Should We Be Concerned About The Greenhouse Effect?

The greenhouse effect, by definition is the process by which the at​mosphere is assailed by an excess of carbon dioxide. What happens is that carbon dioxide released in large quantities by industry collects at the lower part of the earth’s upper atmosphere. Because of this, part of the heat that is reflected from the earth is absorbed by this carbon dioxide and returned to the earth as heat. This shield, so to speak, lets the sun​light through to the earth but prevents some of the heat from the earth from escaping beyond it. This is the greenhouse effect and as a result of it,it is believed that the earth’s climates will change with an increase in heat by 5 to 9 degrees by about the year 2050. This heat will cause the release of poisonous gases on an unwary earth and in addition melt the polar ice and glaciers throughout the world and cause flooding. The cha​os can well be imagined.

The arguments presented by the scientists on the effects of the green​house effect are reasonable and there is reason to believe that they are correct. Perhaps the effect is already there in small measure. That the removal trees is directly a cause cannot be denied because there are too many instances that have verified this to be true. Cameron Highlands in Malaysia has for the past five decades been a popular destination when people in this region want to enjoy the weather of an English summer. Temperatures were pleasantly cool. In recent years the temperatures have risen and the place is fast losing its popularity as a holiday spot. Only one activity has been going on in the vicinity that could have caused it: logging. Loss of trees obviously leads to increase of temperature. If this is true in just one part of the world there is reason to fear that it could be true for the whole world. These last few years have seen extremes in the weather and there has been a few surprisingly high temperatures. Could this be due to the greenhouse effect?

The causes of there being too much carbon dioxide being released Tito the atmosphere are several. One of this is from industry. As we all know, animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide while giants do the reverse. This is a neat arrangement – if the number of oxygen breathing animals and carbon dioxide breathing plants remain balanced. If, as the scientists say, the greenhouse effect is already in ef​fect in part, then obviously the balance has been offset. When we take a ,00k at the number of wooded areas in the world that have just disap​peared, we are led to conclude that this could well be true. Since the number of plants have decreased, and the number of animals – definite- .1- humans – have increased, there is likely to be too much carbon diox​Ide in the air. There are just not enough trees to fight off the ill effects 3f there being too much carbon dioxide.

Now, what is happening that is really alarming is that the destruction of plants continues – especially in the rainforest belt. In addition, facto​ries continue to be built. The anticipated result is obvious. Since oxygen producers are decreasing and carbon dioxide producers are increasing, there will soon be too much carbon dioxide for the plants to neutralize. The full effects of the greenhouse effect may then be felt.

This is certainly a cause for everyone’s deep concern and immediate actions to be planned to reverse the damage that is being done, before it becomes irreversible.

REFERENCES:

BOYES, E. & STANISSTREET, M. (1993) The ‘greenhouse effect’: children’s perceptions of causes, consequences and cures, _International Journal of Science Education_, 15, pp. 531-552.

GRIBBIN, J. (1990) An assault on the climate consensus, _New Scientist_, 15 December 1990, pp. 26-31.

PAPAGEORGIOU, G. & OUZOUNIS, K. (2000) Studying the greenhouse effect: a simple demonstration,_International Journal of Environmental Education and Information_, 19, pp. 275-282.

SCHNEIDER, S.H. (1989) The changing climate, _Scientic American_, 261(3), pp.
70-79.