Living green in a small island community

The Greenhouse effect and Global Warming

In today’s media driven world we hear the terms the greenhouse effect and global warming and the concerns of scientists as they study the environment and the rapid loss of landmass, seascapes and species that inhabit them.

But exactly what is this greenhouse effect and what causes it?

What scientists call the greenhouse effect is in fact a natural phenomenon. All life on earth depends on energy from the sun. About 70 percent of the sunlight that beams toward Earth is reflected upward again as a type of slow-moving energy called infrared radiation, which produces heat. This heat is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane, which slows down its escape from earth’s atmosphere.

The gases, which so effectively trap this heat are referred to as ‘greenhouse’ gases, and although they make up only about 1 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, they act as climate regulators by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket over planet earth. This phenomenon is what scientists refer to as the "greenhouse effect." Scientists estimate that without the green house gases the average temperature on Earth would be colder by approximately 30 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit), which is much too cold to sustain the current ecosystem of the earth.

How does human activity contribute to the Greenhouse Effect?

The naturally occurring greenhouse effect is an essential environmental prerequisite for life on Earth, but the effects of human activity has accelerated the natural process by releasing more greenhouse gases into the  atmosphere than are necessary to keep the planet at a life-sustaining ideal temperature. Some of these activities include burning natural gas, coal and oil. Large scale farming releases toxic chemical waste into the atmosphere and watercourses. Deforestation denudes the earth of trees, which play a vital part in the life cycle of the planet by taking in carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen, thereby helping to create the optimal balance of gases in the atmosphere.

Therefore as forested areas are logged for timber or cut down to make way for farming, there are fewer trees left to perform this critical function. The overall effect is the production of more greenhouse gases trapping more infrared radiation within the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in a gradual increase in the temperature of the atmosphere.

Global Warming

Scientists tell us that the earth’s temperature is rising rapidly and that the reason for this rise is attributed to an increase in greenhouse gases from human activities.

Using computer climate models, it is estimated that by the year 2100 the average global temperature will increase by 1.4 degrees to 5.8 degrees Celsius (approximately 2.5 degrees to 10.5 degrees Fahrenheit). This increase appears to be small but most scientists agree that even a small increase in the global temperature would lead to significant climate and weather changes, affecting cloud cover, precipitation, wind patterns, the frequency and severity of storms, and the duration of seasons.

Climate Changes are inevitable after 150 years of industrialization

According to the United Nations, some climate change is already inevitable. While the Earth’s climate does not respond quickly to external changes, global warming already has significant momentum due to 150 years of industrialization in many countries around the world. As a result, global warming will continue to affect life on earth for hundreds of years, even if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced and the increase in atmospheric levels halted because of emissions that have occurred since the dawn of the Industrial Age

Some of the expected effects on life as we know it

It is estimated that rising temperatures would raise sea levels, reducing supplies of fresh water as flooding occurs along coastlines and salt water reaches inland.

Rising temperatures will dramatically change existing wildlife habitats causing many species, especially the critically endangered, to go extinct.

Millions of poor people, who live in precarious locations near the coast or on small islands and depend on the land and the sea for, subsistence living would be affected by increasing temperatures.

What action can we humans take to reduce global warming?

In agreements like the Kyoto Protocol, the world has begun to take action to lessen these long-term effects. Many nations, communities and individuals are taking action now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy, expanding forests, and making lifestyle choices that help to sustain the environment.

Here on our islands, the effects of the waste of the modern, electronically driven world is all around us. We see the refuse of our new modern lifestyle in our few remaining mangrove stands, on our beaches, and along the sides of the roads as we drive along. In fact, there is garbage everywhere. It seems that we have forgotten the old adage ‘If each before his own door swept the village would be clean’. In our wonderful fragile environment keeping our ‘doorstep’ clean is vital for our lives, our visitors and our future generations. We should strive to leave a legacy free of harmful and toxic waste, denuded hillsides and an ocean devoid of marine life.

Here are some simple things we can do to reduce our contribution to carbon emissions.

Plastics and other synthetics are very convenient and useful materials. They are widely used at home and in the office every day. But these materials harm our environment firstly when they are manufactured and finally when they are discarded. Dangerous chemicals and noxious gases are involved in their production. When discarded, they remain intact in the environment without decomposing, and will be here with us for centuries. Worse yet, they release toxic fumes when burnt.

We can do our part in reducing the bad effects of these materials by reducing our dependency on them. This means modifying our purchasing and disposal behaviour - what we purchase; when we purchase; and how we use, reuse, recycle and discard items.

What we purchase

We should purchase items made with recycled materials, items that can be recycled, items that are energy efficient, items packed in cardboard rather than plastic, fresh food rather than frozen or processed food, groceries packed in our large reusable bags rather than grocery - supplied plastic bags.

When we purchase

We should purchase only when we really need the item. Often we purchase items when the price is right only to store them in our refrigerators and freezers, thereby increasing energy consumption. It is a good idea to purchase food for only a few days at a time to save on freezer and refrigerator use.

How we use, reuse recycle and discard

We should use items as energy efficiently as possible, discarding them only when they are no longer useful. Items in good condition can be resold or recycled rather than placed in the garbage. We can recycle paper and plastic: paper and plastic grocery bags can be reused.

Each individual on the planet can reduce the effects of global warming one step at a time. Let us start now.

Information on global warming comes from website www.GlobalWarming- prevention