GREEN HOUSE EFFECT : Green house refers to a glass chamber where plants are grown. Temp.

inside a green house is higher than that of the surroundings. It is because of the property of the glass which allows the incoming solar radiations to pass through but prevents the reflected radiations to go out thereby providing warm effect in the chamber. Certain gases in the atmosphere have the same property as that of glass. Without these gases the temp. of the earth surface would have been 33oC lower than the present one. Temp. of the earth would have been 18oC instead of present +15oC if these gases were not there/have not acted like glass.

GREEN HOUSE GASES OF THE ATMOSPHERE:

Are CO2, CH4, Nitrous oxide and ozone. In addition to these water vapours play an important role in enhancing the temp. of the earth. These green house gases act as a thermal blanket around the globe raising the earth surface temperature from effective temp. (Te) of 255K to actual surface temperature (Ts) of 288K. Green House effect (oC) = Ts Te i.e. 288 255 = 33oC CO2 is the most dominant species followed by CFCs in enhancement effect.

Secondary Pollutants.. Green house effect

Carbon dioxide, aerosols, etc

CHARACTERISTICS OF GREEN HOUSE GASES

Gas Conc. (ppm. 1988)
351 0.00225 (2.25 ppb)

In

Annual Conc. increase %

0.4 5

Relative contributio n
50% 23%

Relative green house efficiency

1 15000

CO2 CFCs

CH4
Nitrous oxide

1.675
0.31

1
0.2

11%
7%

25
230

 Principal source of gas is fossil fuels & deforestation CO2 conc. has been raised by 40ppm between 1958 and 1990. For the last 30 years CO2 has been increasing at a rate of 0.4% per year or 1.5 ppm CO2 is added every year. (2.12 billion tones per ppm raise) Between 1800-1990, only 5oC increase has been recorded (not 0.9oC as expected) Atmospheric CO2 level may double by 2060 causing 1.5 to 4.5oC temp. rise.

Carbon Dioxide :

Carbon Emission Rates :

- From coal it is 75% more than that from the natural gas. - From synthetic oil/gas it is 80% more than that from the coal. - From oil it is 44% more than that from natural gas. - USA, Western Europe, USSR, Eastern Europe and Japan are the major contributors in global emission of CO2. - Among developing countries in Brazile the emission of CO2 is quite high due to deforestation activities.

Chlorofluoro Carbons (CFCs): Like other green house gases, they do not occur naturally but their
presence is due to man made activities. They are a group of synthetic compounds which are used as aerosol propellants, as foaming agents, as refrigerants and as solvents and find their way into atmosphere. Highly stable, 15000 more green house efficiency than CO2, green house contribution is 25%, concentration is 2.25 ppb and conc. is increasing @ 5% per year. Have long residence time in atmosphere. CFCl3 has residential time between 60 to 110 years whereas CF2Cl2 has residency time ranging between 55 and 400 years. Among CFCs two specific chemicals CFCl3 and CF2Cl2 have been extensively used. The Montreal protocol adopted in 1987 seeks to limit CFC emission worldwide. Even if emissions are significantly reduced their impact already present in the atmosphere will be felt for centuries.

 Developed countries are the main contributor of CFCs, 28% of such emissions are produced by USA alone, 11% by Japan and USSR and over 27% by EEC countries. All developing countries together constitute less than 5% of global emission.

Other Green House Gases:

Methane Bacterial fermentation from swamps, marshes, rice fields and digestive systems of ruminants. Increased cattle production and increased areas of paddy cultivation. Production, transportation and combustion of fossil fuels biomass fuels. Doubling of methane conc. can lead to 0.2 to 3oC temp. rise. Green house efficiency of methane is 25 times more than that of CO2 increasing at a rate of 1.1% per year. Contribution to global warming is around 15%.

 Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Also known as laughing gas is produced naturally, two main sources are increased combustion of fossil fuels Consumption of Nitrogen fertilizers. Has residential period of 150 years in atmosphere. Its conc. is increasing at a rate of 0.2% per year. 230 times as potent as CO2 in causing global warming. Has a life of around 180 years Contributes to about 5% of global warming. Impact of Green House Enhancement: 1. Increase in Global Temp: From 1860-1900 the average world temp. has increased by 0.7oC. Temperature of tropical ocean has risen by 0.5oC. With doubling of CO2 conc. from 288 ppm to 560 ppm in the next 100 years the global temp. would increase by 1.5 to 4.5oC.

Effect of global change in Temp.

Rise in sea level Excessive melting of polar ice would lead to a rise in ocean level by 40 to 120 cms Sliding of Antarctic ice sheet will lead to another 5 to 6 metres sea level rise. Flooding in many low lying coastal areas, or submergence of coastal areas. Increased sea surface temperature, increasing frequency of tropical cyclones and other storms. Impact on coastal ecosystems & estuaries (substantial loss of coral and decrease in biological diversity among marine organism). Increased evaporation, decreased soil moisture content & increased cloud formation More pest infestation Increase in respiratory & skin diseases in human beings More deaths due to heat stroke

Agriculture Shift in food growing areas. Changes in crop yields. Increased pests, crop diseases, and weeds in warmer areas.

Water resources Changes in water supply. Decreased water quality. Increased drought. Increased flooding.

Forests Changes in forest . composition and location.. Disappearance of some forests. Increased fires from drying. Loss of wildlife habitat and species. Sea level and coastal areas Rising sea levels. Flooding of low lying islands and coastal cities. Flooding of coastal estuaries,wetlands,and coral reefs. Beach erosion. Disruption of coastal fisheries. Human health Increased deaths. Disruption of food and water supplies. Spread of tropical diseases to temperate areas. Increased respiratory diseases and pollen allergies..

Biodiversity
Extinction of some plant and animal species. Loss of habitats. Disruption of aquatic life.

Weather Prolonged heat waves and droughts. Increased flooding from more frequent, intense, and heavy rainfall in some areas.

Human health

Increased deaths.
More environmental refugees. Increased migration.

Global Effects to tackle the global warming problems : Prevention and Adaptation strategies :
Toronto Meet June 1988 Cutting carbon emission by 50% by 2050.

Montreal Protocol, 1987 :

- Immediate freeze on CFCs production - Reducing production by 50% by 2000 AD

Helsinki Declaration 1989 :

- Pledges to phase out most of the CFCs by 2000 AD.

Climate convention of 1992, Earth Summit :

- Stabilizing atmospheric CO2 by 2050 AD through bringing down carbon emissions to 2 billion tons per year and ending CFCs production.

.GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

The Kyoto Protocol: In Dec. 1997, 2200 delegates from 161 nations met in Kyoto, Japan to negotiate a new treaty to help slow global warming. Confirmed scientifically that projected growth of emission of green house gases would warm up the world climate by upto 5-8oC by the end of this century. USA the biggest polluter opposed the Kyoto protocol.

Salient features of Kyoto Protocol: 1.The developed countries commit themselves to reducing their collective emissions of six key green house gases by at least 5%. 2.Each countrys emission target must be achieved by the period 2009-2012. 3.Countries will have a certain degree of flexibility in how to make & measure their emissions reductions. 4.The member countries will pursue emission cuts in a wide range of economic sectors. 5.The protocol will advance the implementation of existing commitments by all countries.

Strategies for facing global warming problems :

1. Prevention Strategy (air insurance policy approach):
Slowing population growth Scrubbing of Carbon before or during combustion Efficient use of energy Levying carbon tax on fossil fuels Shift to non-carbon fuels & renewable energy resources Reversal of deforestation and reforestation Reduction in CFCs production

2. Adaptation Strategy (Protection from consequences) :

Construction of conveyance systems to redistribute water Fortification of sensitive coastal areas Population migration to safer areas