How do Greenhouse Gases Cause Global Warming?

The greenhouse effect is basically climate warming that results when the atmosphere absorbs heat radiation from Earth toward space. There are certain gases that contribute most to global warming, and these are Halogenated compounds, carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane, nitrous oxides, and Tropospheric ozone. Over the last few years, burning fossil fuels such as oil and gas increases the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere. This happens because the burning process of oil and coal combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. The outcomes of changing the natural greenhouse gases could include:

• Earth will become warmer on average.

• Warmer conditions result in more precipitation and evaporation overall.

• A powerful greenhouse effect will partially warm the oceans and melt the ice and glaciers, resulting in increasing sea levels.

• Some plants and crops can respond to increased atmospheric CO2, which uses more water and grows more vigorously. Besides this, the shifting climate and higher temperature patterns can change the areas where crops grow best.

The Effect of Greenhouse Gases

As we have mentioned above, five gases contribute most up to a 95% increase in global warming. The following are the effect of greenhouse gases, the time they spend in the atmosphere, and the percentage they contribute to the greenhouse effect.

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)- When it comes to global warming, CO2 contributes 53% of the effect. It is the outcome of processes like deforestation, cement production, fuel use, and more. However, the permanence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere varies greatly. For example, if it is high, 80% will last for 200 years, and the other 20% takes around 30,000 years to vanish.

• Methane- The next greenhouse gas that causes global warming (15%) is Methane. This gas is produced by activities like sewage treatment, oil distribution, livestock production, natural gas, coal mining, and agriculture. In fact, it lasts for 12 years on average in the atmosphere.

• Halogenated Compounds- Speaking about the next greenhouse gases contributing to global warming, halogenated compounds like NF3, SF6, PFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, and CFCs are responsible for 11%. In fact, these are generated due to chemical productions by different sectors such as metallurgy, electronic equipment, electric equipment, air conditioning, refrigeration, medicine, etc. Depending on the compound type, their duration in the atmosphere varies from a couple of months to 10,000 years.

• Tropospheric Ozone- This greenhouse gas contributes 11% to global warming. This is created due to the reaction between different compounds and gases. These are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and Volatile Organic Compounds, providing off during the fuel-burning process. Moreover, these gases do not last for long in the atmosphere.

• Nitrous Oxide- Final in the list of greenhouse gases that cause global warming is nitrous oxide. This gas contributes 11% to global warming. This gas usually comes from sewage treatment, chemical production, fuel use, and fertilizers. Moreover, it lasts in the environment for around 114 years.

Avoiding Generation Greenhouse Effect Gases

In order to avoid global warming, it is vital to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. So, here the best way is to switch to renewable energies that generate clean electricity without polluting the air or harming the environment. Moreover, renewable sources of energy also help preserve forests and oceans that are organic carbon sinks absorbing CO2 in the environment. If you want to know more about greenhouse gases and their effect on global warming and how you can contribute to reducing global warming, read more articles at Traktual.

As a new transport system, Traktual works in both urban and rural areas, ensuring green transport accessible to everyone. The main focus is to reduce the footprint of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.