Green House Effect. & Global Warming – what is it?

By Dr Nitin Mehta (MSc ,PhD, FICN, Dip.in Lib Sc.&Hosp.Admn.)

Greenhouse effect & global warming is in the news & will remain for a long time. Last year, Al Gore [USA] & Pachauri [India] were in the limelight. as they received Nobel prize. for this issue. They started a debate which the world will have for several years Incidentally, Al Gore while addressing in the Indian Parliament Library on 14th March,’08, said as an advanced developing country , India can take the lead in development of renewables and other technologies to solve the climate change.

The pioneer work of Joseph Fourier in late1820s & Arrhenius in late 1890s was termed as greenhouse effect as growing of plants indoors in green houses. In very cold climates, the temperatures were kept higher in these houses than that of surroundings..

The power required for industry creates far more CO2 which with depleting vegetation- green cover on earth cannot consume. Such excess CO2 in the atmosphere along with other gases prevents the trapped heat from the earth’s surface to escape. The levels of CO2 getting higher as industrial boom is on with possible side effects of ice cap melting, decreasing in ice thickness & sea level rising leading to Tsunami .Possibly, hurricanes & droughts are in increasing as the temperatures in ocean rise. The solar radiation about 70%is absorbed which keeps the earth warm. The global temperature rise when the radiated energy is obstructed and this is Global Warming. Clouds along with other gases, water vapor are major infrared absorbers. The production of CO2 from increased industrial production& other human activities, reduced forests [green cover] all decrease the CO2 consumption while burning or destroying trees increases the CO2 levels.

The term “Climate change” coined by the United Nations includes climate change, global warming/cooling & climate variability. This term broadly includes – solar variation, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, water vapor& hence cloud or ice melting feed back. Worldwide rise in sea level , variable pattern in rainfall leading to changes in agricultural output, perishing of marine life due to slight drop in[ acid] pH sea water, extreme changes in weather are among few attributed/ effects of global warming.

Kyoto Protocol [of United Nations] aims at reducing green house emissions; reduce future global “disasters”. It now covers over 160 countries, our country as a developing nation has been exempted from its provisions. Awareness programs to help stop global warming / green house effects are through media & some NGOs..The website Earth 911 effectively helps us all to stay informed about environmental issues & share our knowledge with others.