What is Greenhouse Effect?
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs when certain gases in the Earth’s atmosphere trap heat from the Sun, which would otherwise escape into space. These gases, known as greenhouse gases, include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapor. The greenhouse effect is essential for maintaining Earth’s temperature at a habitable level, but an increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities has enhanced this effect and led to global warming.
Long answer
The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon whereby the Earth’s atmosphere allows short-wave solar radiation from the Sun to penetrate through it, but impedes the escape of long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth back into space. This is primarily caused by certain trace gases in the atmosphere called greenhouse gases. When sunlight reaches Earth’s surface, it heats it up, causing it to emit longer wavelengths of infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor absorb some of this outgoing infrared radiation and re-radiate it back towards Earth’s surface.
This process acts like a blanket around the Earth, trapping some of the heat and making our planet warmer than it would be without these gases. Without the natural greenhouse effect, Earth’s average temperature would be around -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit), inhospitably cold for most forms of life. However, since industrialization began, human activities have been rapidly increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Deforestation also contributes because trees play a crucial role in absorbing CO2.
The accumulation of these extra greenhouse gases has intensified the natural greenhouse effect and resulted in an enhanced global warming trend. Global temperatures have been rising significantly since pre-industrial times as a direct consequence of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. This climate change leads to a range of adverse effects, including more frequent and severe heatwaves, changes in precipitation patterns, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and ecosystem disruptions.
To mitigate the harmful impacts of the greenhouse effect and global warming, efforts are underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to cleaner sources of energy. Adopting renewable energy technologies, improving energy efficiency, reforestation initiatives, and international agreements like the Paris Agreement are aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing further disruption to Earth’s climate system.