GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

By: Tobi Nagy

What are the results of the Greenhouse Effect?

By using very sophisticated computer modeling, scientists have been able to predict what the world’s climate will be like when carbon dioxide levels have doubled.

1. Increase in world’s temperature It is thought that there will be an increase in the average global temperature by between 1.5 and 4.5 deg C . • By year 2030 an increase of 2 deg C, by 2100 an increase of 6 deg C. The warming will be greater at higher latitudes and in winter. This will lead to the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers which is already evident, in places like Greenland, the Arctic and Antarctic.


2. Changes in World’s climate The Greenhouse Effect will lead to world-wide changes in weather and climate. Some places may get more rain and storms while other places may get less. Not all changes will be bad. However, almost everywhere in the world will have changes in weather, which will have a big impact on our lives


3. Rising Sea Level It is estimated that by the year 2030, the average sea level will increase by approximately 20 centimetres. This will be due mainly to the melting of the polar ice cap, but also warming of the atmosphere will heat the upper layers of the oceans, which will expand when heated. For low lying countries in the Pacific like Tuvalu and Kiribati, and in the Indian Ocean like Maldives and other countries like Holland may altogether disappear.


4. Other impacts Other impacts could be the dieing out of some species of animals and plants, such as coastal marine environments and coral reefs. Some plants would not be able to survive temperature increases. It takes thousands of years for forests to move north or south to cooler climates. According to Joel B. Smith, co-author of an EPA report states that “such a warming over a century would require forests to move five times faster than the fastest rate recorded by paleontologists since the end of the last ice age”.

What are the primary Greenhouse gases?

They are a number of organic compounds which have more than two bonds (i.e 3 atoms). The seven major Greenhouse gases are:

1. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)


2. Ozone (O3)


3. Methane (CH4)


4. CFC’s (Freons F11 & F12)


5. Water vapour (H2O)


6. Nitrous Oxides (NOx)


7. Ethane (CH3CH3)