Task 01 Thoughts on global warming

GDES 3003 Green Design

Greenhouse effect/ozone layer

The ozone layer                                                                                                                                                                                   The

The Ozone layer is a vast concentration of a molecule called O3 in the Earth’s atmosphere. The layer sits in with another atmospheric layer known as the stratosphere.

Scientists have recorded a seasonal thinning of the ozone layer primarily at the South Pole. This phenomenon is being called the ozone hole, which is a sharp seasonal decrease in stratospheric ozone concentration.

The ozone layer naturally shield’s Earth’s life from harmful effects of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation. A severe decrease in the concentration of the ozone could lead to harmful effects such as:

·         Adverse impact on crops and animals

·         A large increase in cataracts and sun burning

·         An increase in the incidence of skin cancer

This is to name but a few.

Greenhouse Effect

Parts of the atmosphere as mentioned before is like a blanket and is made up of a collection of gases called ‘greenhouse gases’ based on the idea that the gases also trap heat like the glass walls of a greenhouse do.

There has been an increase in greenhouse gases one in particular called carbon dioxide, the earth’s atmosphere that collect’s heat and light from the sun traps too much heat due to the sheer increase of this gas, that is being made by people that travel long distances in cars or leaving a cooker on for too long for example, is causing the planet’s temperature to rise to extraordinary new heights. Some of the light rays that radiate from the sun are absorbed by the planet,  but some of it is reflected back out but because there is so much greenhouse gases being produced inside of the Earth by us, there is no way for the sun light that is being reflected to get out and this causes temperatures to rise.

Carbon Dioxide

Some of the CO2 already exists in the atmosphere but another cause of the massive increase of this gas is due to trees that are being cut down, their responsibility is to collect CO2 that we breathe out, and the give back the oxygen that we breathe in. With fewer trees and other plants there is less air for us, and more greenhouse gases are sent into the air.

References

1.      http://library.thinkquest.org Global Warming by Novi Meadows Elementary, 2002.

2.      http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm The Greenhouse Effect by University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

3.      www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7e.html by Dr Michael Pidwirny and Scott Jones University of British Columbia Okanagan 2009.