For many years, the effects of greenhouse gases have been linked to environmental damage and challenges to the planet’s biosphere. They are gases that trap heat within the planet’s atmosphere, preventing it from being released into outer-space, and are rich in water vapour, carbon-dioxide, methane and nitrous-oxide. Each type plays a different function, and each type can be both harmful and beneficial.
The three main types of man-made greenhouse gases are carbon-dioxide, methane and nitrous-oxide. Carbon-dioxide is produced by burning fossil-fuels and is responsible for the majority of man-made gas emissions. It also occurs naturally in humans from breathing and the processing of waste products. Methane is produced by extracting fossil fuels and from the decay of natural substances and landfills. Whilst it is not as prevalent in the atmosphere as CO2, it traps heat at a higher rate and is more volatile. Nitrous-oxide is created by the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers and catalytic-converters in cars, and is 300 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than any other gas, making it potentially very dangerous.
Environmental studies have revealed that greenhouse gases can wreak havoc around the world and lead to climate-change, sea-level rises and the expansion of deserts. It is presently thought that the impact of climate-change results in the annual death of at-least 100,000 people around the world.
Whilst water vapour is a natural gas – it is also responsible for many of the warming effects in the planet’s biosphere. The warmer the planet becomes, the more water vapour is released, and as water vapour is very dense – it prevents heat from escaping the planet which can lead to global-warming and a subsequent climate-change.
The planet’s biosphere is very fragile and the inter-play between the three main greenhouse gases is very delicate. As we have seen in recent years, its disruption can be disastrous.
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