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GREENHOUSE EFFECT AHD Y2K. What is greenhouse effect?.
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What is greenhouse effect? • The Greenhouse Effect is an extremely vital process where INFRARED (IR) rays from the sun come into the Earth atmosphere. The atmosphere then traps these rays after they have come in (like the glass in a greenhouse) keeping the Earth warm. CO2 (carbon dioxide), NO(nitrous oxide), and CH4(methane) are destroying the atmosphere,
Problems with greenhouse effect. • Having more infrared rays reflected on Earth makes the Earth warmer. As temperatures on Earth rise, so does the ocean water level and the ice caps begin to melt. The worst possible problem would be mass flooding in low lying areas of the Earth including many islands in the ocean which would basically disappear.
Cause of greenhouse effect--population growth • These advances are causing the world's population to double at a much faster rate than ever before.
. Today, the world's population is doubling in 35 to 40 year. • As the human population grows, pollution from human activity also increases. Many activities--such as driving automobiles, farming, manufacturing are causing much pollutants.
Carbon dioxide • Since the Industrial Revolution, thecombustion of fossil fuels has soared. At the same time, the human population has increased, and people have cleared more and more forestland to make room for agriculture.
The deforestation (destruction of forest )leads to still higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When trees are burned, carbondioxide is released. If the plants are not burned, the branches, leaves, bark, roots, and organic material in the soil decay, releasing carbon dioxide and methane.
Nitrogen oxide • Nitrogen oxide is a composed of two nitrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule. It is a bi-product of the natural process of vegetation decay, particularly rice paddies.It is released by nitrogen-based fertilizers which are heavily used today. Nitrogen oxide is also produced by
the burning of coal and the exhaust fromcars. • Nitrogen oxide has the same effects of CFCs, but NO molecules absorb 250timesas much heat as carbon dioxide.
Methane gas • Methane is composed of one carbon molecule and four hydrogen molecules (CH4). It is lighter than air, and flammable. Methane is produced wherever once-living materials decay. It is released from burning forests. It is also produced by animals like cows
during the digestive process. • Since methane has 25 times the heat trapping capability of carbon dioxide, and since methane production is directly related to population growth, methane is a serious contributor to the greenhouse effect.
Ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas. • Carbon dioxide • Nitrogen oxide • Methane gas
Carbon dioxide • Carbon dioxide is usually produced from industry and automobile usage. We can increase automobile efficiency by walking, cycling, or using publictransportation. Also, the electric car may soon be available to the public.
Nitrogen oxide • Nitrous oxide usage can reduced by not using nitrogen-based fertilizers. It can also be prevented by using fossil fuel power plants for electricity less and less. Nitrous oxide also comes from automobile exhaust.
Methane gas • The amount of methane in the air can be reduced by preventing forest fires and the depletion of trees. Only humans can cut down trees or burn forests.
TAKEresponsibility for making simple changes in your energy consumption. The main greenhouse gas, CO2, comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Two key areas where individuals can help reduce the emissions of CO2 are in electricity consumption and transportation.
Save Electricity:Turn off that light. Switch to energy efficient light bulbs. Encourage others to do the same. Buy energy efficient appliances. • Reduce private transport:If you must drive a car, make sure it is fuel efficient. Try to cut down the amount of car journeys you make each week. Bike or walk if you are going somewhere local.
Support Public Transport: Public transport is the best way to cut CO2 emissions from cars. Effective public transport reduces the need for building new roads
Increased plant growth would bebeneficial, because plants would remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis.
What is Y2K? • It‘s a metaphorical timebombpre-programmed into hundreds of millions of the world’s computer chips.
Years ago, to conserve memory space, programmers used two numbers to record the year. For example, 87 would mean 1987. The problem is that on January 1, 2000, computers that still use a two-number year will interpret the 00 to mean the year 1900. This will cause most of the computers in the world to either shut down or generate incorrect data.
What should we do? • Nobody is immune, but the good news is that home users and small businesses have a much easier task of protecting against the year 2000. Embedded chips affect everyone, so if you're not sure that your video will tape that film on
New Year's morning then call themanufacturer and ask if it is year 2000 compliant, and if not whether it can be fixed. • If you're using a PC with Windows '98 on it then you should have no problems as Microsoft assures us that Windows '98 will check and correct the BIOS if it hasn't
successfully started off the new century. Earlier versions of Windows '95, and DOS programs, cannot correct the BIOS for you so it will still be necessary to contact the manufacturer.
Further information • Time Bomb 2000: What the year 2000 computer crisis means to you! By Edward & Jennifer • Prentice Hall PTR 1988, ￡17.95 • A comprehensive introduction for anyone interested in the bug. This book looks at the possible impact on food, news, health, jobs, banking, and utilities in the home.
Year 2000 Solutions for Dummies • by Kelly C. IDG 1997, ￡23.99 This book addresses the concerns of everyone potentially affected by the bug, explaining how to assess the risks and develop a plan for correcting problems
