The greenhouse effect, which has worsened for a number of objective reasons, has acquired negative consequences for the ecology of the planet. Find out more about what the greenhouse effect is, what are the causes and ways to solve environmental problems that have arisen.
Greenhouse effect: causes and consequences
The first mention of the nature of the greenhouse effect appeared in 1827 in an article by physicist Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier. His work was based on the experience of the Swiss Nicolas Theodore de Saussure, who measured the temperature inside a vessel of darkened glass when it was placed in sunlight. The scientist found that the temperature inside is higher due to the fact that thermal energy cannot pass through the cloudy glass.
Using this experiment as an example, Fourier described that not all solar energy reaching the Earth's surface is reflected into space. Greenhouse gas traps some of the thermal energy in the lower layers of the atmosphere. It consists of:
- carbon dioxide;
- methane;
- ozone;
- water vapor.
What is the greenhouse effect? This is an increase in the temperature of the lower atmospheric layers due to the accumulation of thermal energy held by greenhouse gases. The Earth's atmosphere (its lower layers), due to gases, is quite dense and does not transmit thermal energy into space. As a result, the Earth's surface warms up.
As of 2005, the average annual temperature of the earth's surface has increased by 0.74 degrees over the past century. In the coming years, it is expected to increase rapidly by 0.2 degrees per decade. This is an irreversible process of global warming. If the dynamics continue, irreparable environmental changes will occur in 300 years. Therefore, humanity is facing extinction.
Scientists name the following causes of global warming:
- large-scale industrial human activity. It leads to an increase in the emission of gases into the atmosphere, which changes its composition and leads to an increase in dust content;
- combustion of fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) in thermal power plants and in car engines. As a result, carbon dioxide emissions increase. In addition, the intensity of energy consumption is growing - with an increase in the world population by 2% per year, the need for energy increases by 5%;
- rapid development of agriculture. The result is an increase in methane emissions into the atmosphere (excessive production of fertilizers from organic matter as a result of decay, emissions from biogas stations, an increase in the amount of biological waste when keeping livestock/poultry);
- an increase in the number of landfills, which causes methane emissions to increase;
- deforestation. It leads to a slowdown in the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The consequences of global warming are monstrous for humanity and life on the planet as a whole. So, the greenhouse effect and its consequences cause a chain reaction. See for yourself:
1. The biggest problem is that due to rising temperatures on the Earth's surface, polar ice begins to melt, causing sea levels to rise.
2. This will lead to flooding of fertile lands in the valleys.
3. Flooding of large cities (St. Petersburg, New York) and entire countries (the Netherlands) will lead to social problems associated with the need to resettle people. As a result, conflicts and riots are possible.
4. Due to the warming of the atmosphere, the period of snow melting is shortened: they melt faster, and seasonal rains end faster. As a result, the number of dry days increases. According to experts, with an increase in average annual temperature by one degree, about 200 million hectares of forests will turn into steppes.
5. Due to a decrease in the amount of green space, the processing of carbon dioxide as a result of photosynthesis will decrease. The greenhouse effect will increase and global warming will accelerate.
6. Due to the heating of the Earth's surface, the evaporation of water will increase, which will increase the greenhouse effect.
7. Due to rising water and air temperatures, there will be a threat to the lives of a number of living creatures.
8. Due to the melting of glaciers and rising sea levels, seasonal boundaries will shift and climatic anomalies (storms, hurricanes, tsunamis) will become more frequent.
9. An increase in temperature on the Earth’s surface will negatively affect people’s health, and in addition, will provoke the development of epidemiological situations associated with the development of dangerous infectious diseases.
Greenhouse effect: ways to solve the problem
Global environmental problems associated with the greenhouse effect can be prevented. To do this, humanity must coordinately eliminate the causes of global warming.
What to do first:
- Reduce emissions into the atmosphere. This can be achieved if more environmentally friendly equipment and mechanisms are put into operation everywhere, filters and catalysts are installed; introduce “green” technologies and processes.
- Reduce energy consumption. This will require switching to the production of less energy-intensive products; increase efficiency at power plants; use thermal modernization programs for housing, introduce technologies that increase energy efficiency.
- Change the structure of energy sources. Increasing the share of energy generated from alternative sources (sun, wind, water, ground temperature) in the total volume of energy generated. Reduce the use of fossil energy sources.
- Develop environmentally friendly and low-carbon technologies in agriculture and industry.
- Increase the use of recycling resources.
- Restore forests, effectively fight forest fires, increase the area of green spaces.
Everyone knows how to solve problems arising from the greenhouse effect. Humanity needs to realize what its inconsistent actions are leading to, assess the scale of the impending disaster and take part in saving the planet!
The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon in which the solar heat entering the Earth is retained at the Earth's surface by so-called greenhouse or greenhouse gases. These gases include the familiar carbon dioxide and methane, the content of which in the atmosphere is steadily increasing. This is facilitated primarily not only by the burning of gigantic volumes of fuel, but also by a number of other factors, including deforestation, emissions of freons into the atmosphere, improper agricultural practices and overgrazing. Deforestation is especially dangerous and undesirable. It will lead not only to water and wind erosion, thereby disturbing the soil cover, but will also continue the non-renewable loss of organic matter in the biosphere, the very thing that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It should also be noted that at least 25% of this gas contained in the atmosphere is due to unjustified deforestation in the northern and southern zones. Even more alarming is the evidence that deforestation and fuel combustion balance each other out in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. Forests also suffer due to their excessive use for recreation and recreation. Often, the presence of tourists in such cases leads to mechanical damage to the trees and subsequent illness and death. Mass visits also contribute to trampling of the soil and lower layers of vegetation.
The degeneration of forests with significant air pollution is very noticeable. Fly ash, coal and coke dust clog leaf pores, reduce light access to plants and weaken the assimilation process. Soil pollution with emissions of metal dust, arsenic dust in combination with superphosphate or sulfuric acid poisons the root system of plants, retarding its growth. Sulfur dioxide is also toxic to plants. Vegetation is completely destroyed under the influence of fumes and gases from copper smelters in the immediate vicinity. Damage to vegetation, and primarily to forests, is caused by acidic precipitation as a result of the spread of sulfur compounds over hundreds and thousands of kilometers. Acidic precipitation has a regional destructive effect on forest soils. A noticeable decrease in forest biomass is apparently also due to fires. Of course, plants are characterized by the process of photosynthesis, during which plants absorb carbon dioxide, which serves as biomass, but recently the level of pollution has increased so much that plants can no longer cope with it. According to scientists, every year all land vegetation absorbs 20–30 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the form of its dioxide, and the Amazon alone absorbs up to 6 billion tons of harmful atmospheric impurities. Algae play an important role in the absorption of carbon dioxide.
Another problem of the modern dynamically developing world is the improper conduct of agriculture, which in some cases uses the slash-and-burn system, which has not yet been eliminated in the equatorial regions, and overgrazing of livestock, which leads to the same soil compaction. The problem of fuel combustion and the release of dangerous industrial gases such as freons is also traditional.
History of greenhouse effect research
An interesting point of view was put forward by the Soviet climatologist N. I. Budyko in 1962. According to his calculations, the concentration of atmospheric CO 2 is predicted to increase in 2000 to 380 parts per million, in 2025 - to 520 and in 2050. - up to 750. The average annual surface global air temperature will increase, in his opinion, compared to its value at the beginning of the twentieth century. by 0.9 degrees Celsius in 2000, by 1.8 degrees in 2025 and by 2.8 degrees in 2050. That is, we should not expect glaciation.
However, the study of the greenhouse effect began much earlier. The idea of the mechanism of the greenhouse effect was first outlined in 1827 by Joseph Fourier in the article “A Note on the Temperatures of the Globe and Other Planets,” in which he considered various mechanisms for the formation of the Earth’s climate, while he considered both factors influencing the overall heat balance of the Earth ( heating by solar radiation, cooling due to radiation, internal heat of the Earth), as well as factors influencing heat transfer and temperatures of climatic zones (thermal conductivity, atmospheric and oceanic circulation).
When considering the influence of the atmosphere on the radiation balance, Fourier analyzed the experiment of M. de Saussure with a vessel covered with glass, blackened from the inside. De Saussure measured the temperature difference between the inside and outside of such a vessel exposed to direct sunlight. Fourier explained the increase in temperature inside such a “mini-greenhouse” compared to the external temperature by the action of two factors: blocking convective heat transfer (glass prevents the outflow of heated air from the inside and the influx of cool air from outside) and the different transparency of glass in the visible and infrared range.
It was the last factor that received the name of the greenhouse effect in later literature - absorbing visible light, the surface heats up and emits thermal (infrared) rays; Since glass is transparent to visible light and almost opaque to thermal radiation, the accumulation of heat leads to such an increase in temperature at which the number of thermal rays passing through the glass is sufficient to establish thermal equilibrium.
Fourier postulated that the optical properties of the Earth's atmosphere are similar to the optical properties of glass, that is, its transparency in the infrared range is lower than transparency in the optical range.
The conclusions of other geophysicists such as V.I. Lebedev are also known. He believes that an increase in the concentration of CO 2 in the air should not affect the earth's climate at all, while the productivity of terrestrial vegetation, and in particular grain crops, will increase.
Physicist B. M. Smirnov also points to the possibility of increasing yields. In this regard, he considers the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as a factor beneficial for humanity.
A different point of view is held by the so-called Club of Rome, founded in 1968 and the Americans came to the conclusion that there is a gradual increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The opinions of a number of scientists about the cyclical nature of climate are interesting, saying that there are “warm” and “cold” centuries. This is not to say that they are wrong, because everyone is right in their own way. That is, in modern climatology we clearly trace 3 directions:
Optimistic
Pessimistic
Neutral
Causes of the greenhouse effect
In the modern balance of consumption of organic matter, 45% in our country belongs to natural gas in terms of reserves of which we occupy 1st place in the world. Its advantage in contrast to other fossil fuels (fuel oil, coal, oil, etc.) is obvious: it has a lower carbon dioxide emission factor. In the global fuel balance, natural gas occupies a much more modest role - only 25%. Currently, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 0.032% (in cities - 0.034%). Doctors say that the concentration of CO 2 in the air is harmless to human health up to a level of 1%, i.e. humanity still has enough time to solve this problem. The data from the RAS Institute is interesting. Thus, annual reports on air pollution problems provide data that Russia exhales 3.12 billion tons of carbon dioxide, with 1.84 kg per person per day. The lion's share of carbon dioxide is emitted by the car. Added to this are 500 million tons from forest fires, but in general in Russia the level of pollution is an order of magnitude lower than in foreign countries such as the USA. But the problem is not limited to carbon dioxide alone. Gases that create a greenhouse effect include a number of others, such as methane, so it is very important to be able to determine its real losses during production, transportation through pipelines, distribution in large cities and towns, and use in thermal and power plants. It should be noted that its concentration remained unchanged for a long time, and from the 19th to 20th centuries it began to grow rapidly.
According to scientists, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere decreases annually by more than 10 million tons. If its consumption continues at this rate, then two-thirds of the total amount of free oxygen in the atmosphere and hydrosphere will be exhausted in just over 100 thousand years. Accordingly, the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere will reach excessive concentrations.
According to research by Russian, French, and American scientists, the total level of these gases has reached its historical maximum over the past 420 thousand years, surpassing even emissions of natural origin, which include volcanism and the release of hydrates from the ocean floor. Proof of this is data from the “Pole of Cold” of the Russian Antarctic station Vostok, where polar explorers obtained an ice core with a thickness of 2547 m, which clearly demonstrates this or similar data from glacial Tibet, one of the highest places on our planet.
It must be said that the natural greenhouse effect has always been characteristic of the Earth. It is with this that the age-old and not only cyclical climate is connected. A number of scientists also suggest that they are caused by a change in the Earth’s orbit relative to the Sun, but the inconsistency of this theory is obvious. Every year our planet passes 2 points of perihelion and aphelion, leading to a change in the planet’s orbit. Nevertheless, any significant changes, with the exception of the change of seasons, characteristic of other terrestrial planets such as Mars, do not occur. Large-scale changes occur extremely rarely, so there is no need to talk about the prevailing role of this factor.
Since the end of the 19th century, there has been a continuous debate between ecocentrists, who believe that a breakdown in cyclicality occurred with the beginning of industrialization, and anthropocentrists, who believe that this process is influenced not only by human economic activity. Here, first of all, it is necessary to note the differentiation of emissions. After all, even the United States emits only 20% of the global level, and the emissions of the “third world” countries, which after 1991 include Russia, do not exceed 10%.
But even standing aside from this debate, the evidence of climate warming becomes obvious. This is confirmed by a simple fact. Back in 1973 in the USSR, on November 7 - the day of the Great October Socialist Revolution, snow removal equipment walked in front of a column of demonstrators, but now there is no snow in early December and even in January! Continuing this topic, geographers have already included 1990, 1995, 1997 and the last 2 years in the “list of the warmest” over the past 600 years. And in general, the 20th century, despite a number of costs, was recognized as the “warmest” in 1200 years!
However, apparently this is how man works - the only creature on Earth in the literal sense of the word “sawing the tree on which he sits.” What I mean is that the above information discovered in America makes you at least think, but at the same time, in the southeast of this country (Florida), swamps are being drained for the construction of prestigious houses and sugar cane plantations.
Possible consequences of the greenhouse effect
Nature never forgives mistakes. Climate change from the greenhouse effect can reach, and in some cases exceed, our wildest expectations. In this context, the most dangerous and alarming is the melting of the polar ice caps, as a result of a general increase in temperature by 5 degrees. As a result, chain reactions akin to the “domino effect” will begin. The melting of glaciers will lead, first of all, to an increase in the level of the World Ocean by 5–7 meters at best, and in the future even up to 60 meters. Entire countries will disappear, in particular low-lying ones such as Bangladesh, Denmark, the Netherlands, and many port cities around the world such as Rotterdam and New York. All this will lead to the second “great migration of peoples”, this time from the low-lying zones, in which, according to UN estimates, about a billion people live. Moreover, if over the last 250-300 years the level of the World Ocean has risen by an average of 1 mm per year, then in the 20s of the twentieth century. its rise reached 1.4-1.5 mm per year, which is equivalent to an annual increase in oceanic water mass by 520-540 cubic meters. km. It is assumed that in the 20s of the XXI century. the rate of ocean level rise will exceed 0.5 cm per year. An increase in water mass will affect seismicity in different areas of the planet. By 2030, the Gulf Stream will disappear as a current. The consequence of this will be a decrease in the contrast between North and South.
Other existing ecosystems will also change. In particular, due to the change in the oblateness of the planet in Africa and Asia, crop yields will fall and the risk of catastrophic floods will increase in Europe and on the east coast of the United States, where coastal erosion will also occur. Thus, a number of catastrophically radical climate changes will occur in the UK, including a manifold increase in the frequency of hot and dry summers similar to the summer of 1995. Two such summers in a row will lead to drought, crop failure and famine. Aquitaine, Gascony, and Normandy will disappear from the map of France. In place of Paris there will be an ocean. The sword of Damocles hangs over Venice. Severe droughts will engulf Australia, the states of Texas, California, and long-suffering Florida. Where rain was very rare, it will become even rarer, in other wetter areas the amount of precipitation will increase even more. Average annual temperatures in Algeria will increase, glaciers in the Caucasus and Alps will disappear, and in the Himalayas and Andes they will decrease by 1/5, permafrost will disappear in Russia, calling into question the existence of northern cities. Siberia will change radically. The valleys of many rivers such as the Rio Grande, Magdalena, Amazon, and Parana will disappear. The Panama Canal will lose its importance. So, if we agree with the calculations of some scientists, then by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century. As a result of warming caused by an increase in CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere, the climate of Moscow will be similar to the modern climate of humid Transcaucasia.
There will be a restructuring of the entire atmospheric circulation system with corresponding changes in the thermal regime and humidification. The process of reforming geographical zones will begin with their “shift” to higher latitudes at a distance of up to 15 degrees. It must be taken into account that the atmosphere is a very dynamic system and can change extremely quickly; As for other components of the geosphere, they are more conservative. Thus, it takes hundreds of years for radical changes in soil cover. A situation is possible when the most fertile soils, for example chernozems, will find themselves in desert climatic conditions, and the already waterlogged and swampy taiga lands will receive even more precipitation. Desert areas may increase dramatically. Indeed, even at present, desertification processes are developing on 50-70 thousand square meters. km of cultivated areas. Warming will lead to an increase in the number of cyclones, including hurricanes. It is also important that certain animal populations may simply disappear from the face of the Earth, while a number of others may decline catastrophically. There is no doubt that the advancement of the tropical and subtropical zones will lead to an expansion of the habitats of pathogenic microbes and bacteria. Energy will also incur significant costs. Everything wasn't so bad if it weren't for the speed of everything that was happening. A person does not have time to adapt to changed conditions, because 50 centuries ago, when a similar phenomenon was observed, there were no factors accelerating it tens or even hundreds of times. Especially in this regard, developing countries that have just begun to create their own economies suffer.
On the other hand, warming promises us great opportunities that people may not yet be aware of. There is no need to immediately refute these few statements. After all, man, according to Vernadsky, “a great geological force,” can reorganize his economy in a new way, for which nature, in turn, will provide great opportunities. So the forests will move further north and cover, in particular, all of Alaska; the opening of rivers in the Northern Hemisphere will occur 2 weeks earlier compared to the same period in the 19th century. This will give a “new breath” to river shipping. Agronomists will undoubtedly not be against increasing the growing season of plants in Europe by 1 month; there will be more wood. There are calculations by physicists according to which, when the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere doubles, the air temperature will increase by no more than 0.04 degrees Celsius. Thus, an increase in CO 2 concentration on such a scale may be more likely to be beneficial for agricultural production, because should be accompanied by an increase in the intensity of photosynthesis (by 2-3%).
Migratory birds will arrive earlier and stay with us longer than now. Winters will become significantly warmer, and summers will lengthen and become hotter; the heating season will objectively be shortened in cities where warming will average about 3 degrees. In Russia, agriculture in the future may move to the north, as N.S. Khrushchev wanted, but the most important thing is that Russia will be able to raise these regions, destroyed by the liberal reforms of the 90s, by connecting them into a single road network, we are talking about about the construction of a fundamentally new railway from Yakutsk further to Anadyr and Alaska through the Bering Strait and the possible continuation of existing ones such as the Transpolar Railway.
The greenhouse effect is an increase in the temperature of the earth's surface due to the heating of the lower layers of the atmosphere by the accumulation of greenhouse gases. As a result, the air temperature is higher than it should be, and this leads to irreversible consequences such as climate change and global warming. Several centuries ago this ecological problem existed, but was not so obvious. With the development of technology, the number of sources that provide the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere increases every year.
Causes of the greenhouse effect
the use of combustible minerals in industry - coal, oil, natural gas, the combustion of which releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other harmful compounds into the atmosphere;
transport – cars and trucks emit exhaust gases, which also pollute the air and increase the greenhouse effect;
deforestation, which absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, and with the destruction of every tree on the planet, the amount of CO2 in the air increases;
forest fires are another source of destruction of plants on the planet;
an increase in population affects the increase in demand for food, clothing, housing, and to ensure this, industrial production is growing, which increasingly pollutes the air with greenhouse gases;
agrochemicals and fertilizers contain varying amounts of compounds, the evaporation of which releases nitrogen, one of the greenhouse gases;
The decomposition and burning of waste in landfills contributes to the increase in greenhouse gases.
The influence of the greenhouse effect on climate
Considering the results of the greenhouse effect, we can determine that the main one is climate change. As the air temperature increases every year, the waters of the seas and oceans evaporate more intensely. Some scientists predict that in 200 years the phenomenon of “drying” of the oceans will become noticeable, namely a significant decrease in water levels. This is one side of the problem. The other is that rising temperatures lead to the melting of glaciers, which contributes to an increase in the water level of the World Ocean, and leads to the flooding of the coasts of continents and islands. The increase in the number of floods and flooding of coastal areas indicates that the level of ocean waters is increasing every year.
An increase in air temperature leads to the fact that areas that are little moistened by precipitation become arid and unsuitable for life. Crops are destroyed here, which leads to a food crisis for the population of the area. Also, there is no food for the animals, since plants die out due to lack of water.
First of all, we need to stop deforestation and plant new trees and shrubs, as they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. By using electric vehicles, the amount of exhaust gases will be reduced. In addition, you can switch from cars to bicycles, which is more convenient, cheaper and better for the environment. Alternative fuels are also being developed, which, unfortunately, are slowly being introduced into our daily lives.
19. Ozone layer: significance, composition, possible causes of its destruction, protective measures taken.
Earth's ozone layer- this is the region of the Earth's atmosphere in which ozone is formed - a gas that protects our planet from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
Destruction and depletion of the Earth's ozone layer.
The ozone layer, despite its enormous importance for all living things, is a very fragile barrier to ultraviolet rays. Its integrity depends on a number of conditions, but nature nevertheless came to a balance in this matter, and for many millions of years the Earth’s ozone layer successfully coped with the mission entrusted to it. The processes of formation and destruction of the ozone layer were strictly balanced until man appeared on the planet and reached the current technical level in his development.
In the 70s. twentieth century, it was proven that many substances actively used by humans in economic activities can significantly reduce ozone levels in Earth's atmosphere.
Substances that destroy the Earth's ozone layer include fluorochlorocarbons - freons (gases used in aerosols and refrigerators, consisting of chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms), combustion products during high-altitude aviation flights and rocket launches, i.e. substances whose molecules contain chlorine or bromine.
These substances, released into the atmosphere at the surface of the Earth, reach the top within 10-20 years. ozone layer boundaries. There, under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, they decompose, forming chlorine and bromine, which, in turn, interact with stratospheric ozone, significantly reducing its amount.
Causes of destruction and depletion of the Earth's ozone layer.
Let us consider again in more detail the reasons for the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. At the same time, we will not consider the natural decay of ozone molecules. We will focus on human economic activity.
The mechanism of the greenhouse effect is as follows. The sun's rays, reaching the Earth, are absorbed by the soil surface, vegetation, water surface, etc. Heated surfaces release thermal energy again into the atmosphere, but in the form of long-wave radiation.
Atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) do not absorb thermal radiation from the earth's surface, but scatter it. However, as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels and other production processes, the following accumulate in the atmosphere: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, various hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, etc.), which do not dissipate, but absorb thermal radiation coming from the Earth’s surface. The screen that arises in this way leads to the appearance of the greenhouse effect - global warming.
In addition to the greenhouse effect, the presence of these gases causes the formation of the so-called photochemical smog. At the same time, as a result of photochemical reactions, hydrocarbons form very toxic products - aldehydes and ketones.
Global warming is one of the most significant consequences of anthropogenic pollution of the biosphere. It manifests itself in both climate change and biota: the production process in ecosystems, shifts in the boundaries of plant formations, changes in crop yields. Particularly strong changes may affect high and middle latitudes. According to forecasts, this is where the atmospheric temperature will increase most noticeably. The nature of these regions is especially susceptible to various impacts and is recovering extremely slowly.
As a result of warming, the taiga zone will shift northward by about 100-200 km. The rise in sea level due to warming (melting ice and glaciers) can reach up to 0.2 m, which will lead to flooding of the mouths of large, especially Siberian rivers.
At the regular conference of the countries participating in the Convention on the Prevention of Climate Change, held in Rome in 1996, the need for coordinated international action to solve this problem was once again confirmed. In accordance with the Convention, industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition have committed themselves to stabilizing the production of greenhouse gases. Countries within the European Union have included provisions in their national programs to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2005.
In 1997, the Kyoto (Japan) agreement was signed, under which developed countries pledged to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2000.
However, after this, greenhouse gas emissions even increased. This was facilitated by the US withdrawal from the Kyoto Agreement in 2001. Thus, the implementation of this agreement was jeopardized, since the quota required for the entry into force of this agreement was violated.
In Russia, due to a general decline in production, greenhouse gas emissions in 2000 were 80% of the 1990 level. Therefore, Russia ratified the Kyoto Agreement in 2004, giving it legal status. Now (2012) this agreement is in force, other states have joined it (for example, Australia), but still the decisions of the Kyoto agreement remain unfulfilled. However, the struggle to implement the Kyoto agreement continues.
One of the most famous fighters against global warming is the former Vice President of the United States A. Gore. After losing the 2000 presidential election, he devoted himself to the fight against global warming. “Save the world before it’s too late!” - this is his slogan. Armed with a set of slides, he traveled around the world explaining the scientific and political aspects of global warming and the possible serious consequences in the near future if the increase in carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activity is not curbed.
A. Gore wrote a well-known book “An inconvenient truth. Global warming, how to stop a planetary catastrophe.” In it, he writes with conviction and justice: “Sometimes it seems that our climate crisis is moving slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly, becoming a truly planetary danger. And to defeat the threat, we must first acknowledge the fact of its existence. Why don't our leaders seem to hear such loud warnings of danger? They resist the truth because the moment they confess, they will be faced with a moral duty to act. Is it simply more convenient to ignore the danger warning? Perhaps, but an inconvenient truth does not disappear just because it is not noticed.”
In 2006, he was awarded the American Literary Award for the book. A documentary film was created based on the book. An inconvenient truth" with A. Gore in the title role. The film won an Oscar in 2007 and was included in the “Everyone Should Know This” category. In the same year, A. Gore (together with a group of IPCC experts) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on environmental protection and research on climate change.
Currently, A. Gore also actively continues the fight against global warming, being a freelance consultant to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), created by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Global warming and greenhouse effect
Back in 1827, the French physicist J. Fourier suggested that the Earth's atmosphere performs the function of glass in a greenhouse: the air allows solar heat to pass through, but does not allow it to evaporate back into space. And he was right. This effect is achieved thanks to certain atmospheric gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide. They transmit visible and “near” infrared light emitted by the Sun, but absorb “far” infrared radiation, which is formed when the earth’s surface is heated by the sun’s rays and has a lower frequency (Fig. 12).
In 1909, the Swedish chemist S. Arrhenius first emphasized the enormous role of carbon dioxide as a temperature regulator of surface layers of air. Carbon dioxide freely transmits the sun's rays to the earth's surface, but absorbs most of the earth's thermal radiation. This is a kind of colossal screen that prevents the cooling of our planet.
The temperature of the Earth's surface is steadily increasing, increasing over the 20th century. by 0.6 °C. In 1969 it was 13.99 °C, in 2000 - 14.43 °C. Thus, the average temperature of the Earth is currently about 15 °C. At a given temperature, the planet's surface and atmosphere are in thermal equilibrium. Heated by the energy of the Sun and infrared radiation of the atmosphere, the Earth's surface returns an equivalent amount of energy to the atmosphere on average. This is the energy of evaporation, convection, thermal conductivity and infrared radiation.
Rice. 12. Schematic representation of the greenhouse effect caused by the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Recently, human activity has introduced an imbalance in the ratio of absorbed and released energy. Before human intervention in global processes on the planet, changes occurring on its surface and in the atmosphere were associated with the content of gases in nature, which, with the light hand of scientists, were called “greenhouses”. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor (Fig. 13). Nowadays anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been added to them. Without the gas “blanket” enveloping the Earth, the temperature on its surface would be 30-40 degrees lower. The existence of living organisms in this case would be very problematic.
Greenhouse gases temporarily trap heat in our atmosphere, creating what is called the greenhouse effect. As a result of human anthropogenic activity, some greenhouse gases increase their share in the overall balance of the atmosphere. This applies primarily to carbon dioxide, the content of which has been steadily increasing from decade to decade. Carbon dioxide creates 50% of the greenhouse effect, CFCs account for 15-20%, and methane accounts for 18%.
Rice. 13. The share of anthropogenic gases in the atmosphere with the greenhouse effect of nitrogen is 6%
In the first half of the 20th century. The carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere was estimated at 0.03%. In 1956, as part of the first International Geophysical Year, scientists conducted special studies. The given figure was clarified and amounted to 0.028%. In 1985, measurements were taken again, and it turned out that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had increased to 0.034%. Thus, the increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere is a proven fact.
Over the past 200 years, as a result of anthropogenic activities, the content of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere has increased by 25%. This is due, on the one hand, to the intensive burning of fossil fuels: gas, oil, shale, coal, etc., and on the other, to the annual decrease in forest areas, which are the main absorbers of carbon dioxide. In addition, the development of agricultural sectors such as rice growing and livestock farming, as well as the increase in the area of urban landfills, lead to an increase in the release of methane, nitrogen oxide and some other gases.
The second most important greenhouse gas is methane. Its content in the atmosphere increases annually by 1%. The most significant suppliers of methane are landfills, cattle, and rice fields. Gas reserves in landfills of large cities can be considered as small gas fields. As for rice fields, it turned out that despite the large output of methane, relatively little of it enters the atmosphere, since most of it is broken down by bacteria associated with the root system of rice. Thus, rice agricultural ecosystems have an overall moderate impact on methane emissions.
Today there is no longer any doubt that the trend towards the use of predominantly fossil fuels inevitably leads to global catastrophic climate change. At the current rate of use of coal and oil, an increase in the average annual temperature on the planet is predicted in the next 50 years ranging from 1.5 ° C (near the equator) to 5 ° C (in high latitudes).
Rising temperatures as a result of the greenhouse effect threaten unprecedented environmental, economic and social consequences. Water levels in the oceans may rise by 1-2 m due to seawater and melting polar ice. (Due to the greenhouse effect, the level of the World Ocean in the 20th century has already risen by 10-20 cm.) It has been established that a rise in sea level of 1 mm leads to a retreat of the coastline by 1.5 m.
If the sea level rises by about 1 m (and this is the worst-case scenario), then by 2100 about 1% of the territory of Egypt, 6% of the territory of the Netherlands, 17.5% of the territory of Bangladesh and 80% of Majuro Atoll, which is part of Marshall Islands, will be under water - fishing islands. This will be the beginning of a tragedy for 46 million people. According to the most pessimistic forecasts, the rise in sea level in the 21st century. may entail the disappearance from the world map of countries such as Holland, Pakistan and Israel, the flooding of most of Japan and some other island states. St. Petersburg, New York and Washington may go under water. While some areas of land are at risk of ending up at the bottom of the sea, others will suffer from severe drought. The Azov and Aral seas and many rivers are threatened with extinction. The area of deserts will increase.
A group of Swedish climatologists found that from 1978 to 1995, the area of floating ice in the Arctic Ocean decreased by approximately 610 thousand km 2, i.e. by 5.7%. At the same time, it turned out that through the Fram Strait, separating the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) archipelago from Greenland, up to 2600 km 3 of floating ice is carried into the open Atlantic annually at an average speed of about 15 cm/s (which is approximately 15-20 times more than the flow of a river such as Congo).
In July 2002, a call for help was heard from the small island state of Tuvalu, located on nine atolls in the South Pacific Ocean (26 km 2, 11.5 thousand inhabitants). Tuvalu is slowly but surely sinking under water - the highest point in the state rises only 5 m above sea level. In early 2004, electronic media circulated a statement that the expected high tidal waves associated with the new moon could time to raise sea levels in this area by more than 3 m, due to rising sea levels due to global warming. If this trend continues, the tiny state will be wiped off the face of the Earth. The government of Tuvalu is taking measures to resettle citizens to the neighboring state of Niue.
Rising temperatures will cause lower soil moisture in many regions of the Earth. Droughts and typhoons will become commonplace. Arctic ice cover will decrease by 15%. In the coming century in the Northern Hemisphere, the ice cover of rivers and lakes will last 2 weeks less than in the 20th century. Ice will melt in the mountains of South America, Africa, China and Tibet.
Global warming will also affect the state of the planet's forests. Forest vegetation, as is known, can exist within very narrow limits of temperature and humidity. Most of it may die, the complex ecological system will be at the stage of destruction, and this will entail a catastrophic decrease in the genetic diversity of plants. As a result of global warming on Earth, already in the second half of the 21st century. From a quarter to a half of the species of land flora and fauna may disappear. Even under the most favorable conditions, by the middle of the century, almost 10% of land animal and plant species will be in immediate danger of extinction.
Research has shown that to avoid a global catastrophe, it is necessary to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere to 2 billion tons per year (one third of the current volume). Taking into account natural population growth, by 2030-2050. per capita should emit no more than 1/8 of the amount of carbon currently per capita on average in Europe.
Deforestation and the pace of industrial development lead to the accumulation of harmful gases in the layers of the atmosphere, which create a shell and prevent the release of excess heat into space.
Ecological disaster or natural process?
Many scientists consider the process of rising temperatures to be a global environmental problem, which, in the absence of control over the anthropogenic influence on the atmosphere, can lead to irreversible consequences. It is believed that the first to discover the existence of the greenhouse effect and study the principles of its action was Joseph Fourier. In his research, the scientist looked at various factors and mechanisms that influence climate formation. He studied the state of the planet's thermal balance and determined the mechanisms of its influence on average annual temperatures on the surface. It turned out that greenhouse gases play a major role in this process. Infrared rays are retained on the Earth's surface, which is their effect on the heat balance. We will describe the causes and consequences of the greenhouse effect below.
The essence and principle of the greenhouse effect
An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an increase in the degree of penetration of short-wave solar radiation onto the surface of the planet, while a barrier is formed that prevents the release of long-wave thermal radiation from our planet into outer space. Why is this barrier dangerous? Thermal radiation, which is retained in the lower spheres of the atmosphere, leads to an increase in ambient temperature, which negatively affects the ecological situation and leads to irreversible consequences.
The essence of the greenhouse effect can also be considered as the cause of global warming caused by an imbalance in the thermal balance of the planet. The mechanism of the greenhouse effect is associated with emissions of industrial gases into the atmosphere. However, to the negative impact of industry should be added deforestation, vehicle emissions, forest fires, and the use of thermal power plants to generate energy. The impact of deforestation on global warming and the greenhouse effect is due to the fact that trees actively absorb carbon dioxide and the reduction of their areas leads to an increase in the concentration of harmful gases in the atmosphere.
Ozone screen condition
The reduction in forest area, coupled with large volumes of emissions of harmful gases, leads to the problem of ozone layer destruction. Scientists are constantly analyzing the state of the ozone ball and their conclusions are disappointing. If current levels of emissions and deforestation continue, humanity will face the fact that the ozone layer will no longer be able to sufficiently protect the planet from solar radiation. The danger of these processes is caused by the fact that this will lead to a significant increase in environmental temperature, desertification of territories, and an acute shortage of drinking water and food. A diagram of the state of the ozone ball, the presence and location of holes can be found on many sites.
The state of the ozone shield worries environmental scientists. Ozone is the same as oxygen, but with a different triatomic model. Without oxygen, living organisms will not be able to breathe, but without the ozone ball, the planet will turn into a lifeless desert. The power of this transformation can be imagined by looking at the Moon or Mars. Depletion of the ozone shield under the influence of anthropogenic factors can lead to the appearance of ozone holes. Another advantage of the ozone screen is that it blocks ultraviolet radiation that is harmful to health. Disadvantages - it is extremely fragile and too many factors lead to its destruction, and the restoration of characteristics is very slow.
Examples of how ozone depletion affects living organisms can be given for a long time. Scientists have noted that the number of cases of skin cancer has recently increased. It has been established that it is ultraviolet rays that contribute to the development of this disease. The second example is the extinction of plankton in the upper layers of the ocean in a number of regions of the planet. This leads to the disruption of the food chain; after the disappearance of plankton, many species of fish and marine mammals may disappear. It is not difficult to imagine how this system works. It is important to understand what the results will be if measures are not taken to reduce anthropogenic impact on ecosystems. Or is it all a myth? Maybe life on the planet is not in danger? Let's figure it out.
Anthropogenic greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect occurs as a result of the influence of human activities on surrounding ecosystems. The natural temperature balance on the planet is disrupted, more heat is retained under the influence of a shell of greenhouse gases, this leads to an increase in temperature on the surface of the Earth and ocean waters. The main reason leading to the greenhouse effect is the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere as a result of the operation of industrial enterprises, vehicle emissions, fires and other harmful factors. In addition to disrupting the planet's thermal balance and global warming, this causes pollution of the air we breathe and the water we drink. As a result, we will face illnesses and a general reduction in life expectancy.
Let's look at what gases cause the greenhouse effect:
- carbon dioxide;
- water vapor;
- ozone;
- methane.
It is carbon dioxide and water vapor that are considered to be the most dangerous substances that lead to the greenhouse effect. The content of methane, ozone and freon in the atmosphere also affects the disruption of the climate balance, which is due to their chemical composition, but their influence is currently not so serious. The gases that cause ozone holes also cause health problems. They contain substances that cause allergic reactions and respiratory diseases.
Sources of harmful gases are, first of all, industrial and automobile emissions. However, many scientists are inclined to believe that the greenhouse effect is also associated with the activity of volcanoes. Gases create a specific shell, which results in the formation of a cloud of steam and ash, which, depending on the direction of the wind, can pollute large areas.
How to combat the greenhouse effect?
According to ecologists and other scientists who deal with issues related to the conservation of biodiversity, climate change, and reducing human impact on the environment, it will not be possible to completely prevent the implementation of negative scenarios for human development, but it is possible to reduce the number of irreversible consequences of industry and humans on ecosystems. For this reason, many countries are introducing fees for the emission of harmful gases, introducing environmental standards into production, and developing options for how to reduce the destructive impact of humans on nature. However, the global problem lies in the different levels of development of countries, in their attitude towards social and environmental responsibility.
Ways to solve the problem of accumulation of harmful substances in the atmosphere:
- stopping deforestation, especially in equatorial and tropical latitudes;
- transition to electric vehicles. They are more environmentally friendly than conventional cars and do not pollute the environment;
- development of alternative energy. The transition from thermal power plants to solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants will not only reduce the volume of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, but also reduce the use of non-renewable natural resources;
- introduction of energy-saving technologies;
- development of new low-carbon technologies;
- fighting forest fires, preventing their occurrence, establishing strict measures for violators;
- tightening of environmental legislation.
It is worth noting that it is impossible to compensate for the damage that humanity has already caused to the environment and completely restore ecosystems. For this reason, one should consider actively implementing actions aimed at reducing the consequences of anthropogenic impact. All decisions must be comprehensive and global. At this point in time, this is hampered by the imbalance in the level of development, life and education of rich and poor countries.