What is Global Warming?

Global Warming is the increase in the average

temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and

oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its

projected continuation.

What is the Greenhouse

Effect?

The Greenhouse Effect is the heating of the surface

of a planet or moon due to the presence of an

atmosphere containing gases that absorb and emit

infrared radiation . Greenhouse gases which include

water vapor,CO2 and CH4 are almost transparent to

solar radiation but strongly absorb and emit infrared

radiation.

The Main Causes

Carbon Dioxide Emittion from Cars,Buildings,Airplanes and

Power Plants

Nitrous-Oxide

Methane

Permafrost

And many more gases that we will see further…

This “Earth-Harming” Phenomenon is mostly caused by:

Carbon

Dioxide(CO2)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

Carbon Dioxide commonly known as

CO2 is one of the most harming

gases for the atmosphere of our

planet.This “eugene gas” is emitted

from car exhausts,building

chimneys,airplanes and power

plants.The U.S is the central air

pollution core,as its CO2 emittion

represents 60% of the global CO2

emittion. To the right,is presented a

chart that shows the global CO2

emittion and the GWP from 2002 until

today.

Methane(CH4)

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

300%

350%

400%

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Air Pollution

G.W.P

Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4.It is the simplest alkane, and the principal

component of natural gas. Methane was discovered and isolated by

Alessandro Volta between 1776 and 1778 when studying marsh gas from

Lake Maggiore.It is a greenhouse gas with a high GWP of 72(over 20 yrs.) or

25(over 100 yrs.)Methane in the atmosphere is eventually

oxidized, producing CO2 and water(H20).

Nitrous

Oxide(N2O)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Air Pollution

GWP

N2O, commonly known as happy or laughing gas, is a chemical

compound with the chemical formula N2O. At room

temperature, it is a cordless non-flammable gas,with a pleasant

,slightly sweet and odour taste.It is used in surgery ans dentistry.N2O reacts with the ozone and is the

main naturally occuring regulator of stratospheric ozone.It is also a

major greenhouse gas.It has 298 times more impact per unit weight

than carbon dioxide.

Deforestation

Deforestation is not logging or burning of trees in the forested area. There are

several reasons for doing so: trees or derived charcoal can be sold as a

commodity and used by humans, while cleared land can be sold as

pasture, plantations of commodities and human settlement.The removal of

trees without sufficient forestation has resulted in damage to

habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. Deforested regions often degrade into

wasteland. The major problems deforestation can cause are:

Atmospheric

Hydrological

Ecological

Soil

Permafrost

Permafrost is a solid structure of frozen soil, extending to depths of 2.200

metres in some areas of the arctic and subarctic regions containing

grasses, roots, sticks, much of it dating back to 30.000 years.About 25% of the

areas of the Northern Hemisphere hold permafrost, which is defined as soil

whose temperature has been 32 degrees Fahrenheit(0 degrees Celsius)for a

period of at least 2 years. Permafrostis under 85% of Alaska land surface and

much of Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia and holds about 14% of the world’s

carbon.

The hard permafrost on which is built homes and other buildings,can,with rising

temperatures turn into a soft material causing subsidence and damage to

buildings.Ground instability would cause erosion,affect

terrain,roads,slopes,foundations and more.

Tundra

A name very suited to environs of the arctic and subarctic,tundra means

“treeless plain” in Finnish.The tundra is a major segment of a particular

region having distinctive vegetation,animals and microorganisms adapted to

a unique climate(biome) home to about 1700 kinds of plants including

shrubs,mosses,grasses,lichens and 400 kinds of flowers.About 50 billions

tons of carbon are estimated to be hels in the frozen state of tundra,and now

the tundra is beginning to become to a source of carbon dioxide.

Natural Remedies

Restrict car and power plant CO2 emittion.

Develop varied technologies for use of alternative energy.

Restrict Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gases emittion.

Address energy conservations nearourarea.

Reduce our energy bills with use of fluorescent lights and

environmentally friendly refrigerators.

If bees disappeared off the face of the globe,

mankind would have four years of life left.

Albert Einstein

WE MUST STOP!

This presentation was

created and published

by :

Harris Zacharis

zacharisharris@gmail.com

Copyright 2008-2009