Greenhouse Effect

Gases naturally occurring in the atmosphere allow sunlight to pass through and reach the earth's surface, while at the same time preventing some of the heat from escaping, like th glass of a greenhouse. Carbon dioxide, which is one of these gases, is responsible for approximately 70% of this greenhouse effect, but it has been increasing in the atmosphere over the last two centuries due primarily to man's burning of fossil fuels, and the destruction of our forests. Scientists believe this man-made shift in the gases that surround us is causing"global warming".

Causes

Carbon dioxide (CO2) comes from the burning of fossil fuels: automobiles, turning on lights (the primary method for the generation of electricity is the burning of coal), and emissions from factories are just a few examples. Trees "breathe in" carbon dioxide and "breathe out" oxygen (the opposite of man and the rest of the animal kingdom); therefore when we cut or burn down trees, the scales are further tipped in favor of carbon dioxide. Other contributors to the Greenhouse Effect are:

Chlorofluorocarbons-a group of chemical compounds well known for their negative impact on the ozone layer are used primarily in air conditioning and refrigeration;

Methane-from land fills;

Carbon monoxide, ground-level ozone and other gases round out the list and are the result of pollution caused by motor vehicles, power plants and oil refineries.

Effects

World temperatures rose just one degree in the past 100 years; current models project a further increase of several degrees Fahrenheit within the next 100 years. Global warming is not as simple as the summers being a little longer and the winters less frosty. earlier seasonal melting of the snow-white solar-refecting polar ice caps, caused by these warmer temperatures, drives the thermometer up even higher since less of the sun's energy is reflected (and therefore more is absorbed by the earth) by this huge white area which causes even earlier season melting the next year...

Sea-level would rise and the climate would change along with the disruption of every natural ecosystem that mankind relies upon survival.

Shaklee Environmental Tip

Keep fuel efficiency in mind when you choose your next car. Each gallon of gas burned produces 20 pounds of CO2 which is emitted into the air.



Shaklee Environmental Bulletin