essay on green house effect in 150 words

Essay on Greenhouse Effect for Students and Children

500 words essay on greenhouse effect.

The past month, July of 2019, has been the hottest month in the records of human history. This means on a global scale, the average climate and temperatures are now seen a steady rise year-on-year. The culprits of this climate change phenomenon are mainly pollution , overpopulation and general disregard for the environment by the human race. However, we can specifically point to two phenomenons that contribute to the rising temperatures – global warming and the greenhouse effect. Let us see more about them in this essay on the greenhouse effect.

The earth’s surface is surrounded by an envelope of the air we call the atmosphere. Gasses in this atmosphere trap the infrared radiation of the sun which generates heat on the surface of the earth. In an ideal scenario, this effect causes the temperature on the earth to be around 15c. And without such a phenomenon life could not sustain on earth.

However, due to rapid industrialization and rising pollution, the emission of greenhouse gases has increased multifold over the last few centuries. This, in turn, causes more radiation to be trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. And as a consequence, the temperature on the surface of the planet steadily rises. This is what we refer to when we talk about the man-made greenhouse effect.

Causes of Greenhouse Effect

As we saw earlier in this essay on the greenhouse effect, the phenomenon itself is naturally occurring and an important one to sustain life on our planet. However, there is an anthropogenic part of this effect. This is caused due to the activities of man.

The most prominent among this is the burning of fossil fuels . Our industries, vehicles, factories, etc are overly reliant on fossil fuels for their energy and power. This has caused an immense increase in emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfides, etc. This has multiplied the greenhouse effect and we have seen a steady rise in surface temperatures.

Other harmful activities such as deforestation, excessive urbanization, harmful agricultural practices, etc. have also led to the release of excess carbon dioxide and made the greenhouse effect more prominent. Another harmful element that causes harm to the environment is CFC (chlorofluorocarbon).

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Some Effects of Greenhouse Effect

Even after overwhelming proof, there are still people who deny the existence of climate change and its devastating pitfalls. However, there are so many effects and pieces of evidence of climate change it is now undeniable. The surface temperature of the planet has risen by 1c since the 19th century. This change is largely due to the increased emissions of carbon dioxide. The most harm has been seen in the past 35 years in particular.

The oceans and the seas have absorbed a lot of this increased heat. The surfaces of these oceans have seen a rise in temperatures of 0.4c. The ice sheets and glaciers are also rapidly shrinking. The rate at which the ice caps melt in Antartica has tripled in the last decade itself. These alarming statistics and facts are proof of the major disaster we face in the form of climate change.

600 Words Essay on Greenhouse Effect

A Greenhouse , as the term suggests, is a structure made of glass which is designed to trap heat inside. Thus, even on cold chilling winter days, there is warmth inside it. Similarly, Earth also traps energy from the Sun and prevents it from escaping back. The greenhouse gases or the molecules present in the atmosphere of the Earth trap the heat of the Sun. This is what we know as the Greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse Gases

These gases or molecules are naturally present in the atmosphere of the Earth. However, they are also released due to human activities. These gases play a vital role in trapping the heat of the Sun and thereby gradually warming the temperature of Earth. The Earth is habitable for humans due to the equilibrium of the energy it receives and the energy that it reflects back to space.

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect

The trapping and emission of radiation by the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere is known as the Greenhouse effect. Without this process, Earth will either be very cold or very hot, which will make life impossible on Earth.

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. Due to wrong human activities such as clearing forests, burning fossil fuels, releasing industrial gas in the atmosphere, etc., the emission of greenhouse gases is increasing.

Thus, this has, in turn, resulted in global warming . We can see the effects due to these like extreme droughts, floods, hurricanes, landslides, rise in sea levels, etc. Global warming is adversely affecting our biodiversity, ecosystem and the life of the people. Also, the Himalayan glaciers are melting due to this.

There are broadly two causes of the greenhouse effect:

I. Natural Causes

• Some components that are present on the Earth naturally produce greenhouse gases. For example, carbon dioxide is present in the oceans, decaying of plants due to forest fires and the manure of some animals produces methane , and nitrogen oxide is present in water and soil.
• Water Vapour raises the temperature by absorbing energy when there is a rise in the humidity.
• Humans and animals breathe oxygen and release carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

II. Man-made Causes

• Burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal emits carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which causes an excessive greenhouse effect. Also, while digging a coal mine or an oil well, methane is released from the Earth, which pollutes it.
• Trees with the help of the process of photosynthesis absorb the carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to deforestation the carbon dioxide level is continuously increasing. This is also a major cause of the increase in the greenhouse effect.
• In order to get maximum yield, the farmers use artificial nitrogen in their fields. This releases nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere.
• Industries release harmful gases in the atmosphere like methane, carbon dioxide , and fluorine gas. These also enhance global warming.

All the countries of the world are facing the ill effects of global warming. The Government and non-governmental organizations need to take appropriate and concrete measures to control the emission of toxic greenhouse gases. They need to promote the greater use of renewable energy and forestation. Also, it is the duty of every individual to protect the environment and not use such means that harm the atmosphere. It is the need of the hour to protect our environment else that day is not far away when life on Earth will also become difficult.

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What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by substances known as 'greenhouse gases.' Imagine these gases as a cozy blanket enveloping our planet, helping to maintain a warmer temperature than it would have otherwise. Greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor. Water vapor, which reacts to temperature changes, is referred to as a 'feedback', because it amplifies the effect of forces that initially caused the warming.

Scientists have determined that carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of Earth's atmosphere. If carbon dioxide were removed, the terrestrial greenhouse effect would collapse, and Earth's surface temperature would drop significantly, by approximately 33°C (59°F).

Greenhouse gases are part of Earth's atmosphere. This is why Earth is often called the 'Goldilocks' planet – its conditions are just right, not too hot or too cold, allowing life to thrive. Part of what makes Earth so amenable is its natural greenhouse effect, which maintains an average temperature of 15 ° C (59 ° F) . However, in the last century, human activities, primarily from burning fossil fuels that have led to the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, have disrupted Earth's energy balance. This has led to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and ocean. The level of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has been rising consistently for decades and traps extra heat near Earth's surface, causing temperatures to rise.

• The Greenhouse Effect (UCAR)
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What is global warming, explained

The planet is heating up—and fast.

Glaciers are melting , sea levels are rising, cloud forests are dying , and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace. It has become clear that humans have caused most of the past century's warming by releasing heat-trapping gases as we power our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years .

We often call the result global warming, but it is causing a set of changes to the Earth's climate, or long-term weather patterns, that varies from place to place. While many people think of global warming and climate change as synonyms , scientists use “climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems—in part because some areas actually get cooler in the short term.

Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events , shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas , and a range of other impacts. All of those changes are emerging as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, changing the rhythms of climate that all living things have come to rely on.

What will we do—what can we do—to slow this human-caused warming? How will we cope with the changes we've already set into motion? While we struggle to figure it all out, the fate of the Earth as we know it—coasts, forests, farms, and snow-capped mountains—hangs in the balance.

Understanding the greenhouse effect

The "greenhouse effect" is the warming that happens when certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat . These gases let in light but keep heat from escaping, like the glass walls of a greenhouse, hence the name.

Sunlight shines onto the Earth's surface, where the energy is absorbed and then radiate back into the atmosphere as heat. In the atmosphere, greenhouse gas molecules trap some of the heat, and the rest escapes into space. The more greenhouse gases concentrate in the atmosphere, the more heat gets locked up in the molecules.

Scientists have known about the greenhouse effect since 1824, when Joseph Fourier calculated that the Earth would be much colder if it had no atmosphere. This natural greenhouse effect is what keeps the Earth's climate livable. Without it, the Earth's surface would be an average of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) cooler.

A polar bear stands sentinel on Rudolf Island in Russia’s Franz Josef Land archipelago, where the perennial ice is melting.

In 1895, the Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius discovered that humans could enhance the greenhouse effect by making carbon dioxide , a greenhouse gas. He kicked off 100 years of climate research that has given us a sophisticated understanding of global warming.

Levels of greenhouse gases have gone up and down over the Earth's history, but they had been fairly constant for the past few thousand years. Global average temperatures had also stayed fairly constant over that time— until the past 150 years . Through the burning of fossil fuels and other activities that have emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases, particularly over the past few decades, humans are now enhancing the greenhouse effect and warming Earth significantly, and in ways that promise many effects , scientists warn.

Aren't temperature changes natural?

Human activity isn't the only factor that affects Earth's climate. Volcanic eruptions and variations in solar radiation from sunspots, solar wind, and the Earth's position relative to the sun also play a role. So do large-scale weather patterns such as El Niño .

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But climate models that scientists use to monitor Earth’s temperatures take those factors into account. Changes in solar radiation levels as well as minute particles suspended in the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions , for example, have contributed only about two percent to the recent warming effect. The balance comes from greenhouse gases and other human-caused factors, such as land use change .

The short timescale of this recent warming is singular as well. Volcanic eruptions , for example, emit particles that temporarily cool the Earth's surface. But their effect lasts just a few years. Events like El Niño also work on fairly short and predictable cycles. On the other hand, the types of global temperature fluctuations that have contributed to ice ages occur on a cycle of hundreds of thousands of years.

For thousands of years now, emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere have been balanced out by greenhouse gases that are naturally absorbed. As a result, greenhouse gas concentrations and temperatures have been fairly stable, which has allowed human civilization to flourish within a consistent climate.

Greenland is covered with a vast amount of ice—but the ice is melting four times faster than thought, suggesting that Greenland may be approaching a dangerous tipping point, with implications for global sea-level rise.

Now, humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution. Changes that have historically taken thousands of years are now happening over the course of decades .

Why does this matter?

The rapid rise in greenhouse gases is a problem because it’s changing the climate faster than some living things can adapt to. Also, a new and more unpredictable climate poses unique challenges to all life.

Historically, Earth's climate has regularly shifted between temperatures like those we see today and temperatures cold enough to cover much of North America and Europe with ice. The difference between average global temperatures today and during those ice ages is only about 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), and the swings have tended to happen slowly, over hundreds of thousands of years.

But with concentrations of greenhouse gases rising, Earth's remaining ice sheets such as Greenland and Antarctica are starting to melt too . That extra water could raise sea levels significantly, and quickly. By 2050, sea levels are predicted to rise between one and 2.3 feet as glaciers melt.

As the mercury rises, the climate can change in unexpected ways. In addition to sea levels rising, weather can become more extreme . This means more intense major storms, more rain followed by longer and drier droughts—a challenge for growing crops—changes in the ranges in which plants and animals can live, and loss of water supplies that have historically come from glaciers.

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• Essay on Global Warming

Essay On Global Warming

Essay on global warming is an important topic for students to understand. The essay brings to light the plight of the environment and the repercussion of anthropogenic activities. Continue reading to discover tips and tricks for writing an engaging and interesting essay on global warming.

Essay On Global Warming in 300 Words

Global warming is a phenomenon where the earth’s average temperature rises due to increased amounts of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and ozone trap the incoming radiation from the sun. This effect creates a natural “blanket”, which prevents the heat from escaping back into the atmosphere. This effect is called the greenhouse effect.

Contrary to popular belief, greenhouse gases are not inherently bad. In fact, the greenhouse effect is quite important for life on earth. Without this effect, the sun’s radiation would be reflected back into the atmosphere, freezing the surface and making life impossible. However, when greenhouse gases in excess amounts get trapped, serious repercussions begin to appear. The polar ice caps begin to melt, leading to a rise in sea levels. Furthermore, the greenhouse effect is accelerated when polar ice caps and sea ice melts. This is due to the fact the ice reflects 50% to 70% of the sun’s rays back into space, but without ice, the solar radiation gets absorbed. Seawater reflects only 6% of the sun’s radiation back into space. What’s more frightening is the fact that the poles contain large amounts of carbon dioxide trapped within the ice. If this ice melts, it will significantly contribute to global warming. 

A related scenario when this phenomenon goes out of control is the runaway-greenhouse effect. This scenario is essentially similar to an apocalypse, but it is all too real. Though this has never happened in the earth’s entire history, it is speculated to have occurred on Venus. Millions of years ago, Venus was thought to have an atmosphere similar to that of the earth. But due to the runaway greenhouse effect, surface temperatures around the planet began rising. 

If this occurs on the earth, the runaway greenhouse effect will lead to many unpleasant scenarios – temperatures will rise hot enough for oceans to evaporate. Once the oceans evaporate, the rocks will start to sublimate under heat. In order to prevent such a scenario, proper measures have to be taken to stop climate change.

More to Read: Learn How Greenhouse Effect works

Tips To Writing the Perfect Essay

Consider adopting the following strategies when writing an essay. These are proven methods of securing more marks in an exam or assignment.

• Begin the essay with an introductory paragraph detailing the history or origin of the given topic.
• Try to reduce the use of jargons. Use sparingly if the topic requires it.
• Ensure that the content is presented in bulleted points wherever appropriate.
• Insert and highlight factual data, such as dates, names and places.
• Remember to break up the content into smaller paragraphs. 100-120 words per paragraph should suffice.
• Always conclude the essay with a closing paragraph.

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Sample essay on global warming

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ECONLIB CEE

Greenhouse Effect

By thomas schelling.

By Thomas Schelling,

What Is It?

The “greenhouse effect” is a complicated process by which the earth is becoming progressively warmer. The earth is bathed in sunlight, some of it reflected back into space and some absorbed. If the absorption is not matched by radiation back into space, the earth will get warmer until the intensity of that radiation matches the incoming sunlight. Some atmospheric gases absorb outward infrared radiation, warming the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of these gases; so are methane, nitrous oxide, and the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The concentrations of these gases are increasing, with the result that the earth is absorbing more sunlight and getting warmer.

This greenhouse phenomenon is truly the result of a “global common” (see The Tragedy of the Commons ). Because no one owns the atmosphere, no one has a sufficient incentive to take account of the change to the atmosphere caused by his or her emission of carbon. Also, carbon emitted has the same effect no matter where on earth it happens.

How Serious Is It?

The expected change in global average temperature for a doubling of CO 2 is 1.5 to 4.5 degrees centigrade. But translating a change in temperature into a change in climates is full of uncertainties. Meteorologists predict greater temperature change in the polar regions than near the equator. This change could cause changes in circulation of air and water. The results may be warmer temperatures in some places and colder in others, wetter climates in some places and drier in others.

Temperature is useful as an index of climate change. A band of about one degree covers variations in average temperatures since the last ice age. This means that climates will change more in the next one hundred years than in the last ten thousand. But to put this in perspective, remember that people have been migrating great distances for thousands of years, experiencing changes in climate greater than any being forecast.

The models of global warming project only gradual changes. Climates will “migrate” slowly. The climate of Kansas may become like Oklahoma’s, but not like that of Oregon or Massachusetts. But a caveat is in order: the models probably cannot project discontinuities because nothing goes into them that will produce drastic change. There may be phenomena that could produce drastic changes, but they are not known with enough confidence to introduce into the models.

Carbon dioxide has increased about 25 percent since the onset of the industrial revolution. The global average temperature rose almost half a degree during the first forty years of this century, was level for the next forty, and rose during the eighties. Yet whether or not we are witnessing the greenhouse effect is unknown because other decades-long influences such as changes in solar intensity and in the atmosphere’s particulate matter can obscure any smooth greenhouse trend. In other words, the increase in carbon dioxide will, by itself, cause the greenhouse effect, but other changes in the universe may offset it.

Even if we had confident estimates of climate change for different regions of the world, there would be uncertainties about the kind of world we will have fifty or a hundred years from now. Suppose the kind of climate change expected between now and, say, 2080 had already taken place, since 1900. Ask a seventy-five-year-old farm couple living on the same farm where they were born: would the change in the climate be among the most dramatic changes in either their farming or their lifestyle? The answer most likely would be no. Changes from horses to tractors and from kerosene to electricity would be much more important.

Climate change would have made a vastly greater difference to the way people lived and earned their living in 1900 than today. Today, little of our gross domestic product is produced outdoors, and therefore, little is susceptible to climate. Agriculture and forestry are less than 3 percent of total output, and little else is much affected. Even if agricultural productivity declined by a third over the next half-century, the per capita GNP we might have achieved by 2050 we would still achieve in 2051. Considering that agricultural productivity in most parts of the world continues to improve (and that many crops may benefit directly from enhanced photosynthesis due to increased carbon dioxide), it is not at all certain that the net impact on agriculture will be negative or much noticed in the developed world.

Its Effects on Developing Countries

Climate changes would have greater impact in underdeveloped countries. Agriculture provides the livelihoods of 30 percent or more of the population in much of the developing world. While there is no strong presumption that the climates prevailing in different regions fifty or a hundred years from now will be less conducive to food production, those people are vulnerable in a way that Americans and west Europeans are not. Nor can the impact on their health be dismissed. Parasitic and other vectorborne diseases affecting hundreds of millions of people are sensitive to climate.

Yet the trend in developing countries is to be less dependent on agriculture. If per capita income in such countries grows in the next forty years as rapidly as it has in the forty just past, vulnerability to climate change should diminish. This is pertinent to whether developing countries should make sacrifices to minimize the emission of gases that may change climate to their disadvantage. Their best defense against climate change will be their own continued development.

Population is an important factor. Carbon emissions in developing countries rise with population. For instance, if China holds population growth to near zero for the next couple of generations, it may do as much for the earth’s atmosphere as would a heroic anticarbon program coupled with 2 percent annual population growth. Furthermore, the most likely adverse impact of climate change would be on food production, and in the poorest parts of the world the adequacy of food depends on the number of mouths.

Why Should Developed Countries Do Anything?

Why might developed countries care enough about climate to do anything about it? The answer depends on how much people in developed countries care about people in developing countries and on how expensive it is to do something worthwhile. Abatement programs in a number of econometric models suggest that doing something worthwhile would cost about 2 percent of GNP in perpetuity. Two percent of the U.S. GNP is over $100 billion a year, and that is an annual cost that would continue forever.

One argument for doing something is that the developing countries are vulnerable, and we care about their well-being. But if the developed countries were prepared to invest, say, $200 billion a year in greenhouse gas abatement, explicitly for the benefit of developing countries fifty years or more from now, the developing countries would probably clamor, understandably, to receive the resources immediately in support of their continued development.

A second argument is that our natural environment may be severely damaged. This is the crux of the political debate over the greenhouse effect, but it is an issue that no one really understands. It is difficult to know how to value what is at risk, and difficult even to know just what is at risk. The benefits of slowing climate change by some particular amount are even more uncertain.

A third argument is that the conclusion I reported earlier—that climates will change slowly and not much—may be wrong. The models do not produce surprises. The possibility has to be considered that some atmospheric or oceanic circulatory systems may flip to alternative equilibria, producing regional changes that are sudden and extreme. A currently discussed possibility is in the way oceans behave. If the gulf stream flipped into a new pattern, the climatic consequences might be sudden and severe. (Paradoxically, global warming might severely cool western Europe.)

Is 2 percent of GNP forever, to postpone the doubling of carbon in the atmosphere, a big number or a small one? That depends on what the comparison is. A better question—assuming we were prepared to spend 2 percent of GNP to reduce the damage from climate change—is whether we might find better uses for the money.

I mentioned one such use—directly investing to improve the economies of the poorer countries. Another would be direct investment in preserving species or ecosystems or wilderness areas, if the alternative is to invest trillions in the reduction of carbon emissions.

What Solutions Are Proposed?

What can be done to reduce or offset carbon emissions? Reducing energy use and the carbon content of energy have received most of the attention. There are other possibilities. Trees store carbon. A new forest will absorb carbon until it reaches maturity; it then holds its carbon but does not absorb more. The area available for reforestation throughout the world suggests that reforestation can contribute, but not much.

Stopping or slowing deforestation is important for other reasons but is quantitatively more important than reforestation, partly because forest subsoils typically contain carbon greater than the amount in the trees themselves, and this carbon is subject to oxidation when the trees are removed.

Also, substances or objects can be put in orbit or in the stratosphere to reflect incoming sunlight. Some of these are as apparently innocuous as stimulating cloud formation and some as dramatic as huge mylar balloons in low earth orbit. If in decades to come the greenhouse impact confirms the more alarmist expectations, and if the costs of reducing emissions prove unmanageable, some of these “geoengineering” options will invite attention.

The main responses will be to adapt as the climate changes and to reduce carbon emissions. (CFCs are potent greenhouse gases and, if unchecked, might have rivaled carbon dioxide in decades to come. International actions to reduce or eliminate CFCs are making progress and are among the cheapest ways of reducing greenhouse emissions.)

It is improbable that the developing world, at least for the next several decades, will incur any significant sacrifice in the interest of reduced carbon, nor would it be advisable. Financing energy conservation, energy efficiency, and a switch from high-carbon to lower-carbon or noncarbon fuels in Asia and Africa would not only be a major economic enterprise, but also a complex effort in international diplomacy and politics. If successful, it would increase the costs to the developed world by at least another percent or two on top of the 2 percent I mentioned.

A universal carbon tax is a popular proposal among economists because it promises an efficient solution. A carbon tax set equally for all users worldwide would achieve a given reduction in the use of carbon at the lowest cost. If user A values his use of one ton of carbon at two thousand dollars more than its net-of-tax price, and if the tax is four hundred dollars per ton, he will continue to use the carbon because doing so is worthwhile. If user B values his use of one ton at only three hundred dollars more than the net-of-tax price, the tax will induce him to end his use. Thus the tax would eliminate the lowest-valued uses of carbon and would leave the highest-valued ones in place. A carbon tax would require no negotiation except over a tax rate and a formula for distributing the proceeds. But a tax rate that made a big dent in the greenhouse problem would have to be equivalent to around a dollar per gallon on motor fuel, and for the United States alone such a tax on coal, petroleum, and natural gas would currently yield close to half a trillion dollars per year in revenue, almost 10 percent of our GNP. It is doubtful that any greenhouse taxing agency would be allowed to collect that kind of revenue, or that a treaty requiring the United States to levy internal carbon taxation at that level would be ratified.

Tradable permits have been proposed as an alternative to the tax. The main possibilities are estimating “reasonable” emissions country by country and establishing commensurate quotas, or distributing tradable rights in accordance with some “equitable” criterion. Depending on how restrictive the emission rights might be, the latter amounts to distributing trillions of dollars (in present value terms), an unlikely prospect. If quotas are negotiated to correspond to countries’ currently “reasonable” emissions levels, they will surely be renegotiated every few years, and selling an emissions right will be perceived as evidence that a quota was initially too generous.

A helpful model for conceptualizing a greenhouse regime among the richer countries is the negotiations among the nations of Western Europe for distributing Marshall Plan aid after World War II. There was never a formula or explicit criterion, such as equalizing living standards, maximizing aggregate growth, or establishing a floor under levels of living. Baseline dollar-balance-of-payments deficits were a point of departure, but the negotiations took into account other factors such as investment needs and traditional consumption levels. The United States insisted that the recipients argue out and agree on shares. In the end they did not quite make it, the United States having to make the final allocation. But all the submission of data and open argument led, if not to consensus, to a reasonable appreciation of each nation’s needs. Distribution of Marshall Plan funds is the only model of multilateral negotiation involving resources commensurate with the cost of greenhouse abatement. (In the first year Marshall Plan funds were about 1.5 percent of U.S. GNP and—adjusting for overvalued currencies—probably 5 percent of recipient countries’ GNP.)

What the Marshall Plan model suggests is that the participants in a greenhouse regime would submit for each other’s scrutiny and cross-examination plans for reducing carbon emissions. The plans would be accompanied by estimates of emissions, but any commitments would be to the policies, not the emissions.

The alternative is commitments to specific levels of emissions. Because target dates would be a decade or two in the future, monitoring a country’s progress would be more ambiguous than monitoring the implementation of policies.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thomas C. Schelling is a professor of economics at the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs in College Park. For most of his professional life he was an economics professor at Harvard University. In 1991 he was president of the American Economic Association. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ausubel, Jesse. “Does Climate Still Matter?” Nature 350, April 25, 1991, 649-52.

Cline, William R. The Greenhouse Effect: Global Economic Consequences. 1992.

Congressional Budget Office. Carbon Charges as a Response to Global Warming: The Effects of Taxing Fossil Fuels. 1990.

Dornbush, Rudiger, and James M. Poterba. Global Warming: Economic Policy Responses. 1991.

Nordhaus, William D. “The Cost of Slowing Climate Change: A Survey.” Energy Journal 12, no. 1 (1991): 37-66.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Robert Bradley and Richard Fulmer, Those Old Oil Company Ads: Misleading, False, or Simply Reasonable? at Econlib, March 2, 2022.

Bryan Caplan, The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels: We Can Live With Warming , at EconLog, December 12, 2014.

Robert Murphy, The Economics of Climate Change , at Econlib, July 2009.

Pedro Schwartz, Climate Change: A Tragedy of the Commons? at Econlib, March 2020.

Pedro Schwartz, Climate Change: What is (Not) To Be Done , at Econlib, April 2020.

Judith Curry on Climate Change , EconTak podcast, December 23, 2013.

Martin Weitzman on Climate Change , EconTalk podcast, June 1, 2015.

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Essay on Climate Change: Check Samples in 100, 250 Words

• Updated on  
• Sep 21, 2023

Writing an essay on climate change is crucial to raise awareness and advocate for action. The world is facing environmental challenges, so in a situation like this such essay topics can serve as s platform to discuss the causes, effects, and solutions to this pressing issue. They offer an opportunity to engage readers in understanding the urgency of mitigating climate change for the sake of our planet’s future.

Must Read: Essay On Environment  

Table of Contents

• 1 What Is Climate Change?
• 2 What are the Causes of Climate Change?
• 3 What are the effects of Climate Change?
• 4 How to fight climate change?
• 5 Essay On Climate Change in 100 Words
• 6 Climate Change Sample Essay 250 Words

What Is Climate Change?

Climate change is the significant variation of average weather conditions becoming, for example, warmer, wetter, or drier—over several decades or longer. It may be natural or anthropogenic. However, in recent times, it’s been in the top headlines due to escalations caused by human interference.

What are the Causes of Climate Change?

Obama at the First Session of COP21 rightly quoted “We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change, and the last generation that can do something about it.”.Identifying the causes of climate change is the first step to take in our fight against climate change. Below stated are some of the causes of climate change:

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Mainly from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) for energy and transportation.
• Deforestation: The cutting down of trees reduces the planet’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.
• Industrial Processes: Certain manufacturing activities release potent greenhouse gases.
• Agriculture: Livestock and rice cultivation emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

What are the effects of Climate Change?

Climate change poses a huge risk to almost all life forms on Earth. The effects of climate change are listed below:

• Global Warming: Increased temperatures due to trapped heat from greenhouse gases.
• Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels: Ice caps and glaciers melt, causing oceans to rise.
• Extreme Weather Events: More frequent and severe hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires.
• Ocean Acidification: Oceans absorb excess CO2, leading to more acidic waters harming marine life.
• Disrupted Ecosystems: Shifting climate patterns disrupt habitats and threaten biodiversity.
• Food and Water Scarcity: Altered weather affects crop yields and strains water resources.
• Human Health Risks: Heat-related illnesses and the spread of diseases.
• Economic Impact: Damage to infrastructure and increased disaster-related costs.
• Migration and Conflict: Climate-induced displacement and resource competition.

How to fight climate change?

‘Climate change is a terrible problem, and it absolutely needs to be solved. It deserves to be a huge priority,’ says Bill Gates. The below points highlight key actions to combat climate change effectively.

• Energy Efficiency: Improve energy efficiency in all sectors.
• Protect Forests: Stop deforestation and promote reforestation.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Adopt eco-friendly farming practices.
• Advocacy: Raise awareness and advocate for climate-friendly policies.
• Innovation: Invest in green technologies and research.
• Government Policies: Enforce climate-friendly regulations and targets.
• Corporate Responsibility: Encourage sustainable business practices.
• Individual Action: Reduce personal carbon footprint and inspire others.

Essay On Climate Change in 100 Words

Climate change refers to long-term alterations in Earth’s climate patterns, primarily driven by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to global warming. The consequences of climate change are widespread and devastating. Rising temperatures cause polar ice caps to melt, contributing to sea level rise and threatening coastal communities. Extreme weather events, like hurricanes and wildfires, become more frequent and severe, endangering lives and livelihoods. Additionally, shifts in weather patterns can disrupt agriculture, leading to food shortages. To combat climate change, global cooperation, renewable energy adoption, and sustainable practices are crucial for a more sustainable future.

Must Read: Essay On Global Warming

Climate Change Sample Essay 250 Words

Climate change represents a pressing global challenge that demands immediate attention and concerted efforts. Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have significantly increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This results in a greenhouse effect, trapping heat and leading to a rise in global temperatures, commonly referred to as global warming.

The consequences of climate change are far-reaching and profound. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities, displacing millions and endangering vital infrastructure. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires, have become more frequent and severe, causing devastating economic and human losses. Disrupted ecosystems affect biodiversity and the availability of vital resources, from clean water to agricultural yields.

Moreover, climate change has serious implications for food and water security. Changing weather patterns disrupt traditional farming practices and strain freshwater resources, potentially leading to conflicts over access to essential commodities.

Addressing climate change necessitates a multifaceted approach. First, countries must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the transition to renewable energy sources, increased energy efficiency, and reforestation efforts. International cooperation is crucial to set emission reduction targets and hold nations accountable for meeting them.

In conclusion, climate change is a global crisis with profound and immediate consequences. Urgent action is needed to mitigate its impacts and secure a sustainable future for our planet. By reducing emissions and implementing adaptation strategies, we can protect vulnerable communities, preserve ecosystems, and ensure a livable planet for future generations. The time to act is now.

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in Earth’s climate patterns, primarily driven by human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

Five key causes of climate change include excessive greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, notably burning fossil fuels and deforestation. 

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Essay Service Examples Environment Global Warming

Cause and Effect Essay on Global Warming

Table of contents

Global warming essay 1 (100 words), global warming essay 2 (150 words), introduction, the problem of global warming, global warming essay 3 (200 words), what is global warming, reasons for global warming, global warming essay 4 (500 words), what are the causes of global warming, how can you reduce global warming, global warming essay 5 (600 words), what are the global warming factors, how can global warming be stopped, how can global warming be lowered, global warming essay 6 (2500 words), causes of global warming, effects of global warming on human health, dengue fever, asthma, dysentery, ebola, lyme, sleeping sickness and intestinal parasites, other effects on health, opposing opinions, solutions to global warming.

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• Transition to Renewable Energy: Shifting from fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging the adoption of renewable energy through government policies and incentives, as well as supporting research and development in this field, is crucial.
• Energy Efficiency: Improving energy efficiency in homes, industries, and transportation can lower energy consumption and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved through measures such as using energy-efficient appliances, properly insulating buildings, promoting public transportation, and adopting fuel-efficient vehicles.
• Sustainable Land Use and Forest Conservation: Protecting and restoring forests is essential in combating global warming. Trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen, acting as natural carbon sinks. Reducing deforestation and implementing sustainable land use practices, such as afforestation and reforestation, can help mitigate the impacts of climate change.
• Waste Reduction and Recycling: The improper disposal of waste, particularly organic waste in landfills, leads to the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Encouraging waste reduction, recycling, and composting can significantly reduce methane emissions and contribute to combating global warming.
• Climate-Friendly Agriculture: Implementing sustainable agricultural practices, such as precision farming, agroforestry, and organic farming, can minimize greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector. These practices also help improve soil health, water conservation, and biodiversity.
• Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the causes and consequences of global warming is crucial. Education empowers individuals to make informed choices, adopt sustainable practices, and demand policy changes that prioritize climate action. Governments, educational institutions, and civil society organizations should collaborate to promote climate literacy at all levels.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The primary factor driving global warming is the excessive release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun, resulting in a gradual rise in Earth's temperature.
• Deforestation: The rampant destruction of forests contributes significantly to global warming. Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. However, deforestation disrupts this balance, releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere and reducing the planet's capacity to absorb greenhouse gases.
• Industrial Activities: The burning of fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, for energy production and transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The combustion process releases vast amounts of CO2, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and intensifying global warming.
• Transition to Renewable Energy Sources: Shifting away from fossil fuels and investing in renewable energy technologies is crucial in combating global warming. Governments and businesses must prioritize the development and adoption of clean energy alternatives such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Incentives and subsidies can encourage the rapid transition to sustainable energy systems.
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation: Reducing energy consumption through improved efficiency and conservation measures can play a significant role in curbing global warming. Promoting energy-efficient appliances, implementing building codes that encourage energy conservation, and raising awareness about responsible energy usage are effective strategies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reforestation and Forest Conservation: Protecting existing forests and undertaking large-scale reforestation efforts are vital to combat global warming. Trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen, acting as natural carbon sinks. Governments should implement policies that discourage deforestation and promote sustainable land management practices. Additionally, afforestation programs can help restore degraded ecosystems and enhance carbon sequestration.
• Sustainable Agriculture Practices: The agricultural sector is a significant contributor to global warming through practices such as excessive fertilizer use and livestock methane emissions. Implementing sustainable farming techniques, such as precision agriculture and organic farming, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote soil health. Additionally, promoting plant-based diets can help reduce methane emissions from livestock.
• Transportation Reforms: The transportation sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles, improving public transportation infrastructure, and promoting alternative modes of transportation like cycling and walking can significantly reduce carbon emissions. Governments should also invest in the development of sustainable fuels and promote fuel efficiency standards.
• International Cooperation: Global warming is a global challenge that requires collective action. Governments, international organizations, and civil society must collaborate to establish binding agreements and frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives such as the Paris Agreement serve as crucial platforms for international cooperation, aiming to limit global temperature rise and foster resilience to climate change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to prevent global warming?

To prevent global warming, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Additionally, we should promote energy efficiency, conserve resources, protect forests, and adopt sustainable practices in agriculture and transportation. Global cooperation and individual actions are crucial in mitigating climate change.

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global warming summary

Learn about the causes and effects of global warming.

global warming , Increase in the global average surface temperature resulting from enhancement of the greenhouse effect, primarily by air pollution . In 2007 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecast that by 2100 global average surface temperatures would increase 3.2–7.2 °F (1.8–4.0 °C), depending on a range of scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions, and stated that it was now 90 percent certain that most of the warming observed over the previous half century could be attributed to greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities (i.e., industrial processes and transportation). Many scientists predict that such an increase in temperature would cause polar ice caps and mountain glaciers to melt rapidly, significantly raising the levels of coastal waters, and would produce new patterns and extremes of drought and rainfall, seriously disrupting food production in certain regions. Other scientists maintain that such predictions are overstated. The 1992 Earth Summit and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change attempted to address the issue of global warming, but in both cases the efforts were hindered by conflicting national economic agendas and disputes between developed and developing nations over the cost and consequences of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

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Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

Last updated on March 29, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

Nowadays we are facing many climate-changing issues like the greenhouse effect and Global Warming.

The greenhouse effect is the way in which heat is trapped close to Earth’s surface by “greenhouse gases.” The greenhouse effect leads to global warming.

Table of Contents

What do you mean by the Greenhouse effect?

A greenhouse is a structure where plants that require controlled climate conditions are grown. Its roof and walls are mostly made of transparent material, like glass.

In a greenhouse what is the incident solar radiation?

Visible light and nearby infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths.

Passes through the glass walls and roof and is absorbed by the ground, the floor, and the contents. As the materials warm up, they release the energy as longer-wavelength infrared radiation (heat radiation).

What is the reason infrared radiation cannot escape through radiative transfer?

Because glass and other wall materials used in greenhouses do not transmit infrared energy.

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The building is not exposed to the atmosphere, so heat cannot escape through convection, causing the greenhouse’s interior temperature to rise. This is known as the ‘greenhouse effect ‘.

Natural Greenhouse Effect: Importance

The greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence that has been taking place on earth for millions of years.

How natural greenhouse effect caused?

The natural greenhouse effect caused by the presence of water vapour and small water particles in the atmosphere has made life on earth possible. Together, these produce more than 95 per cent of total greenhouse warming.

• Average global temperatures are maintained at about 15°C due to the natural greenhouse effect.
• Without this phenomenon, the world’s average temperature could have been as low as -17°C, where life would not have been able to develop.

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

There are multiple gases responsible for the greenhouse effect. They are listed below.

Which gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect?

It is a result of atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapour, and chlorofluorocarbons being able to trap the outgoing infrared radiation from the earth’s surface.

Hence these gases are known as greenhouse gases and the heating effect is known as the greenhouse effect.

Are all oxides of nitrogen greenhouse gas? No

Oxides of Nitrogen with the general formula NOx – NO, NO2 – Nitrogen oxide, Nitrogen dioxide, etc. are global cooling gasses while Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas.

• If greenhouse gases are not checked, by the turn of the century the temperature may rise by 5°C.
• According to scientists, this temperature increase will harm the environment and cause unusual climatic changes (like an increase in the frequency of El Nino), which will accelerate the melting of the polar ice caps as well as ice caps in other regions, such as the Himalayas.

Cryosphere: The cryosphere is the frozen water part of the Earth’s water system. Polar regions and snow caps of high mountain ranges are all part of the cryosphere.

How does this impact?

This will cause the sea level to rise over a long period, submerging many coastal areas and causing the loss of coastal habitats, including the most crucial ecosystems in terms of ecological services, such as marshes and swamps.

Gas V/S Sources and Causes

Carbon dioxide (CO2) : Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) : Refrigeration, solvents, insulation foams, aero propellants, industrial and commercial uses

Methane (CH4) : Growing paddy, excreta of cattle and other livestock, termites, burning of fossil fuel, wood, landfills, wetlands, and fertilizer factories.

Nitrogen oxides (N2O) : Burning of fossil fuels, and fertilizers; burning of wood and crop residue.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) : Iron ore smelting, burning of fossil fuels, burning e-waste.

Carbon dioxide

• In terms of meteorology, carbon dioxide is a very significant gas because it is transparent to solar radiation coming in but opaque to radiation leaving the earth.
• A portion of the radiation from the earth’s surface is reflected toward the surface after being partially absorbed by it. The greenhouse effect can be largely attributed to it.
• Its concentration is greater close to the earth’s surface as it is denser than air.
• Ozone is another important greenhouse gas. But it is in very small proportions at the surface.
• Most of it is confined to the stratosphere where it absorbs harmful UV radiation.
• Pollutants such as NO2 react with volatile organic compounds at ground level in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone (tropospheric ozone).

Water vapour

Why does water vapour consider a unique greenhouse gas?

Because it absorbs both incoming (part of incoming) and outgoing solar radiation.

It may account for four per cent of the air by volume in the warm and wet tropics, while it may account for less than one per cent of the air in the dry and cold desert and polar regions.

• Water vapour is also a variable gas in the atmosphere, which decreases with altitude.
• Water vapour also decreases from the equator towards the poles.
• Methane is the most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
• It is produced from the decomposition of animal wastes and biological matter.
• The emission of this gas can be restricted by producing gobar gas from animal waste and biological matter (methane).

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

• N2O or Nitrous Oxide is a greenhouse gas.
• NO and NO2 (nitric oxide or nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emissions cause global cooling by forming (OH) radicals that destroy methane molecules, thereby offsetting the effect of GHGs.

Carbon Monoxide

• Carbon monoxide is a short-lived greenhouse gas (it is less dense than air).
• It has an indirect radiative forcing effect by increasing methane and tropospheric ozone concentrations via chemical reactions with other atmospheric constituents (e.g., the hydroxyl radical, OH.) that would otherwise destroy them.
• Through natural processes in the atmosphere, it is eventually oxidized to carbon dioxide.

Fluorinated gases

Chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs).

• Because of their role in ozone depletion (explained in Geography > Climatology > Polar Vortex), CFCs were phased out through the Montreal Protocol.
• This anthropogenic compound is also a greenhouse gas, with a much greater capacity to amplify the greenhouse effect than CO2.

Know more about Montreal Protocol and the Kigali agreement click here:

Hydrofluorocarbons

• Hydrofluorocarbons are used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, solvents, and fire retardants.
• These chemicals were developed as a replacement for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
• Unfortunately, HFCs are potent greenhouse gases with long atmospheric lifetimes.

Perfluorocarbons

• Perfluorocarbons are compounds that are produced as a by-product of aluminum production and semiconductor manufacturing.
• Like HFCs, PFCs generally have long atmospheric lifetimes and high global warming potential.

Sulfur hexafluoride

• Sulfur hexafluoride is also a greenhouse gas.
• It is used in the production of magnesium and semiconductors, as well as as a tracer gas for leak detection.
• Sulfur hexafluoride is used in electrical transmission equipment, including circuit breakers.

Black Carbon

• Black carbon (BC) is a solid particle or aerosol (though not a gas) that contributes to global warming.

Is Black carbon and soot are same? Yes

Soot is another name for black carbon. Soot is a form of particulate air pollutant, produced from incomplete combustion.

When deposited on snow and ice, black carbon warms the earth by absorbing heat in the atmosphere and decreasing albedo (the ability to reflect sunlight).

Black carbon is the strongest absorber of sunlight and heats the air directly.

• Furthermore, it darkens snowpacks and glaciers through deposition and causes ice and snow to melt.
• Regionally, Black carbon disrupts cloudiness and monsoon rainfall.
• Black carbon stays in the atmosphere for only several days to weeks.
• As a result, the effects of Black carbon on atmospheric warming and glacier retreat vanish within months of reducing emissions.

Brown Carbon

• As a result, the effects of BC on atmospheric warming and glacier retreat vanish within months of reducing emissions.
• Biomass burning (possibly domestic wood burning) has been identified as a significant source of brown carbon.
• Brown carbon is commonly referred to as a greenhouse gas, while black carbon refers to particles produced by impure combustion, such as soot and dust.

GHG Protocol

• GHG Protocol is creating standards, tools, and online training to assist countries, cities, and businesses in tracking their progress toward their climate goals.
• The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) establishes frameworks for measuring and managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains, and mitigation actions.
• The GHG Protocol arose in the late 1990s when the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) recognized the need for an international standard for corporate GHG accounting and reporting.

 Global Warming – Impacts

Melting of the ice caps refers to?

Melting of the ice caps and glaciers will lead to a rise in sea level.

The thermal expansion also contributes to sea level rise.

Fertile coastal agricultural lands will be submerged, and saline water intrusions will degrade neighbouring land. Groundwater in such areas will be rendered ineffective.

• Populous cities lying on the coasts will be submerged under the sea.
• Flooding in the Himalayas and Ganga plains during the wet season, and drought during the dry season will have a devastating impact on the country.
• The amount of arable land in the high-latitude region is likely to increase as a result of the melting of snow and the reduction of frozen land.
• At the same time, arable land along the coastlines are bound to be reduced as a result of rising sea level and saline water inundations.

Extreme Climatic Events

• The increased likelihood of extreme events such as heat waves, flooding, hurricanes, and so on will cancel out all economic gains.
• Changes in rainfall patterns (E.g. 2015 Chennai floods, and the 2018 Kerala floods) will severely impact agriculture.

Environmental Degradation

• Reduced hydroelectric power generation due to glacier abnormal behaviour will increase reliance on fossil fuels.
• The widespread extinction of animal populations due to habitat loss will add to the list of ‘threatened’ and ‘extinct’ species.

What are the Rising Health-Related Issues?

• The spread of diseases (like malaria, etc.) in the tropics will put more pressure on the healthcare sector.
• The increased frequency and severity of heat waves and other extreme weather events are expected to increase the number of deaths.
• Lack of freshwater during droughts and contamination of freshwater supplies during floods jeopardize hygiene, increasing the prevalence of diseases such as cholera and diarrhea.

How Biodiversity Loss occurred?

• The loss of plankton due to sea-level rise will harm the marine food chain.
• The bleaching of coral reefs (ocean rainforests) will result in a significant loss of marine biodiversity.
• Rising temperatures would necessitate more fertilizer for the same production targets, resulting in higher GHG emissions, ammonia volatilization, and crop production costs.
• Rising temperatures will have an even greater impact on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of freshwater lakes and rivers, threatening many individual freshwater species.

No Food Security

• Climate change affects crops by influencing irrigation, insolation, and pest prevalence.
• Drought, flood, storm, and cyclone frequency are likely to increase agricultural production variability.
• Crop yields in temperate regions are expected to benefit from moderate warming (an increase of 1 to 3°C in mean temperature), while crops in lower latitudes will suffer.
• However, natural disasters caused by global warming may outweigh the benefits in temperature regions.
• Sea level rise will exacerbate water resource constraints in coastal areas due to increased salinization of groundwater supplies.

Deterioration of Carbon sinks

• High-latitude forests store more carbon than tropical rainforests.
• One-third of the world’s soil-bound carbon is in taiga and tundra areas.
• Permafrost melts as a result of global warming, releasing carbon in the form of carbon dioxide and methane.
• The tundra was a carbon sink in the 1970s, but it is now a carbon source due to global warming. (Global warming causes even more global warming.)

Sea Level Change

• Sea level change means the fluctuations in the mean sea level over a considerably long period.

Processes that cause Change in Sea Level

• Eustatic changes happen when the amount of seawater changes as a result of things like
• global warming and melting of ice sheets (rise in sea level) or ice ages (fall in sea level) and
• changes in the volume of mid-oceanic ridges.

2. Tectonic changes occur due to a change in the level of the land.

• The addition or removal of load causes isostatic changes. During the ice ages, the weight of the glacial ice caused the landmass to sag. On the other hand, as the glacial ice is melted, landmasses rise.
• Epeirogenic movement is caused by the large-scale tilting of continents, which may cause one part of the continent to rise while the other part may sink, giving the appearance that the sea level is rising.
• Orogenic movement (mountain building) results in the formation of lofty mountains and an apparent fall in sea level.

Importance of understanding Sea Level Changes

It provides key evidence regarding climate change in the past. It helps in estimating the rates of tectonic upliftment in the past geological periods.

• to determine whether coastal areas are suitable for industrial and agricultural development.
• To protect low-lying countries by building coastal dykes and embankments.
• Only when we are aware of the areas that will likely be affected by future sea level rise can we map the areas that will likely experience storm surges and intermittent flooding.
• It becomes possible to build tidal power generation facilities in suitable locations by identifying the areas that may soon be submerged.

Changes in Global Sea Level

• Short-term changes occur during a year.
• Commonly, seasonal variations of 5-6 cm in sea level are observed in a year.

Short-term sea level change may be due to a complex interaction of the following factors:

• Marine water density:  Seawater density depends on temperature and salinity. Seawater has a high density due to low temperature and high salinity, which results in a falling sea level.
• Atmospheric pressure: Low pressure results in higher local sea levels and vice versa. E.g. Storm surge.
• The velocity of ocean currents:  The edges of fast-moving ocean currents that follow curved paths experience an increase in sea level.
• Generally, a difference of 18 cm in sea level is observed between the two sides of a fast-flowing current.
• Ice formation and fall in sea level:  Sea levels fall during the winter as a result of ocean water being trapped in the icecaps of the northern and southern hemispheres.
• Piling up of water along windward coasts: As a result of an air mass pushing water toward the coast, the sea level rises locally in coastal areas. For instance, during the monsoon season, sea levels rise in south and east Asia as a result of the air mass moving inland.

The twentieth century has observed short-term global sea level rise due to the following factors.

• Ocean water has expanded thermally in the past century as a result of anthropogenic global warming. In other words, in the last 100 years, the sea level has increased by 10 to 15 cm.
• To some extent, the melting of Antarctica’s ice sheets, which account for about 3% of the world’s total ice mass, has contributed to the rise in sea level.
• About 15% of the Greenland ice cap’s total volume melted during the 20th century.
• Other glaciers are estimated to have contributed about 48% of the rise in sea level globally, in addition to these ice-melt regions.
• Only if the major ice sheets melt or the volume of the world’s mid-oceanic ridge significantly changes are global sea level changes of more than 100 m possible.

Impact of Sea Level Fall

• Coral reefs perish when the sea level drops because the continental shelves where they are formed become dry. Therefore, along the edge of the dead corals, new coral reefs appear.
• The decrease in sea level causes more aridity in the continental hinterland where there are shallow continental shelves because there is less surface runoff.
• Ice caps and glacial tongues spread out onto the continental shelves as a result of a decline in sea levels in temperate and high-latitude regions.

Impact of Possible Rise in Sea Level

If the atmosphere’s temperature rises further, Antarctica’s ice melt could become hazardous soon.

Low-lying, densely populated coastal areas, which make up a significant portion of the populated land, will be submerged. Even the tiny islands will perish.

A rise in sea levels will have an impact on the estimated one billion people living on the planet.

• Immense damage may be caused to coastal structures like ports, industrial establishments, etc.
• Nearly 33% of the world’s croplands may be submerged due to the rise in sea level (coastal plains and deltas are made up of very fertile soils).
• Accelerated coastal erosion may cause damage to and destruction of beaches, coastal dunes, and bars.
• As a consequence, a vast section of the coastal land will remain unprotected against the direct attack of sea waves.
• Groundwater resources of the coastal regions will be severely affected by salinization due to marine water intrusion.

The destruction of the reefs, coral atolls, and deltas will cause significant harm to the ecosystem. On the periphery of the dead corals, new coral reefs will form.

The mouths of drainage basins will be submerged due to the rise in sea level. The long profiles of the rivers will need to be readjusted as a result, and they probably show a rise.

• The recent rise in sea level has had the greatest impact on islands. The Carteret Islands, which are in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Papua New Guinea, and the Tuvalu Islands, which are in the South Pacific about 1000 km north of Fiji, are two of the islands that are impacted.

The United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ) established the “Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme Activity Centre” in 1987 to investigate the phenomenon of sea level rise and to determine which nations are most at risk of submersion.

Reducing Carbon in the Atmosphere to Fight Climate Change.

Half of the world’s electricity is generated by burning coal. Coal will remain a dominant energy source for years to come.

• CO2 and CO (carbon monoxide) are the major greenhouse gas that is released during the burning of coal.
• Along with the above gases, nitrogen oxides (destroys ozone) and sulphur oxides (acid rains) are also released.
• Clean coal technology seeks to reduce harsh environmental effects by using multiple technologies to clean coal and contain its emissions.
• Some clean coal technologies purify the coal before it burns.

One type of coal preparation, coal washing, removes unwanted minerals by mixing crushed coal with a liquid and allowing the impurities to separate and settle.

Other systems control the coal burn to minimize emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates.

• Electrostatic precipitators remove particulates by charging particles with an electrical field and then capturing them on collection plates.
• Gasification avoids burning coal altogether. With gasification, steam and hot pressurized air or oxygen combine with coal in a reaction that forces carbon molecules apart.
• The resulting syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is then cleaned and burned in a gas turbine to make electricity.

Wet scrubbers, or flue gas desulfurization systems, remove sulphur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain, by spraying flue gas with limestone and water.

Low-NOx (nitrogen oxides) burners reduce the creation of nitrogen oxides, a cause of ground-level ozone, by restricting oxygen and manipulating the combustion process.

Carbon capture and storage

‘ Carbon capture and storage catches and sequesters (hides) carbon dioxide (CO2) from stationary sources like power plants.

• Capture: Flue-gas separation removes CO2 and condenses it into a concentrated CO2 stream.
• After capture, secure containers sequester the collected CO2 to prevent or stall its re-entry into the atmosphere.
• The two storage options are geologic and oceanic (must hide the CO2 until peak emissions subside hundreds of years from now).
• Due to this rise in atmospheric carbon, much emphasis has been placed on and hope placed on soil, plants, and trees’ capacity to temporarily store the carbon that burning fossil fuels releases into the atmosphere.
• The Kyoto Protocol, the primary tool used by the international community to stop global warming, suggests that reducing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels while also allowing trees and soil to absorb carbon dioxide is a valid strategy.

Read:  Black carbon emissions

Article Written by: Remya

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