Preview

The Greenhouse Effect

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
801 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Greenhouse Effect
Danielle Mowder
Erica Towe
English 11
March 9, 2015
The Greenhouse Effect
Without the greenhouse effect the temperature of this planet would decrease by at least
30 degrees celsius, and it would be too cold for us to survive. The light we receive from the sun keeps our atmosphere warm. The earth only absorbs 30% of the sunlight because the other 70% is reflected back into space, and is absorbed by greenhouse gases. These gases act like a mirror, and reflect heat back to earth. The major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, and water vapor. The increase in greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere causes the earth’s temperature to continue rising. The greenhouse effect is caused by burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and an increase in population.
With an increase demand for gasoline we have become dependant on fossil fuels which causes an increase in the greenhouse effect. Fossil fuels are any combustible organic material such as coal, oil, or natural gas made from the remains of former life (DictionaryReference.com).
We burn fossil fuels to produce electricity for many things including transportation.. Pollution which is emitted from vehicles when they burn gasoline contains carbon dioxide, which is one of the main gases responsible for the increase in the greenhouse effect
(ConserveEnergyFuture.com). The burning of fossil fuels produces approximately 21.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Burning natural gas, coal, and oil including gasoline for car engines raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Wikipedia.com). The increase of

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels increases the greenhouse effect, and causes the planet to heat up.
Deforestation destroys plants and trees that otherwise would be filtering the carbon dioxide in the environment, and causes an increase in the greenhouse effect. Through photosynthesis plants and trees intake carbon dioxide and


Cited: . N.p., 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.  "Deforestation." ​ WorldWildlife.org​ . World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.  Dictionary.com​ . Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.  . Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2015.  "Pollution Issues." ​ Population​ . N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.  West, Larry. "What Are Greenhouse Gases and the Greenhouse Effect?" N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar.  2015.  . N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    SCI203 Phase 3 Lab Report
    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages

    SCI203 Phase 3 Lab Report

    Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth 's carbon cycle. Yet human-related emissions are responsible for the increase in CO2 emissions. The use of electricity accounts for 37% of total U.S. emissions, while transportation 31%, industry accounts for 15%, residential and commercial 10%, and other non-fossil fuel combustion 6%. That is 99% of the total globe greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States increased by about 7% between 1990 and 2013. (EPA, 2015) Not leaving out pollution also a contributor of increases in anthropogenic CO2. These things are the cause of the earth heating up, or global warming. Trees and plants help soak up the CO2 in the atmosphere but with the tearing down of trees to build industry buildings, residential and commercial buildings there are fewer trees and plants to take in CO2 for photosynthesis.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Will Restricting U.S. Carbon Emissions Damage the U.S. Economy? Essay Example
    • 1501 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Will Restricting U.S. Carbon Emissions Damage the U.S. Economy? Essay Example

    An important issue affecting the world today is climate change due to the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases that is released into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are gases that accumulate in the atmosphere due to human activity and the earth's natural biological and chemical processes. The four major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide , methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). The main contributing factor to climate change is the abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Due to the burning of fossil fuels, solid waste, trees, and other chemical reactions carbon dioxide is absorbed into the atmosphere enhancing the greenhouse effect.…

    • 1501 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Watershed Case Study Essay
    • 2010 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Watershed Case Study Essay

    Also, that the effects of what we have burned so far are not clearly obvious in global temperature records (Kaster, 1998). It is predicted that the concentration of CO2 will triple to what the pre-industrial average of 280 ppm. Currently, according to the CO2 detector on Mauna Loa Observatory is registering 398.78 ppm. Kaster (1998) states that,” Of the 7.1 gigatons of carbon released each year about 3.3 Gt C accumulates in the atmosphere.” If the world uses all of its reserves of coal, oil and natural gas then it is reasonable to think that the CO2 concentrates will be about 1100 to 1200 ppm roughly 400 to 800 years from now (Kaster, 1998). An increase of air pollutants is a result of continued use of fossil fuels. Air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and hydrocarbons are produced as fossil fuels are used (Union of Concerned Scientist, n. d.). Carbon monoxide causes headaches and aggravates people with heart disease. Nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxides creates smog, a yellowish-brown “cloud” layer that settles on the ground. And these substances irritate lungs causing issues like bronchitis and pneumonia. Sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides are the primary components in acid rain and snow that affect plants and buildings. Hydrocarbons are another pollutant made from…

    • 2010 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Research Essay(3. the Decisions We Make as Individuals Have a Significant Impact on the Environment.)
    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Research Essay(3. the Decisions We Make as Individuals Have a Significant Impact on the Environment.)

    Consider the following information: Every time we use fossil fuels, we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Fuel must be burned to extract oil from the ground and process it; and then more fuel must be burned just to transport the fuel to where we buy it! Scientists believe that it is carbon dioxide emissions that are responsible for climate change, specifically the global warming effect.…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Relationship Between Carbon Cycle And Earth's Energy Budget
    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Relationship Between Carbon Cycle And Earth's Energy Budget

    When fossil fuels are burned, it release large amounts of carbon, which results in the atmosphere releasing a reduced amount of energy. The outcome of the reduction of energy released is that the Earth temperature slowly increases. This is what causes global warming…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Co2 Research Paper
    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page

    Co2 Research Paper

    Over the past years, carbon dioxide has been at the center of debates in regards of the negative effects it has on the environment. CO2 is considered as a pollutant, it has the ability to turn fresh air into toxic air. Industries and automobiles are two of the major entities known to cause CO2 pollution. Automobiles emit CO2 by burning fossil foil for energy. The most frequent utilized fossil fuel worldwide are coal and oil. “Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum based, which includes gasoline and diesel” (EPA). In addition to being a pollutant, CO2 is considered as a greenhouse gas. This means that it has high tendency to cause on climate change.…

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    ss book
    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages

    ss book

    Some scientist think that burning coal and gases help the greenhouse effect but is not help the greenhouse effect it is making the air pollute.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Four Greenhouse Gases
    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Four Greenhouse Gases

    Where have you learned about this one before??... Carbon Dioxide is the most human related gas found in the greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels and the emissions from cars create carbon dioxide. My science class also learned a few days ago that carbon dioxide is released into the air as a result of cutting down trees. Trees store carbon dioxide and usually release carbon dioxide, yet when an overwhelming amount goes into the atmosphere that is bad and at the fault of a human.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Global Climate Change
    • 903 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Global Climate Change

    2. Carbon dioxide is considered the main greenhouse gas because its widely abundant and contributes the most to the greenhouse effect. Even though it can be less potent, it is six times more prominent than other gases. An increase in water vapor can cause a positive feedback effect by creating a loop of increased water into the air by an increase of evaporation through an increase of temperature. A negative feedback effect loop sees an increase in clouds that shade or cool the earth. This could slow the warming by reflecting back more solar radiation into space.…

    • 903 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Differences between fossil fuel and renewable energy
    • 478 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Differences between fossil fuel and renewable energy

    As well as global climate change, a lot of carbon dioxide cause the greenhouse effect,…

    • 478 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theory of Global Warming
    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Theory of Global Warming

    The theory of global warming is nothing new. The Nobel Prize-winning chemist Svante Arrhenius first proposed the idea of global warming in 1896. Carbon dioxide, he knew, traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. He also knew that burning coal and oil releases carbon dioxide (CO2).…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    “Many Scientists Have Concluded That Human Activities Are Acting to Raise Global Temperatures”
    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “Many Scientists Have Concluded That Human Activities Are Acting to Raise Global Temperatures”

    Climatologists (scientists who study climate) have analyzed the global warming that has occurred since the late 1800's. A majority of climatologists have concluded that human activities are responsible for most of the warming. Human activities are throwing our natural greenhouse gas effect out of balance (Norby & Luo, 2004:282). Basically, we are surrounded by a blanket of air called the atmosphere which has kept the temperature on earth just right for centuries (Climate and Society). Just as the glass in a greenhouse holds the suns warmth inside, so the atmosphere traps the suns heat near the earths surface and keeps the earth warm. We call this the natural greenhouse effect because it makes the earth a perfect planet for growing and living things. Because of this blanket, for hundreds of years the earths atmosphere has changed very little. It has kept the right temperature for plants, animal and humans to survive quite comfortably (Norby & Luo, 2004:282). Greenhouse gasses are both natural and manmade. These gasses are Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) and Nitrous Oxide (Miller, 2005:475). This following essay will detail various human activities as well as other forces that are affecting the natural greenhouse gas effect. Furthermore, it will address the issue of global warming as well as outline some of the many consequences of global warming.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Arguments Against Recycling Research Paper
    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Arguments Against Recycling Research Paper

    “In 2013, CO2 accounted for about 82% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities” (Environmental Protection Agency).…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Global Climate Change Proposal
    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Global Climate Change Proposal

    Shah, A. (2012, March). Climate change and global warming introduction. Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introduction#TheclimatehasalwaysvariedinthepastHowisithisanydifferent…

    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pata Nahi
    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pata Nahi

    * Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation.…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics