Greenhouse Gases & Climate Change

Keywords

Greenhouse gases, climate change, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapour.

Introduction

Since the 1820s, we have been obsessed with our atmosphere (probably before, but we're starting here), and records have been held on things like this since the 1950s. Our atmosphere is special, as it keeps us alive, but there are things that we, as humans, do that can potentially destroy it. I'm talking about greenhouse gases here.

But what are they?

Greenhouse Gases

A greenhouse gas is a gas in the atmosphere that trap heat. While they allow the sunlight and heat in, but they stop the heat from leaving.

The main greenhouse gases include:

Why are they Called Greenhouse Gases?

Simple. Find yourself a greenhouse. What does it do? It allows sunlight to enter inside, thus creating the warmth needed. This in turn allows plants to have the heat they need in order to grow better. But it doesn't allow that heat it's been given to escape.

This is how greenhouse gases work. This is a good thing, as without these gases allowing the planet to warm up, we would have quite a cold atmosphere, and we'd be walking around in a jumper or coat all day long. Life as we know it might not exist without these gases. But, they are a meticulous component that needs to be looked after.

Interesting fact: without the greenhouse gases being present, there wouldn't really be an atmosphere to speak of, and the planet would be very cold - around -18° Celcius!

The Damage Caused

Think about it, when it does get warm during the summer, and we all moan about the weather being too hot, why is it happening? Well, although some of it is down to the jet stream bringing warmer air up from the South, some of it is attributed to the climate change (I'll come to that in a minute), and this is where greenhouse gases sit in that conundrum.

Scientists have made predictions that if we continue to create more of these greenhouse gases, as is the case currently, we may damage the atmosphere far enough that it cannot cope, and that may mean the "end of the world as we know it". This is a big concern for many scientists, and things have started to change.

Think about how we drive to work, and the car we drive. Engines have become more and more economical, and some are even electric now. Using an electric car is better for the environment, and doesn't create any of the greenhouse gases.

We have also changed the way we use deodorant and anti-perspirant. Those cans we use daily (Lynx, Right Guard, Impulse, etc) used to have CFCs in them - these are very harmful to the environment - and now they have changed the way an aerosol can works, and they now don't use those chemicals.

Since the 1980s, we have been more conscientious about what we do, and how we do it. There have been many changes in industry and commercial properties that are better for the environment.

Climate Change

We often take a look at the weather daily. Especially in the UK, as the weather here is interchangeable throughout a day, let alone day-on-day. Climate change is similar, but looks at the long-term effects and shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.

So, this looks at how warm the temperature gets during the summer, as well as how cold it gets during the winter months. Along with this, it looks at other aspects, such as freak weathers (floods, droughts, hurricanes/tornados/tropical storms, and more), and links with looking at greenhouse gases by determining how much emissions we create during a period of time - say, a year - to see what effect it has on the planet.

There are constant studies on the topic, and they mostly conclude that if we continue to burn fossil fuels at the rate we do, and create more and more of the greenhouse gases we already create, that the Earth will succumb to a barren landscape through the atmosphere breaking up.