Learn How Greenhouse Gases Warm the Planet

1. Learn How Greenhouse Gases Warm the Planet Introduction Understanding and responding to the climate problem depend heavily on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data, the atmospheric chemicals that cause global warming & climatic change. The newest Emissions Gap Report (EGR) from the United Nations Environmental Program predicts a sharp comeback in 2021 when emissions are only marginally lower than the record levels in 2019. Despite an initial decline in global GHG emissions data because of COVID-19. While most GHGs emission calculations are produced naturally, anthropogenic activities also contributed to a concerning rise in GHG emissions data and atmospheric concentrations. In consequence, this higher concentration may hurt the climate. Changes in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as storms, flooding, droughts, and wildfires, which affect many people and result in trillion-dollar economic damages, are among the effects. According to the Emissions Gap Report, it will be exceedingly difficult to keep global warming to 1.5°C over the pre-industrial level by the turn of the era if annual GHG emissions are not cut in half by 2030. By the end of the century, the world is on track to see a 2.7 °C increase in global warming over pre-industrial levels based on present unconditional pledges to decrease emissions. What are the major greenhouse gases? The three main GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide. Methane and nitrous oxide only linger inside the atmosphere for a few years, while CO2 can linger for up to 1,000 years. Methane is 80 times more powerful than CO2 in warming the planet when measured over 20 years, whereas nitrous oxide is 280 times more powerful. Many regions of the world still rely on coal, oil, and natural gas for energy. These fuels mostly consist of carbon, and when they are burned to produce heat, electricity, or power transportation, they release CO2, an odorless and colorless gas. 55% of methane emissions created by humans come from coal mining, oil and gas production, and waste landfills. Cows, sheep, and other ungulates that digest food in their stomachs blame about 32% of methane emissions from human activity. Another agricultural origin of the gas is the decomposition of manure and rice farming.

2. Agriculture practices are the main source of nitrous oxide emissions that humans cause. Nitrous oxide is produced naturally by bacteria in water and soil, but fertilizer use and runoff accelerate this process by introducing additional nitrogen into the ecosystem. What are the other greenhouse gases? GHGs that don't naturally occur include fluorinated gases like sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which destroyed the ozone layer and were phased out due to the Montreal Protocol, were replaced by hydrofluorocarbons as refrigerants. Commercial and industrial uses exist for the other gases. Fluorinated gases are potent even though they are much less common than other GHGs emissions data and therefore do not destroy the ozone layer as CFCs do. The global warming potential of fluorinated gases is between 460 and 16,300 times larger than that of CO2 over 20 years. Water vapor is the most prevalent GHG emission calculation in the atmosphere and the main cause of the greenhouse effect. However, approximately all of the atmospheric water vapor is a result of natural processes. Human emissions are quite low and have a minimum overall influence. What is the greenhouse effect? The Earth's surface absorbs incoming solar energy to the tune of 48% and the atmosphere to the tune of 23%. The remaining portion is reflected in space. The planet's temperature is maintained by natural processes, guaranteeing that the amount of entering and outgoing energy equals. However, GHGs emission data are impenetrable to outgoing infrared radiation, in contrast to other atmospheric gases like oxygen and nitrogen. The energy emitted from the surface is trapped in the atmosphere and unable to leave the planet as the quantity of GHGs in the atmosphere rises due to human-caused emissions. This energy comes back to the surface and is reabsorbed there. Since the globe receives more energy than it expels, surface temperatures rise until a new equilibrium is reached. Numerous ecological systems are impacted by this temperature increase, which has long-term effects on the climate. Why Do Greenhouse Gases Warm the Planet? Scientists have been tracking how greenhouse gases affect the planet's temperature for more than a century. Earth's temperature varies naturally, but statistics from the 1800s show a dramatic atmospheric warming trend over the twenty-first century, which can be linked to a rise in human- caused greenhouse gas emissions. One of the key causes of global warming is frequently cited as carbon dioxide.

3. But why would a gas that makes up less than 0.04 percent of the atmosphere be so dangerous? Approximately 70% of the sunlight that enters Earth heats the planet via reception by the land, oceans, and atmosphere. The leftover 30% is returned to space by reflection. Through a process known as infrared radiation or IR, a little portion of the heat that is absorbed is also reflected into space. Although IR is invisible, the temperature can still detect it. When the planet would otherwise be too cold for life forms to exist, a greater part of the heat reflected on the Earth is absorbed by some gases in the atmosphere. During the day, sunlight heats the globe. Greenhouse gases are substances that retain heat that escapes from the Earth's surface at night. Gases such as methane are among the gases that effectively trap 90% of Earth’s heat. The word "greenhouse effect" refers to atmospheric gases like a greenhouse’s glass walls and roof. These walls let in sunlight throughout the day and trap it within during the night and winter, promoting plant development in chilly climates. Similar effects are produced for life on Earth by gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat within the troposphere, the planet's lowest atmosphere. So how can greenhouse gases insulate the globe and absorb radiation? Because they have three or even more atoms, molecules like co2 and methane may twist and vibrate, unlike, for example, N2 and O2, which have just two atoms and makeup nearly 99 percent of the atmosphere. The temperature indicates the energy involved in the matter's molecular motion. Molecules vibrate more when they absorb infrared light energy. The result of this vibration is increased collisions between charged particles. These impacts capture infrared radiation (IR) that is trying to escape the atmosphere. It resembles a game of pinball where the flippers are greenhouse gases, and the ball is infrared radiation. Additionally, the game is more difficult because of the flippers' continual movement and collisions with one another. It becomes increasingly harder for IR to escape as humans metaphorically push more flippers into the atmosphere, ultimately increasing the temperature. What can we do to reduce GHG emissions? To reduce GHG emissions, it is crucial to switch to renewable energy, price carbon, and phase out coal to maintain long-term human health and the environment, stronger gross national income (GNI contributions are ultimately required to hasten this reduction.

4. According to Radka, "We need to put in place strong policies that support the increased objectives." "We can't keep going in the same direction and expect better outcomes. The time for action is now. To cut methane emissions in the fuel, agricultural, and waste sectors by 30% by 2030, over 100 nations have signed the Global Methane Pledge, which was announced by the United States and the European Union during COP26. To stay inside the 1.5°C warming limit, UNEP has proposed its six-sector plan, which can cut 29–32 megatonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030. Additionally, UNEP keeps an online "Climate Note" that uses 1990 as a baseline to show how the climate changes. Despite the difficulties, there are many reasons to be optimistic. Policies implemented between 2010 and 2021 will reduce co2 emissions by 11 gigatons through 2030 compared to what would have happened otherwise. UNEP pushes for effective environmental action and increases awareness through its various global environmental agreements and reports. To set the environmental plan and promote a significant reduction in GHG emissions, UNEP will continue to collaborate closely, including its 193 Member States and other stakeholders.