US Green Living .com
The greenhouse effect is the warming of the earth’s surface by means of radiation being released into the atmosphere. This process occurs naturally and is vital for making the Earth warm enough for life to exist. However, it is believed that recent pollutants emitted into the air have caused an augmentation of the greenhouse effect resulting in global warming. These pollutants are referred to as anthropogenic greenhouse gases and come in many
varieties and come from different sources. Recognizing the negative effects of these gases, regulations have been put in place to lessen their impact on the atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect is a result of radiation emitted by the sun. 70 percent of this radiation is absorbed by the Earth in the atmosphere, land, and the oceans, while the remaining 30 percent is reflected back into space. The heat absorbed by the earth maintains the Earth’s temperature at a level that is conducive to animal and plant life. Along with the sun’s radiation, other factors contribute to the greenhouse effect. Convection and latent heat processes are some of the processes that, when combined with the sun, are responsible for warming the Earth.
Anthropogenic greenhouse gases that come from human sources have a profound effect on the greenhouse effect. Transportation vehicles and industrial processes emit air pollutants which interfere with the natural greenhouse process. Transportation emissions are a major source of air pollution. Carbon dioxide released from vehicles is a greenhouse gas, so they can be directly linked to global warming. Over 20 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions are caused by automobiles. Mandatory tests have been implemented in industrialized countries to ensure that transportation emissions are kept to a minimum. These tests must be passed in order for the vehicle to be allowed on the road. Emissions tests exist for marine vehicles and aircraft, but they are less common and less strict in practice.
Industrial pollution also contributes to problems with the greenhouse effect. Oil refineries burn fossil fuels which in turn cause more air pollution. Power plants, manufacturing facilities, and waste management centers billow out smoke from their premises emitting such harmful substances as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. These are known greenhouse gases. A host of regulations as well as new filtering technology have been introduced to lessen the impact of industrial air pollution on the environment and to minimize their greenhouse effects. Other measures have been taken by governments to combat the effect of industrial pollution’s impact on the greenhouse effect. In 1963 the United States Congress passed the Clean Air Act to reduce smog and other forms of air pollution caused by industry.
To slow down the global warming process, steps have been taken to remove anthropogenic greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The presence of carbon dioxide can be reduced by the introduction of more plants into the environment to filter it through the process of photosynthesis. Aerosols, once quite common and known to contain anthropogenic greenhouse gases, are being used less and less and have been replaced by more environmentally friendly methods.
