What is The Greenhouse Effect and How Do We Reduce Our Carbon Footprint

Farmers and individuals in the agricultural industry frequently face great losses due to droughts. Polar bears and other species struggle to navigate the Arctic, as their home begins to melt.

What is the Green House effect

Air pollution is constantly increasing every minute, increasing the rates of cancer all around the world. Climate change is a calamity that has stretched its reach far and wide across the world, and these are just some of the horrifying consequences that are being faced by millions. If we do not take action to solve this problem, future generations will face extreme consequences. 

Greenhouse gases are the most prominent stimuli that fuel climate change, and its effects can be summarized through the greenhouse effect.

Cause

The greenhouse effect is an issue caused by increased quantities of various gases in Earth’s atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane, fluorinated gases (F-gases), etc. These gases trap heat from the Sun, causing temperatures to abnormally rise on Earth. Also, they can come from a variety of activities and sources; for example, carbon dioxide is primarily released into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels.

The emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has not only contributed to climate change, but it has also impacted forestry, agriculture and has caused degradation of soils.

Another significantly released gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and thus climate change is methane. Methane is primarily released as a byproduct of biomass burning, agricultural activities, waste management, and energy use. Fluorinated gases (or F-gases) are another component of the greenhouse effect. These gases are primarily released due to industrial processes, from refrigerants, and the use of various consumer products that emit F-gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (Sf₆) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). 

Now, how do we help reduce this?

Considering the sources of greenhouse gases, we can observe that they are primarily through man-made products and manufacturing methods. For these reasons, we need to be cautious of not only the products we purchase but of the methods with which various industries are manufacturing their products or obtaining their energy.

A manner in which these factors can all be measured is through the carbon footprint. Carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted due to the consumption of various fossil fuels for certain tasks.

These tasks include the consumption of electricity in high extents, mass usage of vehicles, industrial work, and deforestation. Among these categories, the consumption of electricity accounts for 41% of all carbon dioxide emissions here in the U.S. To prevent these numbers from going on the rise, we must take action in every way we can to reduce our carbon footprint.

Although we as an individual may bring a small contribution towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions overall, if we all make an effort to do so together then we can make a difference. Consider the day to day activities you may be partaking in that contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. This may be driving cars, using a lot of electricity, or the lack of trees in ones’ neighborhood.

These are all issues that we can take action upon to assuage the effects of carbon dioxide on climate change. Planting more trees in your neighborhood, using less electricity or finding more efficient ways to reduce the use of electricity, and using other forms of transportation, such as bicycles can help make a difference.

This is a link to a carbon footprint calculator, which you can use to determine how much carbon dioxide is being emitted due to your actions on a daily basis. What you’ll discover can change the way you see your actions in day to day life; take action TODAY!

Bibliography: 

Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data. (2019, September 13). Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data

Kolich, H. (2018, June 28). What human activities increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/human-activities-increase-carbon-dioxide.htm

Jaines, K. (2019, July 2). Effects of Carbon Footprint. Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://sciencing.com/effects-of-carbon-footprint-4984464.html

Featured image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech