What is the greenhouse effect briefly. What to do with abnormal heat

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And global warming are related concepts familiar to everyone today. Consider what is Greenhouse effect, causes and consequences of this phenomenon.

This is a global problem of mankind, the reduction of the consequences of which should be dealt with by each person. The phenomenon implies an increase in temperature observed in the lower layers of the atmosphere. The consequences are quite impressive, but the main thing is the appearance of greenhouse gases in excess volumes in the atmosphere. All this led to the fact that there were real prerequisites for the emergence global warming.

Greenhouse gases: how they work

It is not always clear why the greenhouse effect is dangerous. The first to single out the principles of this phenomenon and explain them is Joseph Fourier, who tried to understand the features of climate formation. The scientist also considered the factors that can change the climate of the world and even the heat balance in general. Joseph found that they are active participants in the process, preventing the passage of infrared rays. Based on the degree of exposure, the following types of gases can be distinguished:

• methane
• carbon dioxide
• water vapor

Water vapor is responsible for increasing moisture in the toposphere, so it is considered the main gas, providing the maximum contribution to temperature growth. The increase in the greenhouse effect is explained by nitrogen oxide and freons. The remaining gases are present in the atmosphere in small concentrations, due to which their influence is insignificant.

Clear Causes of Global Warming

Global warming and the greenhouse effect are interrelated concepts. The greenhouse or greenhouse effect and its impact is represented by short-wave radiation from the Sun penetrating into the Earth's atmosphere due to the fact that it contains carbon dioxide. As a result, the thermal radiation of the Earth, called long-wavelength, is delayed. Ordered actions will cause prolonged heating of the atmosphere.

The phenomenon is based on an increase in the global temperature of the Earth, contributing to a change in the heat balance. This process is the result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which cause the consequences of the greenhouse effect.

The causes of the greenhouse effect are quite diverse. What is the main one? These are industrial gases. In other words, human activities have negative results, leading to climate change. Such activity is:

• use of residual fuel
• transport emissions
• Forest fires
• functioning of various enterprises

The greenhouse effect arises largely due to the fact that man is engaged in the destruction of forests, and the forest is the main absorber of carbon dioxide.

Among other causes of the problem in the atmosphere, the following can be distinguished:

1. The use in industry of a variety of combustible minerals that are burned, releasing a large amount of harmful compounds.
2. The active use of transport increases the emission of exhaust gases. They not only pollute the air, but also enhance the effect of the phenomenon.
3. Forest fires. This issue is important because in Lately it results in severe deforestation.
4. Population growth. This increases the demand for clothing, food, and homes, contributing to more businesses and, as a result, more intense pollution of the planet.
5. The use of fertilizers and agrochemicals that contain harmful substances and also emit nitrogen.
6. Burning or decomposition of debris. As a result, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases.

The greenhouse effect and various climate changes are two inextricably linked concepts. Changes in the climatic conditions of our planet are becoming the main consequences. Experts note that the air temperature is increasing every year and not only in greenhouses. Water sources evaporate faster, reducing the planet's water expanses. Scientists are sure that just two centuries later there will be a real danger - the water level will drop and the "drying" water resources can actually happen.

In fact, the problems of the biosphere, in particular, the decrease in the number of water bodies on our planet, is only one side of the problem. Second, the glaciers are starting to melt. This, in turn, will, on the contrary, lead to an increase in the level of the World Ocean. As a result, the coasts of islands and continents may be flooded. Already today, we can note a greater number of floods in coastal areas and floods, which increase annually, negatively affecting the environment.

An increase in temperature on our planet will affect all territories, negatively affecting not only the biosphere. For arid territories, the problem will become most pronounced, since today, with low rainfall, they are not entirely acceptable for life. An increase in temperature will lead to the fact that it will be impossible for people to live on them at all. The problem will also be the death of crops due to climatic conditions leading to food shortages and the extinction of living organisms.

Implications for human health

Some people mistakenly believe that global warming has no effect on their health. In fact, the damage is quite impressive, it resembles a "time bomb". Scientists believe that the main consequences for human health will be noticeable decades later. The danger is that it will be impossible to change anything.

Such diseases tend to spread rapidly geographically. That is why people all over the world will be exposed to them. Infection carriers can be various insects and animals that will move north due to an increase in air temperature in their usual habitat, as well as due to an increase in greenhouse gases.

What to do with abnormal heat

Currently, global warming, which causes the greenhouse effect, has already affected the lives of people in certain areas. As a result, people must change their habitual lifestyle, as well as take into account a number of tips from specialists in order to maintain their own health.

It can be noted that several decades ago the average summer temperature was in the range from +22 to +27°C. Now it already reaches the range from +35 to +38°C. This causes constant headaches, heat and sunstroke, as well as some other problems - dehydration, problems with the heart and blood vessels. The risk of stroke is also caused by climate change.

1. If possible, it is necessary to reduce physical activity, as they dehydrate the body.
2. Outdoor movements should be reduced to a minimum to prevent sun and heat stroke.
3. It is important to increase the amount of drinking water. The norm for a person is 2-3 liters per day.
4. It is best to avoid direct sunlight when outdoors.
5. If there is no chance to hide from the sun, hats or caps should be worn.
6. In summer, most of the day should be in a room with a cool temperature.

Ways to minimize the greenhouse effect

It is important for humanity that global warming and the greenhouse effect do no harm. To do this, you need to get rid of the sources of greenhouse gases. This will help minimize the negative impact of the greenhouse effect on the biosphere and the planet as a whole. It should be understood that to begin to change the life of the planet in better side maybe one person, so you should not transfer responsibility to other people.

1. The first thing to do is stop deforestation.
2. You should also plant new shrubs and trees that absorb harmful carbon dioxide.
3. Transport is an integral part of life modern man, but if you switch to electric vehicles, you can reduce the amount of exhaust gases. You can also use alternative modes of transport, for example, bicycles, which are safe for the atmosphere and the biosphere, for the ecology of the planet as a whole.

It is necessary to draw public attention to this problem. Everyone should try to do what is in their power to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases, and, as a result, take care of a favorable climate for our planet.

The increase in the greenhouse effect will lead to the fact that there will be a need for ecosystems, people and living organisms in general to adapt to climate change. Of course, the easiest way is to try to prevent the catastrophe of global warming, for example, to reduce and regulate emissions on earth.

For further development humanity and the conservation of the biosphere, it is important to develop methods that will reduce the negative impact on the atmosphere. To do this, today experts are studying the greenhouse effect and climate change, its various causes and consequences, developing an action plan for the world's population.

The greenhouse effect is an increase in the temperature of the earth's surface due to the heating of the lower atmosphere by the accumulation of greenhouse gases. As a result, the air temperature is higher than it should be, and this leads to such irreversible consequences as climate change and global warming. Several centuries ago this ecological problem existed, but was not so obvious. With the development of technology, the number of sources that provide the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere is increasing every year.

Causes of the greenhouse effect

the use of combustible minerals in industry - coal, oil, natural gas, the combustion of which releases a huge amount of carbon dioxide and other harmful compounds into the atmosphere;

transport - cars and trucks emit exhaust gases, which also pollute the air and increase the greenhouse effect;

deforestation, which absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, and with the destruction of every tree on the planet, the amount of CO2 in the air increases;

forest fires are another source of destruction of plants on the planet;

an increase in the population affects the increase in the demand for food, clothing, housing, and to ensure this, it is growing industrial production, which is increasingly polluting the air with greenhouse gases;

agrochemicals and fertilizers contain varying amounts of compounds that release nitrogen, one of the greenhouse gases, as a result of evaporation;

the decomposition and burning of garbage in landfills contribute to the increase in greenhouse gases.

The impact of the greenhouse effect on climate

Considering the results of the greenhouse effect, it can be determined that the main one is climate change. Since the air temperature rises every year, the waters of the seas and oceans evaporate more intensively. Some scientists predict that in 200 years such a phenomenon as the "drying" of the oceans, namely a significant decrease in water levels, will become noticeable. This is one side of the problem. The other is that the increase in temperature leads to the melting of glaciers, which contributes to the rise in the water level of the World Ocean, and leads to the flooding of the coasts of continents and islands. The increase in the number of floods and flooding of coastal areas indicates that the level of ocean waters is increasing every year.

An increase in air temperature leads to the fact that areas that are little moistened by precipitation become arid and unsuitable for life. Here, crops are dying, which leads to a food crisis for the population of the area. Also, there is no food for animals, because plants die out due to lack of water.

First of all, we need to stop deforestation, plant new trees and shrubs, as they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Using electric vehicles will reduce the amount of exhaust gases. In addition, you can change from cars to bicycles, which is more convenient, cheaper and safer for the environment. Alternative fuels are also being developed, which, unfortunately, is slowly being introduced into our daily lives.

19. Ozone layer: value, composition, possible causes of its destruction, protection measures taken.

Earth's ozone layer Ozone is a region of the Earth's atmosphere where ozone is produced, a gas that protects our planet from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Destruction and depletion of the Earth's ozone layer.

The ozone layer, despite its great importance for all living things, is a very fragile barrier to ultraviolet rays. Its integrity depends on a number of conditions, but nature nevertheless came to a balance in this matter, and for many millions of years the Earth's ozone layer successfully coped with the mission assigned to it. The processes of formation and destruction of the ozone layer were strictly balanced until man appeared on the planet and in his development did not reach the current technical level.

In the 70s. of the twentieth century, it was proved that many substances actively used by man in economic activities can significantly reduce the level of ozone in Earth's atmosphere.

Substances that deplete the Earth's ozone layer include fluorochlorocarbons - freons (gases used in aerosols and refrigerators, consisting of chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms), combustion products during high-altitude aviation flights and rocket launches, i.e. substances whose molecules contain chlorine or bromine.

These substances, released into the atmosphere near the Earth's surface, reach the upper limit in 10–20 years. the boundaries of the ozone layer. There, under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, they decompose, forming chlorine and bromine, which, in turn, interacting with stratospheric ozone, significantly reduce its amount.

Causes of destruction and depletion of the ozone layer of the Earth.

Let us consider once again in more detail the causes of the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. At the same time, we will not consider the natural decay of ozone molecules. We will focus on human economic activity.

The average surface temperature of the Earth (or another planet) rises due to the presence of an atmosphere.

Gardeners are well aware of this physical phenomenon. Inside the greenhouse is always warmer than outside, and this helps to grow plants, especially in the cold season. You may experience a similar effect when you are in a car. The reason for this is that the Sun, with a surface temperature of about 5000 ° C, emits mainly visible light - the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that our eyes are sensitive to. Since the atmosphere is largely transparent to visible light, solar radiation easily penetrates to the surface of the Earth. Glass is also transparent to visible light, so that the sun's rays enter the greenhouse and their energy is absorbed by plants and all objects inside. Further, according to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, each object radiates energy in some part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Objects with a temperature of about 15°C - the average temperature at the Earth's surface - radiate energy in the infrared range. Thus, the objects in the greenhouse emit infrared radiation. However, infrared radiation cannot easily pass through the glass, so the temperature inside the greenhouse rises.

A planet with a stable atmosphere, like Earth, experiences much the same effect—on a global scale. To maintain a constant temperature, the Earth itself needs to radiate as much energy as it absorbs from the visible light radiated towards us by the Sun. The atmosphere serves as a kind of glass in a greenhouse - it is not as transparent to infrared radiation as it is to sunlight. Molecules of various substances in the atmosphere (the most important of them are carbon dioxide and water) absorb infrared radiation, acting as greenhouse gases. Thus, infrared photons emitted by the earth's surface do not always go straight into space. Some of them are absorbed by greenhouse gas molecules in the atmosphere. When these molecules re-radiate the energy they have absorbed, they can radiate it both towards space and inward, back to the surface of the Earth. The presence of such gases in the atmosphere creates the effect of covering the Earth with a blanket. They cannot stop heat leakage to the outside, but they allow you to keep heat near the surface for more for a long time, so the surface of the Earth is much warmer than it would be in the absence of gases. no atmosphere average temperature surface would be -20°C, well below the freezing point of water.

It is important to understand that the greenhouse effect has always existed on Earth. Without the greenhouse effect caused by the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the oceans would have frozen over long ago, and higher forms of life would not have appeared. Currently, the scientific debate about the greenhouse effect is on the issue global warming: Are we humans disturbing the planet's energy balance too much as a result of burning fossil fuels and other economic activities, while adding an excessive amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere? Today, scientists agree that we are responsible for increasing the natural greenhouse effect by several degrees.

The greenhouse effect takes place not only on Earth. In fact, the strongest greenhouse effect we know of is on the neighboring planet, Venus. The atmosphere of Venus is almost entirely composed of carbon dioxide, and as a result, the surface of the planet is heated to 475 ° C. Climatologists believe that we have avoided such a fate thanks to the presence of oceans on Earth. The oceans absorb atmospheric carbon and it accumulates in rocks such as limestone, thereby removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. There are no oceans on Venus, and all the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by volcanoes remains there. As a result, we observe on Venus ungovernable Greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is a rise in temperature on the surface of the planet as a result of thermal energy that appears in the atmosphere due to the heating of gases. The main gases that lead to the greenhouse effect on Earth are water vapor and carbon dioxide.

The phenomenon of the greenhouse effect makes it possible to maintain a temperature on the Earth's surface at which the emergence and development of life is possible. If the greenhouse effect were absent, the average surface temperature of the globe would be much lower than it is now. However, as the concentration of greenhouse gases rises, the atmosphere's impermeability to infrared rays increases, which leads to an increase in the temperature of the Earth.

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - the most authoritative international body that brings together thousands of scientists from 130 countries - presented its Fourth Assessment Report, which contained generalized conclusions about past and current climate change, their impact on nature and humans , as well as possible measures to counteract such changes.

According to published data, from 1906 to 2005, the average temperature of the Earth rose by 0.74 degrees. In the next 20 years, temperature growth, according to experts, will average 0.2 degrees per decade, and end of XXI century, the temperature of the Earth can rise from 1.8 to 4.6 degrees (such a difference in the data is the result of superimposing a whole range of future climate models that take into account various scenarios for the development of the world economy and society).

According to scientists, with a 90 percent probability, observed climate changes are associated with human activities - the burning of carbon fossil fuels (i.e. oil, gas, coal, etc.), industrial processes, as well as the deforestation - natural sinks of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere .

Possible impacts of climate change:
1. Change in the frequency and intensity of precipitation.
In general, the climate on the planet will become more humid. But the amount of precipitation will not spread evenly across the Earth. In regions that already receive enough rainfall today, their fallout will become more intense. And in regions with insufficient moisture, dry periods will become more frequent.

2. Sea level rise.
During the 20th century, the average sea level rose by 0.1-0.2 m. According to scientists, in the 21st century, the sea level rise will be up to 1 m. In this case, coastal areas and small islands will be the most vulnerable. States such as the Netherlands, Great Britain, as well as the small island states of Oceania and the Caribbean will be the first to fall under the risk of flooding. In addition, high tides will become more frequent, and coastal erosion will increase.

3. Threat to ecosystems and biodiversity.
There are forecasts for the extinction of up to 30-40% of plant and animal species, as their habitat will change faster than they can adapt to these changes.

With an increase in temperature by 1 degree, a change in the species composition of the forest is predicted. Forests are a natural carbon store (80% of all carbon in terrestrial vegetation and about 40% of carbon in soil). The transition from one type of forest to another will be accompanied by the release of a large amount of carbon.

4. Melting glaciers.
The current glaciation of the Earth can be considered one of the most sensitive indicators of ongoing global changes. Satellite data show that since the 1960s there has been a decrease in the area of ​​snow cover by about 10%. Since the 1950s in the Northern Hemisphere, the area sea ​​ice decreased by almost 10-15%, and the thickness decreased by 40%. According to forecasts by experts from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (St. Petersburg), in 30 years the Arctic Ocean will completely open from under the ice during the warm period of the year.

According to scientists, the thickness of the Himalayan ice is melting at a rate of 10-15 m per year. At the current rate of these processes, two-thirds of the glaciers will disappear by 2060, and by 2100 all glaciers will have completely melted.
Accelerated glacier melt poses a range of immediate threats human development. For densely populated mountainous and foothill areas, avalanches, floods or, conversely, a decrease in the full flow of rivers, and as a result, a reduction in reserves, are of particular danger. fresh water.

5. Agriculture.
Impact of warming on productivity Agriculture ambiguously. In some temperate areas, yields may increase with a small increase in temperature, but decrease with large changes in temperature. In tropical and subtropical regions, overall yields are projected to decrease.

The most serious blow can be dealt the poorest countries least prepared to adapt to climate change. According to the IPCC, by 2080 the number of people facing the threat of hunger could increase by 600 million, twice the number of people living in poverty today in sub-Saharan Africa.

6. Water consumption and water supply.
One of the consequences of climate change may be the lack of drinking water. In dry regions ( central Asia, mediterranean, South Africa, Australia, etc.) the situation will be further aggravated due to the reduction in precipitation.
Due to the melting of glaciers, the flow of the largest waterways in Asia - the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, the Yellow River, the Indus, the Mekong, Salween and the Yangtze - will significantly decrease. The lack of fresh water will affect not only human health and agricultural development, but will also increase the risk of political divisions and conflicts over access to water resources.

7. Human health.
Climate change, according to scientists, will lead to increased health risks for people, especially for the poorer segments of the population. Thus, a reduction in food production will inevitably lead to malnutrition and hunger. Abnormally high temperatures can exacerbate cardiovascular, respiratory and other diseases.

An increase in temperature may change geographical distribution various kinds that are carriers of diseases. As temperatures rise, the ranges of heat-loving animals and insects (such as encephalitic mites and malaria mosquitoes) will spread further north, while the people inhabiting these areas will not be immune to new diseases.

According to environmentalists, humanity is unlikely to be able to prevent completely predictable climate change. However, it is humanly possible to mitigate climate change, to restrain the rate of temperature increase in order to avoid dangerous and irreversible consequences in the future. First of all, due to:
1. Restrictions and reductions in the consumption of fossil carbon fuels (coal, oil, gas);
2. Improving the efficiency of energy consumption;
3. Implementation of energy saving measures;
4. Greater use of non-carbon and renewable energy sources;
5. Development of new environmentally friendly and low-carbon technologies;
6. Through prevention forest fires and reforestation, as forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect takes place not only on Earth. A strong greenhouse effect is on the neighboring planet, Venus. The atmosphere of Venus is almost entirely composed of carbon dioxide, and as a result, the surface of the planet is heated to 475 degrees. Climatologists believe that the Earth avoided such a fate due to the presence of oceans on it. The oceans absorb atmospheric carbon and it accumulates in rocks such as limestone - through this carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere. There are no oceans on Venus, and all the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by volcanoes remains there. As a result, an uncontrollable greenhouse effect is observed on the planet.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The mechanism of the greenhouse effect is as follows. The sun's rays, reaching the Earth, are absorbed by the soil surface, vegetation, water surface, etc. The heated surfaces give off thermal energy again to the atmosphere, but in the form of long-wave radiation.

Atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) do not absorb thermal radiation from the earth's surface, but scatter it. However, as a result of burning fossil fuels and other production processes the atmosphere accumulates: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, various hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, etc.), which do not scatter, but absorb thermal radiation coming from the Earth's surface. The screen that arises in this way leads to the appearance of the greenhouse effect - global warming.

In addition to the greenhouse effect, the presence of these gases causes the formation of the so-called photochemical smog. At the same time, as a result of photochemical reactions, hydrocarbons form very toxic products - aldehydes and ketones.

Global warming is one of the most significant consequences of anthropogenic pollution of the biosphere. It manifests itself both in climate change and in biota: the production process in ecosystems, the shift in the boundaries of plant formations, and changes in crop yields. Especially strong changes can affect high and middle latitudes. According to forecasts, it is here that the temperature of the atmosphere will increase most noticeably. The nature of these regions is especially susceptible to various impacts and is extremely slowly restored.

As a result of warming, the taiga zone will shift to the north by about 100-200 km. The rise in the ocean level due to warming (melting of ice and glaciers) can be up to 0.2 m, which will lead to the flooding of the mouths of large, especially Siberian, rivers.

The regular conference of the countries-participants of the Convention on Prevention of Climate Change, held in Rome in 1996, once again confirmed the need for coordinated international action to solve this problem. In accordance with the Convention, industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition have assumed obligations to stabilize the production of greenhouse gases. The countries that are members of the European Union have included in their national programs provisions to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2005

In 1997, the Kyoto (Japan) agreement was signed, under which developed countries pledged to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at the 1990 level by 2000.

However, greenhouse gas emissions have even increased since then. This was facilitated by the US withdrawal from the Kyoto agreement of 2001. Thus, the implementation of this agreement was threatened with disruption, since the quota necessary for the entry into force of this agreement was violated.

In Russia, due to a general decline in production, greenhouse gas emissions in 2000 amounted to 80% of the 1990 level. Therefore, in 2004 Russia ratified the Kyoto agreement, giving it legal status. Now (2012) this agreement is in force, other states (for example, Australia) join it, but the decisions of the Kyoto Agreement remain unfulfilled. However, the struggle to implement the Kyoto agreement continues.

One of the most famous fighters against global warming is the former Vice President of the United States. A. Gore. After losing the 2000 presidential election, he dedicates himself to combating global warming. "Save the world before it's too late!" is its slogan. Armed with a set of slides, he traveled the world explaining the science and politics of global warming, the potential for serious consequences in the near future, if not limited by the rise in human-caused carbon dioxide emissions.

A. Gore wrote extensively famous book“Inconvenient truth. Global warming, how to stop a planetary catastrophe. In it, he confidently and rightly writes: “Sometimes it seems that our climate crisis is proceeding slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly, becoming a truly planetary danger. And in order to defeat the threat, we must first recognize the fact of its existence. Why don't our leaders seem to hear such loud warnings of danger? They resist the truth, because at the moment of recognition they will face their moral duty - to act. Is it just much more convenient to ignore the danger warning? Perhaps, but an inconvenient truth does not disappear just because it is not seen.

In 2006, he was awarded the American literary prize. Based on the book was created documentary « The Inconvenient Truth" with A. Gore in leading role. The film in 2007 received an Oscar and was included in the rubric "Everyone Should Know This". In the same year, A. Gore (together with the IPCC expert group) was awarded Nobel Prize world for their work in environmental protection and research on climate change.

Currently, A. Gore is also actively continuing the fight against global warming, being a freelance consultant to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Program for environment(UNEP).

Global warming and greenhouse effect

Back in 1827, the French physicist J. Fourier suggested that the Earth's atmosphere acts as a glass in a greenhouse: air lets in solar heat, but does not allow it to evaporate back into space. And he was right. This effect is achieved due to some atmospheric gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide. They transmit visible and "near" infrared light emitted by the Sun, but absorb "far" infrared radiation, which is formed when the earth's surface is heated by the sun's rays and has a lower frequency (Fig. 12).

In 1909, the Swedish chemist S. Arrhenius for the first time emphasized the enormous role of carbon dioxide as a temperature regulator of the near-surface air layers. Carbon dioxide freely transmits the sun's rays to the earth's surface, but absorbs most of the thermal radiation of the earth. This is a kind of colossal screen that prevents the cooling of our planet.

The temperature of the Earth's surface is steadily increasing, having increased over the XX century. by 0.6 °C. In 1969 it was 13.99°C, in 2000 it was 14.43°C. Thus, the average temperature of the Earth at present is about 15 °C. At a given temperature, the surface of the planet and the atmosphere are in thermal equilibrium. Heated by the energy of the Sun and the infrared radiation of the atmosphere, the surface of the Earth returns an average equivalent amount of energy to the atmosphere. This is the energy of evaporation, convection, heat conduction and infrared radiation.

Rice. 12. Schematic image greenhouse effect caused by the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Recently, human activity has introduced an imbalance in the ratio of absorbed and released energy. Before human intervention in global processes on the planet, changes occurring on its surface and in the atmosphere were associated with the content of gases in nature, which light hand scientists were called "greenhouse". These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitric oxide and water vapor (Fig. 13). Now anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been added to them. Without the gas "blanket" enveloping the Earth, the temperature on its surface would be 30-40 degrees lower. The existence of living organisms in this case would be very problematic.

Greenhouse gases temporarily trap heat in our atmosphere, creating the so-called greenhouse effect. As a result of man-made human activities, some greenhouse gases increase their share in the overall balance of the atmosphere. This applies primarily to carbon dioxide, the content of which has been steadily increasing from decade to decade. Carbon dioxide creates 50% of the greenhouse effect, CFCs account for 15-20%, and methane accounts for 18%.

Rice. 13. The proportion of anthropogenic gases in the atmosphere with the greenhouse effect of nitrogen 6%

In the first half of the XX century. the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was estimated at 0.03%. In 1956, within the framework of the first International Geophysical Year, scientists conducted special studies. The given figure was adjusted and amounted to 0.028%. In 1985, measurements were taken again, and it turned out that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had increased to 0.034%. Thus, an increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a proven fact.

Over the past 200 years, as a result of anthropogenic activities, the content of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere has increased by 25%. This is due, on the one hand, to the intensive combustion of fossil fuels: gas, oil, shale, coal, etc., and on the other hand, to the annual decrease in forest areas, which are the main sinks of carbon dioxide. In addition, the development of such agricultural sectors as rice growing and animal husbandry, as well as the growth of urban landfill areas, lead to an increase in the emission of methane, nitrogen oxide and some other gases.

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas. Its content in the atmosphere increases by 1% annually. The most significant suppliers of methane are landfills, cattle, and rice fields. Gas reserves in landfills major cities can be considered as small gas fields. As for the rice fields, as it turned out, despite big exit methane, relatively little of it enters the atmosphere, since most of it is broken down by bacteria associated with the rice root system. Thus, the impact of rice agricultural ecosystems on the release of methane into the atmosphere is generally moderate.

Today there is no doubt that the trend towards the use of predominantly fossil fuels inevitably leads to global catastrophic climate change. At the current rate of coal and oil use, the next 50 years are projected to increase average annual temperature on the planet ranging from 1.5 °С (near the equator) to 5 °С (at high latitudes).

An increase in temperature as a result of the greenhouse effect threatens with unprecedented environmental, economic and social consequences. The water level in the oceans can rise by 1-2 m due to sea ​​water and melting polar ice. (Due to the greenhouse effect, the level of the World Ocean in the 20th century has already risen by 10-20 cm.) It has been established that a 1 mm rise in sea level leads to a retreat of the coastline by 1.5 m.

If the sea level rises by about 1 m (and this is the worst scenario), then by 2100 about 1% of the territory of Egypt, 6% of the territory of the Netherlands, 17.5% of the territory of Bangladesh and 80% of the Majuro Atoll, which is part of the Marshal, will be under water - fishing islands. This will be the beginning of a tragedy for 46 million people. According to the most pessimistic forecasts, the rise in the level of the World Ocean in the XXI century. may entail the disappearance from the world map of countries such as Holland, Pakistan and Israel, the flooding of most of Japan and some other island states. St. Petersburg, New York and Washington may go under water. While some parts of the land are at risk of being at the bottom of the sea, others will suffer from the most severe drought. Disappearance threatens the Azov and Aral seas and many rivers. The area of ​​deserts will increase.

A group of Swedish climatologists found that from 1978 to 1995 the area of ​​floating ice in the Arctic Ocean decreased by about 610 thousand km2, i.e. by 5.7%. At the same time, it turned out that through the Fram Strait, which separates the Svalbard (Svalbard) archipelago from Greenland, up to 2600 km 3 of floating ice is annually carried into the open Atlantic at an average speed of about 15 cm / s (which is about 15-20 times more than the flow of such a river as Congo).

In July 2002, from the small island nation of Tuvalu, located on nine atolls in the southern part Pacific Ocean(26 km 2, 11.5 thousand inhabitants), there was a call for help. Tuvalu is slowly but surely sinking into the water - the most high point in the state rises only 5 m above sea level. In early 2004, the electronic media circulated a statement that expected high tidal waves associated with the new moon could raise sea levels in the area by more than 3 m for some time due to rising ocean levels due to global warming. If this trend continues, the tiny state will be washed off the face of the Earth. The government of Tuvalu is taking measures to resettle citizens in the neighboring state of Niue.

An increase in temperature will cause a decrease in soil moisture in many regions of the Earth. Droughts and typhoons will become commonplace. The ice cover of the Arctic will be reduced by 15%. In the coming century, the ice cover of rivers and lakes in the Northern Hemisphere will be 2 weeks less than in the 20th century. Ice melts in the mountains South America, Africa, China and Tibet.

Global warming will also affect the state of the world's forests. Forest vegetation, as is known, can exist within very narrow limits of temperature and humidity. Most of it may die, the complex ecological system will be at the stage of destruction, and this will entail a catastrophic decrease in the genetic diversity of plants. As a result of global warming on Earth in the second half of the XXI century. may disappear from a quarter to half of the species of land flora and fauna. Even under the most favorable conditions, by the middle of the century, the immediate threat of extinction will hang over almost 10% of the species of land animals and plants.

Studies have shown that in order to avoid a global catastrophe, it is necessary to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere to 2 billion tons per year (one third of the current volume). Given the natural population growth, by 2030-2050. per capita should be no more than 1/8 of the amount of carbon emitted today on average per inhabitant of Europe.