Greenhouse gases and solar power

Greenhouse Gases or GHG’s are those undesired gases that exist in our atmosphere that contribute to global climate change, either directly or indirectly by trapping the earth’s heat and making our planet warmer. Although some of these greenhouse gases occur naturally within the atmosphere, the result of human and industrial activity on the earth has increased their size and alters and affects the atmospheric balance.

Greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous for everyone

Earth naturally experiences a mild greenhouse effect keeping the temperature at the surface just right, that is not too cold, and not too hot. This allows humans to live comfortably on the planet and just as important, for most of the water at the surface to retain liquid form.

The two primary gases in the earth’s atmosphere are Nitrogen (N2) and Oxygen (O2) which we breathe, but themselves do not absorb infrared radiation or play any significant role in establishing the temperature of the planet so are therefore not classified as a greenhouse gas.

In addition to Nitrogen and Oxygen, there are small amounts of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and water molecules in the atmosphere which does affect global warming but typically these are regulated by the earth’s annual cycle and temperature. However, due to man’s burning of fossil fuels over the last few decades, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased, which raised the global temperature.

Reducing our carbon footprint

Fossil fuel burning to generate electricity has resulted in a major increase in coal consumption thereby increasing our carbon footprint and increasing our total emissions of greenhouse gases. So in order to reduce the quantity of greenhouse gas emitted daily into our atmosphere, we must reduce the combustion of fossil fuels by improving how we manage and burn fossil fuels. An increase in fossil fuel efficiency will help in reducing greenhouse gases, but these are inherently polluting sources and can't be expected to burn cleanly. Don't listen to anyone who says coal can be "clean."

The industrial sector will, therefore, have to play a major role in reducing its harmful gas emissions by increasing the performance of their production processes making them a cleaner, less energy consuming process which will help reduce the amount of electricity being generated to meet the demand. In addition, installing energy efficient machinery or using more efficient energy sources, or finding alternative energy sources which when burnt create or emit little or no carbon gas.

In addition to the burning of traditional fossil fuels, the burning of methane which is a component of natural gas produces yet more greenhouse gases as during combustion the methane combines with oxygen to form water, heat and carbon dioxide. In addition, methane as a gas is more effective than carbon dioxide at catching heat within the atmosphere and contributing to the overall global warming problem.

However, methane (CH4) obtained from burning biomass and biomass resources such as landfill solid waste, agricultural activities, animal manure, etc, generates biogas via a process known as anaerobic digestion, which is classified as renewable.

Large amounts of gases have been prevented

Globally, enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions have been prevented by the development of waste-to-energy facilities compared to open landfills and the recovered waste gases and biofuels are used in the generation of energy in the form of heat, electricity, or combined heat and power has become a better way of dealing with unwanted waste producing no greenhouse gases or other atmospheric pollutants.

Sea levels have risen worldwide approximately six to eight inches in the last century. Some of this rise is a direct result of the melting of mountain glaciers and the polar ice-caps. Some has resulted from an expansion of oceanic waters that have occurred from the warmer ocean temperatures. What is becoming increasingly clear is that the chemical composition of earth’s atmosphere is changing and we must adopt renewable energy solutions that don't cause more damage to the planet.

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