The Greenhouse EffectCooking Earth alive
“The Greenhouse Effect”
“The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the
short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through a
transparent medium and are absorbed, but the longer
wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the heated
objects are unable to pass through that medium”
(http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu). In this case the
transparent medium are greenhouse gasses.
About 30% of the visible light from the Sun
is reflected back into space, while the other
70% is absorbed by the ground and oceans,
resulting in heating the Earth. Since the
atmosphere is transparent to visible light, it
absorbs little energy from the sunlight and
does not make much of a contribution in
heating the Earth.
The soil, rocks and water that have been
heated by the sunlight then give off longer
wavelength infrared radiation, some of
which is absorbed by the Greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere. These gases include
water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4) and ozone (O3). Absorption
of the infrared radiation heats the
atmosphere to acceptable temperatures,
provided they are in the proper proportion.
Types Of Greenhouse Gases
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Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Water Vapor
Carbon Dioxide
•The compound of two oxygen atoms and one carbon atoms
covalently bonded.
•At standard temperature and pressure it exists in gas form
•Taken in by plants for photosynthesis, released by
consumers during cellular respiration
Carbon Dioxide is released by:
• the burning of fossil
fuels (oil, coal, natural
gas) especially by
factories, power plants,
automobiles, machinery
• Solid waste
decomposition
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Hot Springs
Methane
• Composed of two elements- totaling 5 atoms.
• 4 hydrogen atoms, one carbon atom
covalently bonded
• Methane is about 21 times more powerful at
warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide
(CO2) by weight
Methane-How it is released
• “The number one source of methane worldwide is animal
agriculture. On a global basis, according to the FAO livestock is
responsible for some 18% of all greenhouse gases emitted”
(EPA.gov).
• Methane concentrations
on Earth are widely unknown
to scientists- many believe
there are large concentrations
trapped on the ocean floor, as well as
In arctic ice. This uncertainty is
potentially lethal.
Nitrous Oxides
• Composed of two elements – totaling 3 atoms
• 2 Nitrogen atoms, one oxygen atom,
covalently bonded
• Also used as an anesthetic for patients that
undergo painful surgeries.
How Nitrous Oxide Is released:
• Agricultural Soil
Management
• Animal manure
management
• Sewage treatment
• Combustion of fossil
fuels
• Nitric Acid production
• Microbial life in tropical
rainforests
Water Vapor
• Water in gaseous form
• Composed of two elements- hydrogen,
oxygen
• A total of 3 atoms- two hydrogen, one oxygen
covalently bonded
How Water Vapor is released
• Water Vapor is released into the
atmosphere from evaporation. Water
from rivers and streams condenses in
the atmosphere as clouds trapping
other gases contributing to the
greenhouse effect.
Rising Levels of Greenhouse Gases
• C02 level increase
• The last time C02 levels
were this high was 15
million years ago.
• Methane level increase
• Methane levels now are
about 1790 parts per
billion (PPB)
Rising Levels of Greenhouse Gases
• Nitrous Oxide level rises
• The levels of nitrous
oxide have increased by
20% since 1750
• Water Vapor Level rises
• If the Earth warms 1.8
degrees F, increase in
water vapor will trap an
extra 2 Watts of energy
per square meter.
Global Warming Overview
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHFd5kLA
wNY
Rise of average temperature since
greenhouse gas emissions increased
• Green house gasses,
deforestation, and the
burning of fossil fuels
are responsible for the
average temperature
rising.
• Land and ocean surface
temperatures have
risen about 1.33
degrees Fahrenheit in
the last century.
• There is a strong
correlation between the
onset of the industrial
revolution in the 19th
century and the rise in
average temperature
since.
Adverse effects rising average temp. has had
• The constantly rising
temperature has caused
the glaciers and polar
ice caps to melt, thus
destroying the habitats
of the arctic animals.
• An increase in the
number of floods due to
the melting of the polar
ice caps.
• An increase in the
strength of storms such
as hurricanes.
What higher temperatures
constitute
Warmer temperatures in wider spread
areas along with more water
concentration leads to more favorable
environment for malaria carrying
mosquitoes. This causes the normally
parasitic relationship between mosquitoes
and their hosts to also become
amenalism.
With water evaporating more rapidly
in a warmer environment, the water
cycle becomes more unpredictable.
Rainfall becomes less frequent, but
more abundant at once. This creates
a flood/drought cycle which is
devastating to human life, as well as
animals, plants, and fungi.
Greenhouse Gas’ effect on
symbiotic relationships
The sun gives off
radiation and it is
release for the sun
down to earth
Species
become
extinct, due
the
competition
Due to the exorbitant
amount of
Greenhouse Gases in
the Atmosphere the
radiation is trapped in
the atmosphere
Glaciers and ice caps
melt
Grassland is
flooded,
increasing
competition for
food on the
mainland
Water levels rise
How Global Warming Creates
Competition
•Global warming causes
flooding.
•As a matter of fact
scientist predict that by
the year 2100 the water
levels will rise 4 feet!
A symbiotic relationship that
will be caused due to global
warming is competition.
When the water levels rise
rabbits and cows will fight for
grass, which both consume.
This is the symbiotic
relationship of competition.
Grassland will be flooded, due to
the increasing water levels. As a
result to organisms that need grass
to survive, e.g (a rabbit and a cow)
will now have to fight over food.
This can lead a species becoming
extinct.
This relationship will not exist anymore, if we keep
emitting greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.
Elodea
Snail
Algae
If water temperatures rise as a result of global
warming, sensitive algae could die. If this
algae dies, its predators could die as well.
Without algae, snails could starve. Without
snails, turtles could starve. Also, without
snails to produce C02, the symbiotic
relationship between elodea could be
compromised. The snail creates the elodea’s
CO2, and the elodea creates the snail’s O.
Turtles
Shark
Biotic/Abiotic factors
Biotic
Marine life
(fish, mollusks, algae,
plankton,etc.)
Land based life
(trees, plants, humans,
insects, cats, dogs,
birds, snakes, etc.)
Abiotic
Sunlight
Atmosphere (O-zone)
Water temperature
Existence of glaciers
Air temperature
Water levels
Existence of land
Weather patterns
Strength of storms
Al Gore wishes to curtail global
warming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjx6KET
mi4&feature=related
Putting out the fire- how we can
stop this rampant problem
How to fix this problem:
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Solution 1: Phytoplankton, the
microorganisms that form the base of the food
web in the ocean, take CO2 from the air and
convert it into more complex organic
compounds. When the phytoplankton die, they
fall to the sea floor, and the carbon they contain
becomes trapped in the sediment. If the rate
of growth and reproduction of these
organisms could be increased, more
carbon dioxide would be used by them
before it could escape from the ocean
into the air. In a 1988 seminar at Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Dr. Martin claimed that
fertilizing the oceans with 300,000 tons of iron could
remove 2 billion tons of CO2 from the
atmosphere.
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Reducing use of
fossil fuels/energy would
Solution 2:
considerably reduce the amount of carbon
dioxide produced, as well as reducing the levels
of the pollutants which cause acid rain. This
can be achieved by either using less energy
altogether. You can help save energy in lots of
ways:
– Turn off lights when you leave a room
– If you have a car, don't use it for short
journeys
– Basically, anything at all that uses less
energy
Continued
• Solution 3: Increasing money
• Solution 4: Propose
supply for research of alternative
energies
Some alternates include:
international treaties for limiting
C02 emissions (such as the Kyoto
Treaty.)
Incentives:
Reduce global pollution
Reduce greenhouse effect
Save wildlife/biodiversity
Save lives
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Nuclear energy
Hydroelectricity
Wind Power
Solar Power
Geothermal Power
This could:
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Create jobs
Stimulate the economy
Save lives
Reduce greenhouse emissions
Make the air clean
Kyoto Treaty
• Defined as: “The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major
feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37
industrialized countries and the European community for reducing
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions .These amount to an average of five per
cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012. .“
• “Under the Protocol, 37 countries commit themselves to a reduction of
four greenhouse gasses (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases produced by them, and all
member countries give general commitments.”
What the average person knows
• 88.2% of survey takers didn’t know what the
kyoto treaty was.
• 61.1% incorrectly answered this question:
True or false: Besides Afghanistan, Andorra, and South Sudan, the United States was the only country (at its initial adoption)
in the United Nations not to approve the protocol?
• 52.9% didn’t know that Canada revoked the
kyoto treaty after adopting it
• 38.9% of people didn’t know that scientists
predict water levels will rise by 4 feet in 2100.
If you don’t help the cause…
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Global Flooding
http://flood.firetree.net/
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Widespread Disease Outbreaks (“As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north,
bringing plague and disease with them. Indeed some scientists believe that in some countries, thanks to
global warming, malaria has not been fully eradicated.“
(http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/5-deadliest-effects-of-global-warming/276?image=1))
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Increased occurrence of droughts
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Economic paralysis
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Increased occurrence of wildfires
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Stronger Storms (Snow, Rain, hurricanes, lighting, sleet, tornadoes, etc.)
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Danger of smog increased
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Desertification
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Increased power of tidal surges, tsunamis
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Increased frequency/power of volcanic eruptions
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Increased competition between humans, other organisms and potential diplomatic consequences such as
war
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Increase in animal attacks
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Malnutrition
Conspiracy Theories
• 2:35-3:50
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=vapMyAvbs
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• Regardless of whether
or not it is cyclical, we
are contributing.
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=hj68uZJ6m
W0
• The divide between
scientists is
insignificant. The
warming of the Earth is
undeniable.
Our effort collaborates with:
• Deforestation- less trees=less C02  oxygen
• Reduction of overpopulation- more people=more
power= more greenhouse gasses
• Reduction of pollution- less organism/biodiversity=less
balance
• Recycling- less production=less power=less energy
consumption=less C02
• Preservation of biodiversity- trees and other
photosynthesizers and their environments are integral to preserving
normal levels of greenhouse gasses in the environment