GROUP 2A

GREENHOUSE GASES AND CLIMATE CHANGE

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

At the end of this lecture, we will be able to;

• Explain greenhouse gases
• List some sources of greenhouse gases
• Identify some important greenhouse gases and how they are released into the atmosphere
• State the importance and effect of greenhouse gases
• Explain climate change
• State the causes of climate change with examples
INTRODUCTION

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and certain synthetic
chemicals, trap some of the Earth's outgoing energy, thus retaining heat in the atmosphere.
Multiple lines of evidence confirm that human activities are the primary cause of the global
warming of the past 50 years. Natural factors, such as variations in the sun's output,
volcanic activity, the Earth's orbit, the carbon cycle, and others, also affect Earth's radiative
balance. However, beginning in the late 1700s, the net global effect of human activities has
been a continual increase in greenhouse gas concentrations.
This change in concentrations causes warming and is affecting various aspects of climate,
including surface air and ocean temperatures, precipitation, and sea levels. Human health,
agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal areas are all vulnerable to climate
change.
GREENHOUSE GASES

Greenhouse gas is any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat
energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, thus
contributing to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour are the
most important greenhouse gases. To a lesser extent, surface-level ozone, nitrous oxides,
and fluorinated gases also trap infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases have a profound effect
on the energy budget of the Earth system despite making up only a fraction of all
atmospheric gases.
Concentrations of greenhouse gases have varied substantially during Earth’s history, and
these variations have driven substantial climate changes at a wide range of timescales. In
general, greenhouse gas concentrations have been particularly high during warm periods
and low during cold periods.
GREENHOUSE GASES CONT.

Greenhouse gases are those that absorb and emit infrared radiation in the wavelength range emitted
by Earth. Carbon dioxide (0.04%), nitrous oxide, methane, and ozone are trace gases that account for
almost 0.1% of Earth's atmosphere and have an appreciable greenhouse effect.
The most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, listed in decreasing order of average
global mole fraction, are:
• Water vapor (H2O)
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Ozone (O3)
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs and HCFCs)
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Perfluorocarbons (CF4, C2F6, etc.), SF6, and NF3
SOUCES OF GREENHOUSE GASES

There are both natural and human-caused greenhouse gases. Natural sources include
respiration and decomposition of plants and ocean release of greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere. Many natural GHGs occur naturally in the atmosphere, such as water vapour,
carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Some greenhouse gases are synthetic, human-made. These include for example
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). They can be found, for example in aerosol sprays, air
conditioning and refrigerants and in electronics.
Human-caused emissions come from burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural
gas, and activities like deforestation, agriculture and cement production. According to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities are responsible for
almost all of the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years.
LISTS OF SOME IMPORTANT GREENHOUSE GASES AND
HOW THEY ARE RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE BY
NATURAL PROCESSES AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES
WATER VAPOUR
Water can take the form of an invisible gas called water vapour (H2O). Water vapour is the
most substantial natural greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and has a strong effect on water
and climate.
Changes in water vapour concentration have resulted from warming of the atmosphere
rather than a direct result of human activities. As the temperature of the atmosphere rises,
more water is evaporated from ground storages such as rivers, oceans, reservoirs, and soil.
As water vapour is a greenhouse gas, more water vapour in the atmosphere leads to even
more warming. This positive feedback loop in which water is involved is critically
important to projecting future climate change.
CARBON DIOXIDE

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to the enhanced
greenhouse effect. While CO2 has a large variety of natural sources and sinks, human
activities are responsible for the considerable increase of CO2 in the atmosphere occurred
since the industrial revolution.
CO2 occurs naturally in the atmosphere as part of the Earth's carbon cycle – the natural
circulation of carbon among the air, water and ecosystems. Human activities are altering the
carbon cycle either by adding CO2 to the atmosphere or by influencing the ability of natural
sinks to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
and wood are the primary source of human-caused CO2 emissions. Natural sinks are
affected by deforestation and other land use changes.
CARBON DIOXIDE CONT.

According to IPCC, human-caused greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the pre-
industrial era and are now higher than ever. Between 1750 and 2011, about half of the
emissions have occurred in the last 40 years.
About 40% of the human-caused emissions have remained in the atmosphere. The rest has
been removed from the atmosphere and stored on land in plants and soils, and in the oceans.
The oceans have absorbed about 30% of CO2, with negative side effects such as ocean
acidification. However, it is not clear how effectively these CO2 sinks will operate in the
future under a changing climate and increasing human impacts.
CARBON DIOXIDE CONT.
METHANE (CH4)

Methane (CH4) is the second most important GHG for the enhanced greenhouse effect
after carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane is emitted by natural and human sources. The main
natural sources of methane include wetlands, tundra, oceans and their bottom sediments,
and termites. Natural sources make about 36% of methane emissions. Important human
sources include landfills, livestock farming (especially enteric fermentation in farm
animals), rice farming, biomass burning, as well as the production, transportation and use
of fossil fuels. Human-caused sources create the majority of methane emissions,
accounting for about 64% of the total emissions.
NITROUS OXIDE (N2O)
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the third most important GHG for the enhanced greenhouse effect after
carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Although there is a relatively small amount of N2O in
the atmosphere, its lifetime is long, about 120 years, which makes it very important for the total
amount of global greenhouse gases. N2O has nearly 300 times the global warming potential of
carbon dioxide. The nitrous oxide levels are now higher than ever in the past 800,000 years. Since
the industrial revolution, the amount of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has increased by 16%.
Nitrous oxide emissions are produced by both natural and human sources. The major natural
sources include soils under natural vegetation, tundra and the oceans. Important human sources
come from agriculture (nitrous oxide fertilizers, soil cultivation), livestock manure, biomass or
fossil fuels combustion and industrial processes. In total, over one third of the emissions are
estimated to come from human actions. The synthetic greenhouse gases are long lasting and absorb
the solar radiation extremely efficiently. The synthetic greenhouse gases include halocarbons, such
as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), and HFCs
(hydrofluorocarbons)
Other synthetic greenhouse gases are e.g. perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sculpture hexafluoride
(SF6).
HALOCARBONS
Halocarbons are used, for example, for propellants, refrigeration devices, air conditioning,
certain types of heat pumps, and for foam plastic. Halocarbons are long lasting and powerful
greenhouse gases. For example, CFC can remain in the atmosphere for over 102 years and has
3800 times more powerful warming effect that carbon dioxide (CO2) molecule. However,
international regulations have effectively limited the emissions these gases, and the
concentrations of most of these gases are now declining or at least levelling off.
HFCs are used in the refrigeration and air-conditioning, aerosol, fire protection and foam-
blowing industries. PFCs are created in the making of aluminum and magnesium and in
enriching uranium, and they are being used also in eye surgery. SF6 is used in power plants as an
insulation gas, gas-insulated switchgear and circuit breaker equipment and in scientific
applications. Ozone plays two different roles in the atmosphere. At ground level of the Earth's
atmosphere, tropospheric ozone can act both as a direct, warming greenhouse gas, and as an
indirect controller of greenhouse gases' lifetimes. In the second layer, stratospheric ozone has a
cooling effect because it is acting as a shield which filters out most of the ultraviolet light from
the Sun.
OZONE

Ozone is created and destroyed by ultraviolet light from the Sun. It is created from oxygen
by high energy rays, while low energy rays destroy it. Some ozone is human-caused by
various kinds of air pollution (traffic emissions, biomass combustion), which then reacts in
sunlight.
Tropospheric ozone is estimated to have caused around one third of all the direct
greenhouse gas related warming seen since the industrial revolution. Tropospheric ozone is
a particularly difficult greenhouse gas to keep track of because of its short lifespan in the
atmosphere and the vast variations in its regional concentrations.
Tropospheric ozone can affect the lifetime of some greenhouse gases. The breakdown of
tropospheric ozone in sunlight leads to the production of hydroxyl (OH) radicals. These
radicals help to diminish some other greenhouse gases, like methane, and hence lessen their
global warming potential.
IMPORTANCE OF GREENHOUSE GASES
Greenhouse gases’ are crucial to keeping our planet at a suitable temperature for life. Without
the natural greenhouse effect, the heat emitted by the Earth would simply pass outwards from
the Earth’s surface into space and the Earth would have an average temperature of about -
20°C.Without any greenhouse gases, Earth would be an icy wasteland. Greenhouse gases keep
our planet livable by holding onto some of Earth’s heat energy so that it doesn’t all escape into
space. This heat trapping is known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse gases absorb some
of this energy and radiate much of it back towards the surface whilst the rest is radiated out to
space. This plays an important role in keeping the Earth's surface warm and able to sustain life .
Effects of greenhouse gases
They cause climate change by trapping heat, and they also contribute to respiratory disease from
smog and air pollution. Extreme weather, food supply disruptions, and increased wildfires are
other effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gases. It cause global warming will leading
to infectious diseases such as malaria, cholera or dengue to spread to many more areas of the
planet. The process which atmospheric gases absorb heat energy from the sun and prevent heat
energy from leaving the our atmosphere is known greenhouse effect. An increase in average
global temperature is global warming, which is caused by increase in greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.
CLIMATE
What is Climate Change
Climate change is generally defined as a significant variation of average weather
conditions—say, conditions becoming warmer, wetter, or drier—over several decades or
more. It’s the longer-term trend that differentiates climate change from natural weather
variability. Climate refers to the general weather conditions of a place as measured over
many years.
Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around the earth. They trap warmth from the sun and
make life on earth possible. Without them, too much heat would escape and the surface
of the planet would freeze. However, increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere causes the earth to heat more and the climate to change. This process is
often called global warming, but it is better to think of it as climate change. This is
because it is likely to change other aspects of climate as well as temperature and also
bring about more extreme climate events such as floods, storms, cyclones and droughts.
CLIMATE CONT.
CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

What Causes Climate Change?

The mechanics of the earth’s climate system are simple. When energy from the sun is reflected off
the earth and back into space (mostly by clouds and ice), or when the earth’s atmosphere releases
energy, the planet cools. When the earth absorbs the sun’s energy, or when atmospheric gases
prevent heat released by the earth from radiating into space (the greenhouse effect), the planet
warms. A variety of factors, both natural and human, can influence the earth’s climate system.
• Natural causes of climate change
The earth has gone through warming and cooling phases in the past, long before humans were
around. Forces that can contribute to climate change include the sun’s intensity, volcanic
eruptions, and changes in naturally occurring greenhouse gas concentrations. But records indicate
that today’s climatic warming—particularly that which has occurred since the mid-20th century—
is happening at a much faster rate than ever before, and it can’t be explained by natural causes
alone. According to NASA, “[t]hese natural causes are still in play today, but their influence is too
small or they occur too slowly to explain the rapid warming seen in recent decades.”
CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONT.

Anthropogenic causes of climate change

Humans—more specifically, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that human activity generates—are
the leading cause of the earth’s rapidly changing climate today. Greenhouse gases play an important
role in keeping the planet warm enough to inhabit. But the amount of these gases in our atmosphere has
skyrocketed in recent decades. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, our current
concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide “are unprecedented compared with the
past 800,000 years.” Indeed, the atmosphere’s share of carbon dioxide—the planet’s chief climate
change contributor—has risen by 46 percent since preindustrial times.
A waterfront factory pumping out clouds of smoke
The burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas for electricity, heat, and transportation is the primary
source of human-generated emissions.
A second major source is deforestation, which releases sequestered (or stored) carbon into the air. It’s
estimated that logging, clearcutting, fires, and other forms of forest degradation release an average of
8.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, accounting for more than 20 percent of all global
CO2 emissions.
CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONT.

Other human activities that generate air pollution include fertilizer use (a primary
source of nitrous oxide emissions), livestock production (cattle, buffalo, sheep, and
goats are major methane emitters), and certain industrial processes that release
fluorinated gases. Activities like agriculture and road construction can also change
the reflectivity of the earth’s surface, leading to local warming or cooling.
CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONT.
CONCLUSION

How the climate will change in the future largely depends on the total sum of greenhouse
gases emitted since the start of the industrial revolution. Greenhouse gas emissions have
continued to increase over past decades and limiting climate change will mean reversing
this trend. Future climate change also depends on how the Earth responds to the increased
heating. So we cannot be precise about future climate change. But we are generally sure of
the direction of change (eg, the world will become warmer and global average sea­levels will
rise).It is predicted that without additional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the
Earth’s surface temperatures will increase between 3.7°C and 4.8°C by 2100, relative to the
average temperature from 1850­to 1900. However, if we reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 40 to 70 per cent by 2050, the average warming is likely to stay below 2°C.
REFERENCES

Bergue, S.. (2010) The main greenhouse gases.(2nd. Ed.). Guilford press. UK

Bilhim, J. A. (2009). (4th. Ed.). How greenhouse gases lead to global warming. Washington DC press. USA.

Ticket, J.A.F. (2007). Understanding greenhouse gases and greenhouse Effect in our contemporary world.
(3rd. Ed.). Oxford University Press. London.

Braga, P. (2009). The concept of Global warming. (2nd. Ed.). New York. USA.

Brás, F. A. (2007). Increasing Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Tékhne-Revistal de Estudos Politécnicos,
(7), 291-319.

Cardim, J. (2005). Climate and Climate change. (3rd. Ed.). Washington DC press. UK.
 NAME INDEX NUMBER
SHADRACK ACQUAH 200026630
SINA BEMMAH 200019091
REYNOLDS WAYO 200027514
LOUIS FEBIRI 200037261
FRANK KWAKU ASIEDU 200006636
GIDEON BOAMAH OSEI 200012587
BENJAMIN GHATRY SEY 200016936
BLESS NKUAH FOFIE 200003839
KELVIN ANHWERE BONA 200010649
ERIC ACKON 200016822
DORCAS NSIAH 200024116
OWUSU OFORI 200013497