Greenhouse Gases and Society
by Nick Hopwood and Jordan Cohen
Greenhouse gases naturally blanket the Earth and keep
it about 33 degrees Celsius warmer than it would be without these gases
in the atmosphere. This is called the “Greenhouse Effect”.
Over the past century, the Earth has increased in temperature by about
.5 degrees Celsius and many scientists believe this is because of an increase
in concentration of the main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons. People are now calling
this climate change over the past century the beginning of “Global Warming.”
Fears are that if people keep producing such gases at increasing rates,
the results will be negative in nature, such as more severe floods and
droughts, increasing prevalence of insects, sea levels rising, and
Earth's precipitation may be redistributed. These changes to the
environment will most likely cause negative effects on society, such
as lower health and decreasing economic development. However,
some scientists argue that the global warming we are experiencing now is
a natural phenomenon, and is part of Earth's natural cycle. Presently,
nobody can prove if either theory is correct, but one thing is certain;
the world has been emitting greenhouse gases at extremely high rates and
has shown only small signs of reducing emissions until the last few years.
After the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the world has finally taken the first step
in reducing emissions.
The Greenhouse Effect
The "greenhouse effect" is the heating of the Earth
due to the presence of greenhouse gases. It is named this way because
of a similar effect produced by the glass panes of a greenhouse.
Shorter-wavelength solar radiation from the sun passes through Earth's
atmosphere, then is absorbed by the surface of the Earth, causing it to
warm. Part of the absorbed energy is then reradiated back to the
atmosphere as long wave infared radiation. Little of this long wave
radiation escapes back into space; the radiation cannot pass
through the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases selectively
transmit the infared waves, trapping some and allowing some to pass through
into space. The greenhouse gases absorb these waves and reemits the waves
downward, causing the lower atmosphere to warm.(www.eb.com:180)
Diagram to help explain
the process of global warming and how greenhouse gases create the "greenhouse
effect"
www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/images/diagrampage.html
Greenhouse Gases
This graph shows the distribution
of GHG in Earth's atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide is clearly the majority.
www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a colorless,
odorless non-flammable gas and is the most prominent Greenhouse gas in
Earth's atmosphere. It is recycled through the atmosphere by the
process photosynthesis, which makes human life possible. Photosynthesis
is the process of green plants and other organisms transforming light energy
into chemical energy. Light Energy is trapped and used to convert
carbon dioxide, water, and other minerals into oxygen and energy rich organic
compounds. (Encyclopaedia Britannica Volume 25)
Carbon Dioxide is emitted into the air as humans exhale, burn
fossil fuels for energy, and deforest the planet. Every year humans
add over 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by these processes,
and it is up thirty percent since 1750 (www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html).
An isolated test at Mauna Loa in Hawaii revealed more than a 12% (316 ppm
in 1959 to 360 ppm in 1996) increase in mean annual concentration of carbon
dioxide. Mauna Loa, located in Hawaii, is the worlds largest volcano
at 40,000 cubic km and 4,170 meters above sea level. (Encyclopedia
Britannica Volume 27) . Ice core samples have also shown a
dramatic increase in carbon dioxide levels. Drilling deep into glaciers
and polar ice caps and taking out samples of ice, then melting the ice
and capturing the gas has shown an increase in carbon dioxide concentrations
over the past 100 years. Ice core samples are essentially "drilling
through time", because the deeper the ice is, the older the ice is.
In 1996, carbon dioxide world emissions increased
by 2.8%. The U.S. reported a 3.3% increase in CO2
concentrations. The U.S. continues to emit more than any other
country in the world, accounting for 25% of all emissions. The European
Union had an increase of 2.2%, much larger than a small increase of 1.1%
in 1995. Eastern Europe had a decreasing rate of -2.4%. China's
increase in 1996 was 4.7%.(http://infoweb.magi.com/~dwalsh/wfsesr.html)
Fossil Fuels were created chiefly by the decay
of plants from millions of years ago. We use coal, oil and natural gas
to generate electricity, heat our homes, power our factories and run our
cars. These fossil fuels contain carbon, and when they are burned,
they combine with oxygen, forming carbon dioxide. The two atoms of
oxygen add to the total weight. The World Energy Council reported
that global carbon dioxide emissions from buring fossil fuels rose 12%
between 1990 and 1995. (www.eb.com:180) The increase from developing
countries was three times that from developed countries. Middle East carbon
dioxide emissions from burning of fossil fuels increased 35%, Africa increased
12%, and Eastern Europe increased rates by 75% from 1990-1995.
This graph shows the
increase of carbon dioxide in the air over the past few centuries
Ice Core samples and samples
at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, reveal an increase CO2 concentrations
Pie chart shows how CO2
is produced
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Cars also contribute to
CO2 in the atmosphere.
www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106/index.html
Deforestation is another main producer
of carbon dioxide. The causes of deforestation are logging for lumber,
pulpwood, and fuel wood. Also contributing to deforestation are clearing
new land for farming and pastures used for animals such as cows.
Forests and wooded areas are natural carbon sinks. This means that
as trees absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen, carbon is being put
into trees. This process occurs naturally by photosynthesis, which
occurs less and less as we cut and burn down trees. As the abundance
of trees declines, less carbon dioxide can be recycled. As we burn
them down, carbon is released into the air and the carbon bonds with oxygen
to form carbon dioxide, adding to the greenhouse effect. About 860
acres, the size of Central Park in New York, is destroyed every 15 minutes
in the tropics.
Deforestation and Forest
Fires contribute to an increase in CO2 levels
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
The Amazon Rain Forest,
which is in parts of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, is
subjected to a great deal of deforestation
www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html
Methane
Methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable
gas. It is formed when plants decay and where there is very
little air. It is often called swamp gas because it is abundant
around water and swamps. Bacteria that breakdown organic matter in
wetlands and bacteria that are found in cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, termites,
and camels produce methane naturally. Since 1750, methane has doubled,
and could double again by 2050. Each year we add 350-500 million
tons of methane to the air by raising livestock, coal mining, drilling
for oil and natural gas, rice cultivation, and garbage sitting in landfills.(www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html)
It stays in the atmosphere for only 10 years, but traps 20 times more heat
than carbon dioxide.
Methane is on the rise since
1750
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Rice cultivation has developed into a large
business; farmland has doubled in the past 45 years.(www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html)
It feeds 1/3 of the World's population. It grows mostly in flooded
fields, where bacteria in waterlogged soil releases methane.
Livestock such as cows, sheep, goats, camels,
buffaloes, and termites release methane as well. Bacteria in the
gut of the animal break down food and convert some of it to methane. When
these animals belch, methane is released. In one day, a cow can emit
½ pound of methane into the air. Imagine 1.3 billion cattle
each burping methane several times per minute!
Cows such as these contribute
a large amount of methane to the air.
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is another colorless greenhouse
gas, however, it has a sweet odor . It is primarily used as an anesthetic
because it deadens pain and for this characteristic is called “laughing
gas.” This gas is released naturally from oceans and by bacteria
in soils. Nitrous oxide gas risen by more than 15% since 1750.
Each year we add 7-13 million tons into the atmosphere by using nitrogen
based fertilizers, disposing of human and animal waste in sewage treatment
plants, automobile exhaust, and other sources not yet identified.
It is important to reduce emissions because the nitrous oxide we release
today will still be trapped in the atmosphere 100 years from now. (World
Book Volume 13)
Nitrous Oxide has been on
the rise since 1750
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitmap.html
Nitrogen based fertilizer use has doubled in
the past 15 years. These fertilizers provide nutrients for crops;
however, when they breakdown in the soil, nitrous oxide is released into
the atmosphere. In automobiles, nitrous oxide is released at a much
lower rate than carbon dioxide, because there is more carbon in gasoline
than nitrogen.
Fluorocarbons
Fluorocarbons is a general term for any group of synthetic
organic compounds that contain fluorine and carbon. Many of these
compounds, such as chlorofluorocarbons(CFC’s), can be easily converted
from gas to liquid or liquid to gas. Because of these properties,
CFC’s can be used in aerosol cans, refrigerators, and air conditioners.
Studies in the 1970’s showed that when CFC’s are emitted into the atmosphere,
they break down molecules in the Earth's ozone layer (World Book).
Since then, the use of CFC’s has significantly decreased and they are banned
from production in the United States.
The substitute for CFC’s are hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's). HFC’s
do not harm or breakdown the ozone molecule, but they do trap heat in the
atmosphere, making it a greenhouse gas, aiding in global warming.
HFC’s are used in air conditioners and refrigerators. The way to
reduce emissions of this gas is to be sure that in both devices the coolant
is recycled and all leaks are properly fixed . Also, before throwing
the appliances away, be sure to recover the coolant in each.
Refrigerators and
Air Conditioners using CFC's were a huge problem for the ozone layer, but
now HFC's are a problem for the climate.
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Global Warming is Here
Naturally, if there are more greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, this greenhouse effect will be more significant and raise the
temperature of Earth more than if humans didn't emit as much greenhouse
gases. Peter Tans, a physicist with National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administrations (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Lab says, “There
is no doubt that both land and ocean surface temperatures have gone up
significantly in the last 100 years or so.” (www.abcnew.com/sections/us/global106.html)
This statement supports the trend of global warming, but does not acknowledge
the source. The director of NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab
at Princeton, Jerry Malhan, says, “The Earths surface temperature has warmed
about one degree Fahrenheit in the last 100 years, and there is no credible
hypothesis for this, other than the net effect of greenhouse gases." (www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.index.html)
Jerry Malhan offers a quote supporting the theory of global warming and
also states that it is directly related to the increase of greenhouse gases.
“The planet is heating up and the evidence suggests that human activities
are having a significant impact,” Jane Lubchenco said. (www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106/index.html)
Jane was the past President of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science, who briefed President Clinton on global warming in July, 1997.
The world's leading authority on global warming, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is a United Nations sponsored organization
made up of 2500 scientists from around the world. They have concluded by
consensus that "The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence
on global climate." They project that global warming will have severe impacts
on human health, natural ecosystems, agriculture, and coastal communities.
(www.toowarm.org./factsheets/basfact.html)
This evidence supports the common belief that Global Warming
is occurring due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and HFC’s.
Average yearly temperature
rise: 1860-1998
www.evirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Effects of Global Warming
on Environment
There are many environmental problems coming
from the increase concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.
As Jeff Rubin of ABC NEWS reported, “Several signs indicate that we've
begun changing Earth's climate: increased water vapor in the atmosphere,
glaciers and polar ice caps appear to be melting, floods and droughts are
becoming more severe, and sea levels have risen, on average, between 4
and 10 inches since 1990.” (www.abc.com/sections/us/global106.html)
Experts concur, “We are already beginning to see this (global warming)
taking place - a lot more flooding, a lot more droughts,” Jane Lubchenco
said. Jerry Malham added, “By 2100, we might get a 2 foot sea level rise,
but the catch is, levels might continue to rise 2 or 3 feet per century,
for 1000 years.”(www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html) These
rises in sea level can increase the salinity of freshwater throughout the
world, and cause coastal lands to be washed under the ocean. Warmer
water and increased humidity may encourage tropical cyclones, and changing
wave patterns could produce more tidal waves and strong beach erosion on
the coasts.
Flooding form global warming
may be already happening.
www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html
Picture of a typhoon from
space
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
The effects of droughts
on crops
www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html
Effects of Global Warming
on Society
Agriculturally, Dr. Sylvan H. Wittwer believes that
global warming is good for the human race, because it helps increase food
production. "The most determinant factor in agriculture production is climate.
History reveals that for food production, warming is better than cooling."
Dr. Wittwer says that carbon dioxide is an essential nutrient for the production
of food, and food is one of the most important things in our lives. As
the temperature rises, more farmland will be open towards the poles and
the length of the growing season will also lengthen. With all the
people who go hungry each day, Dr. Wittwer believes food production should
be one of our main concerns. Dr. Wittwer is the scientific pioneer
who conducted the original studies on atmospheric CO2 enhancement of the
production of food crops.(www.comnett.net/~wit/food.html)
Increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
and global warming could also lead to more health concerns. A statement
released from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said,
"Climate change is likely to have wide-ranging and mostly adverse impacts
on human health, with significant loss of life." As temperatures
increase towards the poles, similar to farmland, insects and other pests
migrate towards Earth's poles. These insects and pests could be allowed
to migrate up to 550 Km or 550 miles. Some insects carry diseases
such as malaria and dengue fever. Thus, an increase in these particular
insects and pests closer to the poles results in an increase in these diseases.
This could lead to 50 to 80 million additional cases of Malaria annually,
a 10-15% increase. "Malaria and dengue fever are already beginning
to spread pole wards", said Jane Lubchenco, past president of American
Association for the advancement of science. (www.epa.gov/oppeoeel/globalwarming/impacts/health/index.html)
Physician Paul Epstein, of Harvard's School of Public Health, says "Climate
change is already a factor in terms of the distributions of malaria, dengue
fever, and cholera." (www.aloha.net~jhanson/page70.htm)
The most obvious health effect is directly from
the heat itself. With an increase in heat waves, there will be more
people who will suffer from heatstroke, heart attacks and other ailments
aggravated by the heat. According to the EPA, "In July 1995, a heat
wave killed more than 700 people in the Chicago area alone." (www.epa.gov/oppeoeel/globalwarming/impacts/health/index.html)
If this is happening already from heat, imagine what would occur in
the future with global warming. Hot conditions could also cause smoke
particles and noxious gases to linger in the air and accelerate chemical
reactions that generate other pollutants. (www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html)
This leads to an increase in risk of respiratory diseases like bronchitis
and asthma.
Global warming causes the oceans to warm and expand,
inducing a rise in sea level. Eventually, the rising waters could take
away land inhabited by people, forcing them to move. Dr. Robert Buddemieir,
of the Kansas Geological Survey said, "Bangledesh is massively populated,
achingly poor, and something like a sixth of the country is going to go
away" (www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html) Bangladesh cannot
afford to build barriers to hold back the sea, so people would have to
move inland, increasing the populations density and leading to an increase
in hunger and disease. (www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html)
The Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean have the same problem They
are a nation of 1190 islands with an average height of about 1.5 meters
above sea level. If the sea level rises, more than 200,000 people
will have to abandon their homes. (www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitmap.html)
Warming of the oceans could also promote toxic algae which can lead
to cholera.
Graph showing history of
sea level and extrapolating possible increases in sea level over the next
century
The blue line represents
the history of sea level. The yellow line is a high estimate of sea
level extrapolated. The red line a central estimate, and the green
line is a low projection.
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
The Present ways of Producing
Energy
This pie graph shows the
breakdown of how the world produces its energy
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Fossil fuels, chiefly coal, oil and natural gas, now
supply most of the world's energy. Only a small amount comes from renewable
sources , which do not release gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
If we could get more of our energy from renewable sources, we could reduce
the amount of fossil fuels we burn. By the year 2050, renewable sources
could provide forty percent of the energy needed in the world. Use of renewable
energy can help both to slow global warming and to reduce air pollution.
(www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/gcc/cell.html#pos6)
These fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas also emit
greenhouse gases when burned. Coal emits high amounts of greenhouse
gases, and the world may be supplied with enough of it to last over 100
years. Oil emits high amounts of greenhouse gases and also
other types of air pollution harmful to the environment. The world's oil
supply is also estimated to last over 100 years. Natural Gas is the
lowest of all fossil fuels in greenhouse gas emissions; supplies are projected
to last over 100 years. (www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/gcc/cell.html#pos6)
1996 Processes Carbon Dioxide was Produced
|
Country (region)
|
OIL
|
Natural Gas
|
Coal
|
| World |
44.7%
|
18.4% |
36.9% |
| Canada |
51.8% |
30% |
18.2% |
| United States |
45% |
21.3% |
33.7% |
| European Union |
56.2% |
19% |
24.8% |
| China |
17.4% |
1.1% |
81.5% |
| Japan |
64.6% |
9.9% |
25.5% |
This chart shows
what percentage of CO2 comes from Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal. For example,
in 1996, 44.7% of the world's CO2 emissions came from the combustion of
oil.
http://infoweb.magi.com/~dwalsh/wfsesr.html
This chart shows how much
coal different areas of the world have produced and consumed over time
Coal accounts for
24% of the worlds energy; Natural gas 18%
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Solutions for Producing
"Cleaner"Energy
Hydro power, currently supplying only six percent of
the world's energy, is a renewable energy source. Energy is produced by
hydraulic turbines that rotate with the force of rushing water (higher
to lower elevation). It is one of the most clean and cheapest way
of producing energy, but it can also change the flow of rivers and increase
sediment which kills fish. It is a large
investment for developing countries. (www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106)
]
Hydro Power plant on a river
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Denmark is currently the world leader in wind power.
By 2030, fifty percent of Denmark's energy could be produced by wind
power. Randall Swisher, executive director of the American WInd Energy
Association says, "If this country made an aggressive development push,
by 2020 eighteen percent of the country's energy could be supplied by wind
power." (www.abc.com/sections/us/global106.html) Wind
power emits no greenhouse gases, but it takes up large amounts of land.
In order for it to be a reliable source, scientists must develop better
power storage techniques. Another concern of people is noise pollution
that the large windmills produce along with the reliability of wind.
A field of wind mills
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Solar power uses photovoltaic cells (PV's)
to gather thermal energy directly from the sun and use it to produce electricity.
One community could be supplied by one field of PV's . Passive solar
cells could also be used to heat water, replacing the need for today's
hot water heaters. PV's do not emit any greenhouse gases, but they
are very expensive and more development is needed in order for this to
be realistic energy source for the future. (www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html)
A field of PV's gathering
sunlight to produce power
www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html
Nuclear power is strong is Europe with about
forty-two percent of their energy produced by fission. Nuclear generation
provides about 17% of world electricity, avoiding the emission of up to
2.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. France produces 76% and
Lithuania produces 85.6% of its energy by nuclear fission.(http://infoweb.magi.com/~dwalsh/wfsesr.html)
In the United States, people are antinuclear because of 3 Mile Island in
1979 and Chernobyl in 1986. However, many experts say that it is
a safe, clean, and reliable source of energy. Nuclear Fission produces
no greenhouse gases, but does produce highly toxic radioactive wastes.
Nuclear power plants have
had success in Europe, but not in the United States
www.envirolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html
Kyoto
Protocol
One of the major conventions concerning global warming
resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, held in Kyoto, Japan, between December
1-11, 1997. Delegates from all over the world were present in order to
find a universal agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The
results had most developed nations doing most of the reducing; the United
States must cut emissions 7%, Japan 6%, and the European Union 8% below
1990 levels. (www.state.gov/global/oes/fs_kyoto_climate_980115.html)
The United States proposed a plan to have these levels
cut over a five year period between 2008-2013. The United States
also said it will not sign the protocol if other developing/undeveloped
countries do not sign it as well, fearing the economy will falter.
The U.S. was successful in emissions trading with other countries who have
less emissions. This means that the U.S. or other developed countries can
purchase emission permits from other countries who have extra permits.
This stresses the importance of flexibility the U.S. was looking for when
it said it cannot lower the emission levels until at least 2008.
Again, the U.S. is trying to look out for it's own economy first.
If a country shall fail in completing its goal, the country will then not
be able to receive joint implementation projects. However, this Protocol
is not yet law; it must be ratified by at least 55 countries, accounting
for 55% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions.. It can be
signed by countries starting in March of 1998. The next convention
is in November 1998, in Buenos Aires. (www.state.gov/global/oes/fs_kyoto_climate_980115.html)
If the Kyoto Protocol becomes the law of the land,
there are potential economic problems that may lead to a change in
quality of life for many Americans. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
people will be more healthy due to better air quality and water quality.
However, there may be a reduction in the rate of economic development because
industries will have to adapt and find different ways of producing goods.
People will have to drive smaller, lighter cars, ride bicycles more often,
and increase efficiency in many ways.
Opinion
The world's leading scientists project that during
our children's lifetimes global warming will raise the average temperature
of the planet by 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1-3.5 degree Celsius. In
contrast the Earth is only 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit or about 3-6 degrees
Celsius warmer today than it was 10,000 years ago during the last ice age.
Man-made global warming is occurring much faster than at any other time
in at least the last 10,000 years. (www.toowarm.org/factsheets/basfact.html#How)
This information would suggest that the warming Earth is experiencing now
is not a natural phenomenon, but caused by the increased concentration
of greenhouse gases.
While evidence is strong to support the notion
of human contribution to the global warming problem, an alternative view
is that recent global warming is a natural occurrence. Some theorists
believe that the Earth's climate works in a cycle, cooling, and then warming
itself. Scientists point out the fact that 75 million years ago,
the Earth's average temperature was ten degrees higher than it is today.
Conditions were warmer and more humid, but life sustained. (www.enviolink.org/orgs/edf/sitemap.html)
Another phenomenon to take into account is the "little
ice age", which occurred from 1550-1850 A.D. Conditions around the
world were cooler than usual; many bodies of water froze over. The
average global temperature since the little ice age has risen by one degree
Fahrenheit! Shouldn't it be expected that after that ice age was
over that the temperature on Earth would rise at least one degree?
The bottom line is that it may seem that only human
actions are causing global warming, but it is very possible that global
warming is nothing to worry about and is just part of the global temperature
cycle. Both theories are credible, but neither has yet been proven.
Terms
1. Carbon Dioxide - a heavy colorless gas that does not support
combustion, dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, is formed especialy
in animal repiration and in the decay or combustion of animal and vegetable
matter, is absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and is used
in the carbonation of beverages.
2. Methane- a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon
that is a product of decompositions of organic matter and of the carbonization
of coal, is used as a fuel and as a starting material in chemical synthesis,
and is the simplest of the alkanes.
3. Photosynthesis- synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid
of radiant energy and especially light; especially formation of carbohydrates
from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen in the chlorophyll-containing
tissues of plants exposed to light
4. Greenhouse Effect- warming of the surface and lower atmosphere
of a planet that is caused by conversion of solar radiation into heat in
a process involving selective transmission of short wave solar radiation
by the atosphere, its absorption by the planet's surface, and reradiation
as infared which is absorbed and partly reradiated back to the surface
by atmospheric gases.
5. Nitrous oxide - a colorless gas that when inhaled produces
loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter
and is used as an anesthetic in dentistry and that is an atmospheric pollutant
produced by combustion and a suspected contributor to greenhouse warming
-- also called laughing gas.
6. Malaria - a human disease that is caused by sporazoan
parasites in the red blood cells, is transmitted by the bite of anopheline
mosquitoes, and is characterized by peo\riodic attacks of chills and fever
7. Dengue - an acute infectious disease caused by an arbovirus,
transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by headache, severe
joint pain, and a rash--called also dengue fever.
References
1. "Estimation of Emissions of Carbon Dioxide at the local level:
A Low cost approach for local authorities." Atmospheric Research
and Information Center. http://doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/gcc/cell.html#pos6
(March 8, 1998)
2. "Global Warming is Happening." Envirolink. http://www.envirolink.org/prgs/edf/sitemap.html
(March 8, 1998)
3. "Global Warming Campaign." Sierra Club. http://www.toowarm.org/factsheets/basfact.html
(March 12, 1998)
4. "Methane" World Book Encyclopaedia. Volume 7.
Friend, 1982, p. 270
5. "Fluorocarbons" World Book Encyclopedia. Volume
13. Hatch, 1982, p. 358
6. "Clinton: We're Energy Hogs." ABC News. http://www.abcnews.com/sections/us/global106.html
(March 8, 1998)
7. "Global Warming." United States Environmental Protection
Agency. http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/ (March 8, 1998)
8. "The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change." U.S.
Department of State http://www.state.gov/www/global/oes/fs_kyoto_climate_980115.html
(March 9, 1998)
9. Sylvan H. Wittwer. "It's Good for Food Production" The
Global Environment. http://www.comnett.net/~wit/food.html
(March 8, 1998)
10. "Greenhouse Effect" Encyclopaedia Britannica. Volume
5. 1988, p. 470
11. "Photosynthesis" Encyclopaedia Britannica.
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http://infoweb.magi.com/~dwalsh/wfsesr.html)