The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the sun’s energy reaches the Earth, some is absorbed, while the rest is radiated back into space as heat.
Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O), trap some of this heat, preventing it from escaping the atmosphere. This trapped heat warms the Earth and sustains life as we know it. However, human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have led to an increased concentration of greenhouse gases, enhancing the greenhouse effect and causing global warming.
The process of global warming is primarily driven by the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is caused by an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The most significant greenhouse gas contributing to global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2). The chemical equation describing the combustion of fossil fuels, which releases CO2 into the atmosphere, is as follows:
Combustion of Fossil Fuels (e.g: coal, oil, and natural gas):
C₆H₁₂O₆ (sugar, a simplified representation of hydrocarbons in fossil fuels) + 6O₂(oxygen) → 6CO₂(carbon dioxide) + 6H₂O + energy
This equation represents the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The increasing concentration of CO2, along with other greenhouse gases, traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change.
Global warming leads to higher average temperatures worldwide, resulting in heatwaves and extreme weather events.
Warming temperatures cause the melting of glaciers and ice caps, contributing to rising sea levels.
Increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere are absorbed by the oceans, leading to ocean acidification, which harms marine life, especially coral reefs.
Global warming affects habitats and can lead to changes in the distribution and behavior of species, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem balance.