
by reflecting part of the suns rays, while also creating
a greenhouse effect, which of course warms it.
The ozone layer : Global warming and the hole
in the ozone layer are not connected. The only
common point ; they are both a consequence of
human activities. The ozone layer, located at an
altitude of about 30 km in the stratosphere, filters
most of the harmful rays from the sun (ultraviolet).
The realization that it has been considerably reduced
due to the effects of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
in particular above the poles, led the international
community to react; in 1987, and then in 1990, it
decided to ban the production and use of CFCs
by 2000. But it will take another 50 years before
the ozone layer can get back to its initial level.
The ozone which accumulates in the troposphere
(lower atmosphere, extending to an altitude of
16 km) is the result of the interaction between
gases produced by human activities under the effect
of the sun. While it contributes in a minor degree
to the greenhouse effect, it is harmful to health.
The frontier between low and high altitude being
relatively inviolable, the excess of ozone in the
troposphere due to pollution cannot replace the
deficit in the stratosphere.
Causes :
The causes of the green house effect are happening
all around us everyday. The excretion of gases
from all animal life add gasses to the troposphere.
The use of cars in everyday life adds to the high
amounts of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide already
present in the troposphere. The burning of fossil
fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas for petrol,

is the highest manufacturer of the carbon dioxide

gas. When humans cut down trees we are causing
less carbon dioxide to be taken into the trees, which
then produce and exchanges them with oxygen.
Although oxygen is a green house gas, it is not as
harmful to the ozone layer as carbon dioxide.
The wastes that pour out from industrial area and
motor vehicles, that include carbon monoxide and
sulphuric acid, contribute to photochemical smog.
The sunlight splits some molecules, for example
carbon monoxide, to produce dangerous chemicals
such as ozone, O3, which is very toxic and poisonous
to people. All these causes are very harmful and
can cause much change to the world around us.
Ozone (O3) causes respiratory problems. Older people
and babies are most susceptible to these types of
problems.
Ozone shields the earth from the suns harmful
ultraviolet radiation. This radiation causes skin cancer,
cataracts on the eyes, and has other detrimental
affects on humans, plants, and animals. Migration
of CFCs to the stratosphere has resulted in a layer
of stratospheric ozone.
Stratospheric ozone also is a green house gas. Because
CFCs are both green house gases and destroyers
of ozone, CFCs produce a cooling effect by means
of ozone depletion.
Conclusion
The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring
phenomenon that has made it possible for plant
and animal life to develop on earth. Mans release
of large quantities of green house gases into the
atmosphere could increase the green house effect
and speed global warming or cause other largescale climatic changes. While the projections of
global warming or other climate changes are uncertain,
the potential consequences are so severe that we
should look for ways to reduce the level of green
house gases released into the atmosphere.
Many climatologists argue that we are artificially
increasing the greenhouse effect, warming the Earth
faster than would occur naturally, which could cause
problems for the Earth in the future.
But even as scientist debate the impact of changes
to the green house gases, there is still one fact
with which they all can agree - without the green
house effect, life on this planet would not be the
same. In fact, we would not be here at all.