- Emission of methane
While carbon dioxide is the
principal greenhouse gas, methane is the second most important. According to
the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Methane is more than
20 times as effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Levels of
atmospheric methane have risen 145% in the last 100 years. Methane is
derived from sources such as rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in
bogs and fossil fuel production. Most of the world’s rice is grown on
flooded fields. When fields are flooded, anaerobic conditions develop and
the organic matter in the soil decomposes, releasing CH4 to the atmosphere,
primarily through the rice plants. The
- Role of water vapours
The amount of water vapours
is also playing a very divisive role in global warming. Rise of earth
temperature is increasing evaporation of sea water. For this reason the
amount of water in the atmosphere is increasing and these vapoures retard
the escape of heat into the space.
4. Nitrous
Oxide
Another greenhouse gas is
Nitrous oxide (NO2), a colourless, non-flammable gas with a sweetish odour,
commonly known as "laughing gas", and sometimes used as an anaesthetic.
Nitrous oxide is naturally produced by oceans and rainforests. Man-made
sources of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid production, the use
of fertilisers in agriculture, cars with catalytic converters and the
burning of organic matter. Nitrous oxide is broken down in the atmosphere by
chemical reactions that involve sunlight.
5.
Deforestation
Cutting of trees to satisfy the human needs like burning, household and
commercial usage is another danger for our climate. It is also the major
cause of climate change or global warming. It is estimated that
deforestation is amount to 40 to 50% of carbon dioxide emission.
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