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ON

GREENHOUSEEFFECT

PREPAREDBY

OMOTOSHOOLUWATOFUNMIVI
CTORI
A
(
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23/
5065)

COURSETI
TLE:
HISTORYANDPHI
LOSOPHYOFSCI
ENCE

(
CVE105)

SUBMI
TTEDTOTHE

DEPARTMENTOFCI
VILANDENVI
RONMENTAL

ENGI
NEERI
NG,

SCHOOLOFENGI
NEERI
NGANDENGI
NEERI
NG

TECHNOLOGY,
FEDERALUNI
VERSI
TYOFTECHNOLOGY,

AKURE,
NIGERI
A

COURSELECTURERS:
Prof
.O.J.OYEDEPO

Dr
.O.A.OBI
ORA-
OKEKE

Dr
.F.O.AJI
BADE

APRI
L,2024

1
Tabl
eofcont
ent

I
ntr
oduct
ion………………………………………………………………………….
3

 Howt
heGr
eenhouseEf
fectWor
ks…………………………………4-
5

 Gr
eenhousegasesaf
fect
ingt
heat
mospher
e…………….
..
5-6

 Reduct
ionofGr
eenhouseGases.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
.6-
7

 TheI
mpactofCl
i
mat
eChange………………………………………….
7-8

 TheCl
i
mat
e…………………………………………………………………….
.7

 Far
mingandAgr
icul
tur
e………………………………….
…………….
8

 Concl
usi
on…………………………………………………………………………….
8

 Ref
erences.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
9

2
 I
ntr
oduct
ion

I
n1975,
W.S.Br
oeckerwr
ote,
“Ifman-
madedusti
suni
mpor
tantasamaj
orcauseof

cl
i
mat
icchange,
thenast
rongcasecanbemadet
hatt
hepr
esentcool
i
ngt
rendwi
l
l,

wi
thi
nadecadeorso,
giv
ewayt
oapr
onouncedwar
mingi
nducedbycar
bondi
oxi
de.

Byanal
ogywi
thsi
mil
arev
ent
sint
hepast
,thenat
ural
cli
mat
iccool
i
ngwhi
ch,
since

1940,
hasmor
ethancompensat
edf
ort
hecar
bondi
oxi
deef
fect
,wi
l
lsoonbot
tom

out
.Oncet
hishappens,
theexponent
ial
risei
ntheat
mospher
iccar
bondi
oxi
de

cont
entwi
l
ltendt
obecomeasi
gni
fi
cantf
act
orandbyear
lyi
nthenextcent
urywi
l
l

hav
edr
ivent
hemeanpl
anet
aryt
emper
atur
ebey
ondt
hel
i
mit
sexper
ienceddur
ing

t
hel
ast1,
000y
ear
s.

I
nthe19t
hcent
ury
,sci
ent
ist
swer
eint
erest
edi
nthepossi
bil
i
tyt
hatal
owerl
evel
of

car
bondi
oxi
degasmi
ghtexpl
aint
hei
ceagesoft
hedi
stantpast
.Att
het
urnoft
he

cent
ury
,ot
hersci
ent
ist
sdi
smi
ssedt
hei
deaofSav
ant
eAr
rheni
usasf
aul
ty.I
n1938,

GSCal
endarar
guedt
hatt
hel
evel
ofcar
bondi
oxi
dewascl
i
mbi
ngandr
aisi
nggl
obal

t
emper
atur
e,butmostsci
ent
ist
sfoundhi
sar
gument
simpl
ausi
ble.I
twasal
mostby

chancet
hataf
ewr
esear
cher
sint
he1950sdi
scov
eredt
hatgl
obal
war
mingt
rul
ywas

possi
ble.I
ntheear
ly1960s,
CDKeel
i
ngmeasur
edt
hel
evel
ofcar
bondi
oxi
dei
nthe

at
mospher
e:i
twasr
isi
ngf
ast
.Resear
cher
sbegant
otakeani
nter
est
,st
ruggl
i
ngt
o

under
standhowt
hel
evel
ofcar
bondi
oxi
dehadchangedi
nthepast
,andhowt
he

l
evel
wasi
nfl
uencedbychemi
cal
andbi
ologi
cal
for
ces.Theyf
oundt
hatt
hegas

pl
aysacr
uci
alr
olei
ncl
i
mat
echange,
sot
hatt
her
isi
ngl
evel
coul
dgr
avel
yaf
fectour

f
utur
e.I
nrecentdecades,
adv
ancement
sint
echnol
ogyandsci
ent
if
icr
esear
chhav
e

pr
ovi
deddeeperi
nsi
ght
sint
othecompl
exmechani
smsdr
ivi
ngt
hegr
eenhouse

3
ef
fectandi
tsi
nter
act
ionswi
thEar
th'
scl
i
mat
esy
stem.

HowGr
eenhouseEf
fectWor
ks

At
mospher
eiscomposedofami
xtur
eofv
ari
ousgases.Themostabundantgases

ar
edi
-at
omi
cni
tr
ogenandoxy
genaccount
ingf
or98%i
nvol
umeofdr
yai
r.The

GHGs,
account
ingf
orl
esst
han1%oft
heat
mospher
icv
olume,
hav
ethepr
oper
tyt
o

absor
binf
rar
edr
adi
ati
onef
fi
cient
ly,
wher
east
heat
mospher
eov
eral
labsor
bsonl
y20

%ofsol
arr
adi
ati
onThemosti
mpor
tant“
nat
ural
”GHGi
swat
erv
apour(
H2O)
,then

car
bondi
oxi
de(
CO2)
,met
hane(
CH4)
,ni
tr
ousoxi
de(
N2O)
,andozone(
O3)
.

Humanact
ivi
ti
es(
bur
ningoff
ossi
lfuel
sini
ndust
ryandagr
icul
tur
e,heatpr
oduct
ion

andt
ranspor
t,def
orest
ati
on,
cementpr
oduct
ion)addsomeoft
heseGHGs,
butal
so

cr
eat
esy
nthet
icGHGs,
aschl
orof
luor
ocar
bons(
CFCs)
.These“
nat
ural
”and

“
synt
het
ic”GHGs(
exceptH2OandO3)r
emai
natl
east12y
ear
sint
heat
mospher
e

andt
husaf
fectt
hepl
anet
aryr
adi
oact
ivebal
ancei
ndependent
lyont
hel
ocat
ionof

t
hei
remi
ssi
oni
ntot
heat
mospher
ebecauset
het
imet
omi
xthewhol
etr
opospher
e

i
sfast
ert
han1y
ear(
Figur
e1)

The“
greenhouseef
fect
.”Ther
adi
oact
ivebal
ancebet
weeni
ncomi
ngsol
arr
adi
ati
on

andt
heabsor
pti
onofr
e-emi
tt
edi
nfr
aredr
adi
ati
onbyt
heat
mospher
edr
ivesur
face

heat
ing.Adapt
edf
rom:I
PCC,Cl
i
mat
eChange2007:ThePhy
sicalSci
enceBasi
s.

Cont
ri
but
ion of Wor
king Gr
oup It
othe Four
th Assessment Repor
t of t
he

I
nter
gov
ernment
alPanelon Cl
i
mat
e Change (
Cambr
idge:Cambr
idge Uni
ver
sit
y

Pr
ess,
2007)
,115.

Manygr
eenhousegasesoccurnat
ural
l
yint
heenv
ironment
,suchaswat
erv
apor
,

car
bon di
oxi
de,met
hane,ni
tr
ous oxi
de,and ozone.Ot
her
s such as hy
dro

f
luor
ocar
bons(
HFCs)
,perf
luor
ocar
bons(
PFCs)
,andsul
furhexaf
luor
ide(
SF6)ar
e

4
cr
eat
edandemi
tt
edsol
elyt
hroughhumanact
ivi
ti
es.Humanact
ivi
ti
esal
soadd

si
gni
fi
cant
lyt
othel
evel
ofnat
ural
l
yoccur
ri
nggr
eenhousegases.

Gr
eenhousegasesaf
fect
ingt
heat
mospher
eduet
ohumanact
ivi
ti
es

•Met
hane(
CH4)
:Whencoal
,nat
ural
gas,
andoi
lar
epr
oducedandt
ranspor
ted,

met
hanei
srel
easedi
ntot
heat
mospher
e.Met
hanei
sal
sor
eleaseddur
ingt
he

decomposi
ti
onofor
gani
cwast
e,whet
heri
tisi
nlandf
il
lsordur
ingl
i
vest
ockf
armi
ng.

•Car
bonDi
oxi
de(
CO2)
:Fossi
lfuel
s(coal
,oi
l
,andnat
uralgas)
,sol
i
dwast
e,t
rees,

and wood pr
oduct
s,as wel
las ot
herchemi
calr
eact
ions (
maki
ng cement
,for

exampl
e),r
eleasecar
bondi
oxi
dei
ntot
heat
mospher
e.Aspar
toft
hebi
ologi
cal

car
bon cy
cle,car
bon di
oxi
de i
s al
so "
sequest
ered"
—thati
s,r
emov
ed f
rom t
he

at
mospher
e—wheni
tist
akenupbypl
ant
s.

•Ni
tr
ousOxi
de(
N2O)
:Ni
tr
ousoxi
dei
semi
tt
ed dur
ing v
ari
ousagr
icul
tur
aland

i
ndust
ri
alact
ivi
ti
es,
aswel
lasdur
ingcombust
ionoff
ossi
lfuel
sandsol
i
dwast
e.

•Fl
uor
inat
edGases:Hy
drof
luor
ocar
bons,per
fl
uor
ocar
bons,andsul
furhexaf
luor
ide

ar
e sy
nthet
ic,power
fulgr
eenhouse gases t
hatar
e emi
tt
ed f
rom a v
ari
ety of

i
ndust
ri
alpr
ocesses.Fl
uor
inat
ed gasesar
esomet
imesused assubst
it
utesf
or

ozone-
depl
eti
ng subst
ances (
i.
e.,CFCs,HCFCs,and hal
ons)
.These gases ar
e

t
ypi
cal
l
yemi
tt
edi
nsmal
l
erquant
it
ies,butbecauset
heyar
epot
entgr
eenhouse

gases,t
heyar
esomet
imesr
efer
redt
oasHi
ghGl
obalWar
mingPot
ent
ialgases

(
"Hi
ghGWPgases"
).

Thecapaci
tyofgr
eenhousegasest
oabsor
bandr
etai
nheati
ntheat
mospher
e

v
ari
es.Themostheat
-absor
bentgasesi
ncl
udeHFCsandPFCs,
howev
ert
her
ear
e

al
sosi
gni
fi
cantv
ari
ati
onsacr
ossnat
ural
l
yoccur
ri
nggases.Met
hane,
fori
nst
ance,

5
absor
bs21t
imesmor
eheatpermol
ecul
ethancar
bondi
oxi
de,
andni
tr
ousoxi
de

absor
bs270t
imesmor
eheatt
hancar
bondi
oxi
de.

mol
ecul
eincompar
isont
ocar
bondi
oxi
de.Butbecausecar
bondi
oxi
dei
sthemost

pr
eval
entel
ementi
ntheat
mospher
e,i
tmakest
hel
argestcont
ri
but
ion.

Fut
ureemi
ssi
onandr
emov
alest
imat
esar
esomewhatdependentonhy
pot
heses

r
egar
dingmodi
fi
cat
ionst
otheunder
lyi
nghumanact
ivi
ty.

Reduct
ionofGr
eenhouseGases

Thepr
imar
yobj
ect
iveofWWTPsi
stomeetef
fl
uentst
andar
ds.I
nor
dert
opr
otect

t
her
ecei
vi
ngwat
erbody
.Howev
er,
reduct
ionofGHGemi
ssi
onsf
rom WWTPs

r
equi
resabr
oadeni
ngi
nscope.Theest
imat
edquant
it
yofN2Of
rom WWTPsbyt
he

Uni
tedSt
atesEnv
ironment
alPr
otect
ionAgency
.Account
sforappr
oxi
mat
ely3%of

N2Of
rom al
lnat
ional
sour
ceswhi
chr
ankast
hesi
xthl
argestcont
ri
but
ort
oGHG

emi
ssi
ons.Ther
ightquant
if
icat
ionofGHGi
sanecessi
tyt
obet
terunder
standhow

t
oef
fect
ivel
yreduceGHGemi
ssi
onsf
rom WWTPs,
aswel
last
oimpr
ovet
he

accur
acyi
ntheGHGemi
ssi
onr
epor
ti
ngpr
ocesses.

Si
ncet
hest
artoft
heI
ndust
ri
alRev
olut
ioni
nthemi
d-18t
hcent
ury
,humanact
ivi
ti
es

hav
egr
eat
lyi
ncr
easedt
heconcent
rat
ionsofgr
eenhousegasesi
ntheat
mospher
e.

Consequent
ly,
measur
edat
mospher
icconcent
rat
ionsofCO2ar
emanyt
imeshi
gher

t
hanpr
e-i
ndust
ri
all
evel
s.

Car
bondi
oxi
del
evel
sar
esubst
ant
ial
l
yhi
ghernowt
hanatanyt
imei
nthel
ast

750000y
ear
s.Thebur
ningoff
ossi
lfuel
shasel
evat
edCO2l
evel
sfr
om an

at
mospher
icconcent
rat
ionofappr
oxi
mat
ely280par
tspermi
l
li
on(
ppm)i
npr
e-

i
ndust
ri
alt
imest
oov
er400ppm i
n2018.Thi
sisa40percenti
ncr
easesi
ncet
he

st
artoft
heI
ndust
ri
alRev
olut
ion.

6
CO2concent
rat
ionsar
eincr
easi
ngatar
ateofabout2–3ppm/
yearandar
eexpect
ed

t
oexceed900ppm byt
heendoft
he21stcent
ury
.

I
fthi
scont
inues,
toget
herwi
thr
isi
ngemi
ssi
onsofCH4andot
hergr
eenhousegases,

by2100t
hegl
obal
aver
agesur
facet
emper
atur
ecoul
dhav
eincr
easedbyupt
o4.
8°C

compar
edt
opr
e-i
ndust
ri
all
evel
s.Consequent
ly,
somesci
ent
ist
ssuggestgoal
sto

l
i
mitconcent
rat
ionst
okeept
emper
atur
echangebel
ow+2°
C.Thi
swoul
dincl
ude

subst
ant
ial
cut
sinant
hropogeni
cgr
eenhousegasemi
ssi
onsbyt
hemi
ddl
eoft
he

21stcent
uryt
hroughl
arge-
scal
echangesi
nener
gysy
stemsandl
anduse.

TheI
mpactofCl
imat
eChange

Ear
thwi
l
lgetwar
merasar
esul
tofmor
eheatbei
ngt
rappedt
her
e,whi
chwi
l
lal
ter

gl
obal
weat
herpat
ter
ns.Gi
vent
hei
deal
condi
ti
onsf
orl
i
feonEar
th,
asi
gni
fi
cant

i
ncr
easei
ntemper
atur
emi
ghthav
ecat
ast
rophi
cef
fect
sonbot
hhumansandot
her

l
i
vingt
hings.Cur
rent
ly,
sci
ent
ist
sfi
ndi
tchal
l
engi
ngt
odet
ermi
net
hesi
zeoft
hewhat

wi
l
lchangeandwher
ethehar
shestconsequencesf
all
.Thesear
eaf
ewoft
he

hy
pot
heses.(
Figur
e2)

 TheCl
imat
e

v
ari
edsect
ionsoft
hepl
anetwi
l
lhav
evar
iedef
fect
s—somewi
l
lgodr
ier
,whi
l
e

ot
her
swi
l
lgetwet
ter
.

Cer
tai
npl
aceswi
l
lgetcol
der
,ev
enwhi
l
emostpl
aceswi
l
lgetwar
mer
.Pl
ent
y

ofst
orms,
floods,
and

dr
ought
,buti
t'
suncl
earwhet
herpar
tsoft
hegl
obewi
l
lbei
mpact
ed.These

v
ari
ati
onsi
ntheweat
herwi
l
lhav
eani
mpactont
het
ypesofcr
opst
hatcanbe

cul
ti
vat
edev
ery
wher
e.I
tcanbechal
l
engi
ngf
orpeopl
e,ani
mal
s,andpl
ant
sto

7
 l
i
vei
nmanyenv
ironment
s.(
Figur
e2)

 Far
mingandAgr
icul
tur
e

Theki
ndsofcr
opsgr
ownar
oundt
hewor
ldwi
l
lbei
mpact
edbyweat
her

v
ari
ati
ons.Hi
ghert
emper
atur
esar
eadv
ant
ageousf
orsomecr
ops,
suchr
ice

andwheat
,butnotf
orot
herpl
ant
s,l
i
kesugar
caneandmai
ze.

Thenumberofpl
ant
sthatgr
owwi
l
lal
sobei
mpact
edbychangesi
nrai
nfal
l
.

Howachangei
ntheweat
heraf
fect
s

Pl
antgr
owt
hcoul
dresul
tinf
oodshor
tagesi
nsomenat
ions.Thecount
ri
es

mostl
i
kel
ytobei
mpact
edar
eBr
azi
l
,por
ti
onsofAf
ri
ca,
sout
h-eastAsi
a,and

Chi
na,
wher
eal
argenumberofpeopl
emaygohungr
y.(
Figur
e4)

Concl
usi
on

Sof
arnotmanymeasur
eshav
ebeent
akent
oaddr
esscl
i
mat
echange.Thi
sis

l
argel
ycausedbyt
hemaj
oruncer
tai
nti
esst
il
lsur
roundi
ngt
het
heor
y.But

cl
i
mat
echangei
sal
soagl
obal
probl
em t
hati
shar
dtosol
vebysi
ngl
e

count
ri
es.Ther
efor
ein1998,
theKy
otoPr
otocol
wasnegot
iat
edi
nKy
oto,

Japan.I
trequi
respar
ti
cipat
ingcount
ri
est
oreducet
hei
rant
hropogeni
c

gr
eenhousegasemi
ssi
ons(
CO2,
CH4,
N2O,
HFCs,
PFCs,
andSF6)byatl
east

5%bel
ow1990l
evel
sint
hecommi
tmentper
iod2008t
o2012.TheKy
oto

Pr
otocol
wasev
ent
ual
l
ysi
gnedi
nBonni
n2001by186count
ri
es.Sev
eral

count
ri
essuchast
heUni
tedSt
atesandAust
ral
i
ahav
eret
reat
ed.Fr
om 1998

onwar
dst
het
ermi
nol
ogyont
hegr
eenhouseef
fectst
art
edt
ochangeasa

r
esul
tofmedi
ainf
luences.

8
Ref
erences

Fi
gur
e1

Fi
gur
e2

Fi
gur
e3

Fi
gur
e4