Greenhouse effect

What is the greenhouse effect..? This is a common word used by the environmentalists, scientists and many others who are interested in protecting the earth for the next generation and for many more generations to come.

                   The greenhouse effect is nothing strange. It is natural process that occurs and helps to heat the earth’s surface and the atmosphere. If not for the greenhouse effect the temperature on this earth world be minus eighteen degrees centigrade rather than the present fifteen degrees centigrade. We would have frozen to death if not for the greenhouse effect.
        If that is the situation why is everyone talking about the greenhouse effect, global warming and climatic changes? It is because of the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Let us see what has actually happened.
                                    51% of the energy from the sun’s rays that reaches the surface of the earth is used for many processes including heating of the earth’s surface, melting ice, evaporation of water and photosynthesis. The balance energy is expected to be reflected into space. But this does not happen due to the presence of greenhouse gases like Carbon dioxide. Methane, Nitrous Oxide etc. These gases trap the excess, out going heat energy and additional heat is added to the earth’s atmosphere.
             How have humans contributed to this phenomenon? The industrial revolution, development and also human interference with nature have caused a great amount of greenhouse gases to be emitted into the earth’s atmosphere.

                   Scientists have predicted that the greenhouse effect will be enhanced. It is not yet confirmed but there are doubts as to whether Global Warming and the climatic changes are due to the greenhouse effect. There is a lot of research being done and many countries have started working on reducing the amount of carbon emission into the atmosphere. Even in Sri Lanka if you go to a petrol station you can see a board on every petrol pump which reads 90 octane petrol lead free which is environment friendly.

              Carbon dioxide levels are expected to rise further due to the ongoing burning of fossil fuels. The rate of rite will depend on the usage and the availability of fossil fuels.

               The increase in global temperature can in turn cause other changes like rising sea levels, creating extreme weather conditions, changes in agricultural fields. glazier retreat, species extinctions and the increase in breeding of disease carrying insects like mosquitoes.