To say humans have permanently altered the Earth's natural state and way of functioning forever, would be an understatement. Because we didn't just do that, we also condemned the future generations to precarious oxygen conditions, lack of natural resources, and uninhabitable environments.
To everyone reading this essay, let me present to you: The Greenhouse Effect.
´´From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale¨
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth's surface. When the sun's energy reaches the Earth, some of it is reflected back to space, and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor. These ones are in charge of trapping heat in the atmosphere, creating a "greenhouse" effect that keeps the Earth's temperature at a level necessary to sustain life. However, since the 1800´s , human activities are particularly the ones who have been in charge of potentiating this phenomenon. Via burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, we have significantly increased the concentration of these gasses, leading to , even more, global warming and climate change.
The harsh reality we now face upon climate change is the around 30 billion tonnes of CO2 that are emitted into the atmosphere every year. Which doesn´t seem to be very harmful at first sight, until we start to analyze with detail, even the simplest ways this affects us all in our daily lives,
Satellites measure less heat escaping out to space, at the particular wavelengths that CO2 absorbs heat, thus finding "direct experimental evidence for a significant increase in the Earth's greenhouse effect".
This translates to the overheating of the Earth's surface because of all of the heat that cannot escape into space, being held inside the atmosphere, and corrupting the air´s natural cycle which is confirmed by measurements showing increased downward infrared radiation.
Shown as dangerous CO2 wavelengths, this radiation is particularly notable supporting the link between greenhouse gas increases and global warming. And among the various effects of the warming patterns that are produced by an enhanced phenomenon are problematics like Faster warming at night compared to the day, Cooling in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere), Rising of the tropopause (boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere), Cooling and contraction of the ionosphere, decrease of oxygen in the atmosphere and increase of fossil fuels in the mentioned, leading to more frequent and severe weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and heatwaves. Melting polar ice caps and glaciers are causing sea levels to rise, threatening coastal communities. And as if it wasn´t enough, ecosystems are being disrupted, with many species facing extinction due to changing habitats and climate conditions, this one including fauna and flora worldwide level speaking.
Understanding all of this, inspired me to look up the ways to mitigate the impact of the greenhouse effect, because surprisingly enough, we are not too late! and during this exhaustive research, i found out that several strategies can be implemented.
Collectively speaking, the most critical approach is reducing greenhouse gas emissions; this can be achieved by transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower. These clean energy sources do not emit CO2 and have the potential to meet global energy demands sustainably. Additionally, improving energy efficiency in industries, buildings, and transportation can significantly lower emissions.
Starting on a more personal level, the household appliances that qualify for a sustainable energy consumption should be replaced as soon as possible, things as simple as energy saving light bulbs, up to more complex installations like solar panels, all help in transforming our spaces into Eco-friendly environments.
Another vital solution is enhancing natural carbon sinks, such as forests, which absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Reforestation and afforestation projects can help sequester carbon, while also preserving biodiversity and improving air quality. Protecting existing forests from deforestation is equally important, as trees play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate.
Finally, public awareness and education are essential in addressing the greenhouse effect. Individuals can make a difference by adopting sustainable practices, but even a bigger impact, if they use their voices to echo this message, and bring attention to such an important matter.
In conclusion, the only way to act up and repair our previous mistakes, is to understand the complexity of these ones. The power of individual action is the first step to team working into the big change we want to achieve by the next few years. The responsibility to address this problem, and amend our past lies with all of us, and the time to act is now. By making conscious choices today, we can work toward a more sustainable future.
