The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s AGGI (Annual Greenhouse Gas Index) states that the warming influence of greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity has increased by 49% since 1990.
Greenhouse gasses are necessary to life on Earth. Without carbon dioxide, for instance, the Earth’s surface would be 33°C, or 59°F, cooler. Excessive greenhouse gasses that have been emitted by human activity, however, causes climate change, which has detrimental impacts:
Sea levels rise at about a rate of 1/8 of an inch per year as temperatures rise, which may cause flooding. A shocking statistic states that in 2020, more than 6,000 people died due to flooding, so death from flooding can be more probable with climate change.
Scientist Jane Baldwin observed that compound heat waves will rise with the increase of greenhouse gasses, making people who work outdoors impacted most. In 2016, nearly half of jobs required work outdoors, according to the U.S. Labor and Bureau of Statistics, so economically, the tiring of workers due to outdoor temperatures is problematic.
The warming of temperatures can lower the affordability of food. Since temperatures are warming, areas of certain geographies can suffer droughts, which can cause crops to be deprived of water, hence less likely to grow, and in turn more expensive. Lower-income communities may be especially impacted by this, which may harm human rights and equity.
Water can be contaminated. With the rise in sea level, saltwater can enter drinkable freshwater systems. Heavier rainfall and precipitation can be expected from climate change, since the increase in heat gives molecules higher kinetic energy, allowing these molecules to rise. This can also cause contamination. Consuming contaminated water can result in diseases such as cholera and Legionnaires disease.
How Greenhouse Gasses Work:
When photons from solar radiation enter the Earth’s atmosphere, available greenhouse gasses absorb these photons, because they are chemically structured in such a way that causes their bonds to bend and stretch as a photon enters. The bonds between the atoms of greenhouse gasses vibrate. These vibrations enable the photons to be released. Although they can be released into space, many end up being rebounded back into Earth, causing the warming. The bonds between different types of atoms vary, but all greenhouse gasses are chemically structured in a way that can allow them to absorb and release photons derived from solar radiation.
Examples of Greenhouse Gasses:
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
In 2021, carbon dioxide was responsible for 66% of heating influence from climate change. The bond between the carbon and oxygen molecules allows photons to vibrate them and rebound to Earth.
An example of something that causes CO2 emissions is driving and commuting. Every year, the average passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide! Critically thinking about the transportation and commuting required to get everyday objects can be helpful to taking initiative to reduce CO2 emissions. For instance, reusing plates that are clean enough for another meal can reduce the amount of emissions required to drive to a store to purchase more plates, the amount of emissions garbage trucks produce to take out the plates you throw away, and the amount of emissions food and utensil industries produce to transport plates to stores.
2. Methane (CH4)
Although methane is less common than carbon dioxide, methane is at least 80 times more potent when it comes to trapping heat. While CO2 has two bonds that vibrate and rebound photons from solar radiation to Earth, CH4 has four bonds that can do this, which may be one of the reasons why methane is more effective.
Extracting, storing, and transporting energy sources such as oil, natural gas, and coal accounts for an annual 97 million metric tons of methane. Limiting the amount of time you use electronic devices, preparing more meals that do not require heating on microwaves, stovetops, and ovens, such as salads, sushi, and certain types of sandwiches, and recycling plastic can help limit methane emissions.
3. Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Although nitrous oxide has two bonds like carbon dioxide, it is considered to be 300 times stronger than carbon dioxide.
40% of nitrous oxide emissions are derived from human activities, and 74% of total nitrous oxide emissions in the U.S. come from managing soil for agriculture. For instance, nitrogen fertilizers can be applied in soils. Initiative that can be taken to reduce N2O emissions includes utilizing animal feces instead of nitrogen fertilizer to fertilize soil.
For example, my family uses the droppings from chickens that are raised as pets to fertilize the soil in our garden boxes.
4. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
Sulfur hexafluoride is a fluorinated gas in which six fluoride molecules bond to a sulfur molecule, creating six potential bonds that can absorb photons and vibrate in a way that can rebound to Earth. With its stable molecular structure, SF6 can remain in the atmosphere for 3,200 years, and it can be 22,800 times more effective than carbon dioxide over a 100-year span.
Sulfur hexafluoride is often used as an electrical insulator. Although cost effective, leak detection equipment can be purchased to prevent SF6 emissions. Recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency, people who work with sulfur hexafluoride should also receive training for managing and applying SF6 equipment. People who are not electricians can prevent SF6 emissions by advocating for these actions via the media. Users of items that need sulfur hexafluoride might also consider using reconditioned sulfur hexafluoride.
5. Hydrofluorocarbons
Fluorinated gasses account for 3% of greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrofluorocarbons are molecules with hydrogen, fluoride, and carbon in them. The chemical makeup of different types of hydrofluorocarbons may vary, but in 2007, the 100-year global warming potential of hydrofluorocarbons was determined to be 3,770 times greater than carbon dioxide’s GWP.
Hydrofluorocarbons have been used as an eco-friendlier replacement for chlorofluorocarbons in refrigerants, because they do not deplete the ozone layer of the atmosphere the way CFCs do, but like CFCs, they are still potent greenhouse gasses. Hiring a chiller technician to handle the installation of chillers that require hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants with high GWP or teaching yourself to handle refrigerator installation can be helpful for reducing HFC emissions.
Conclusion:
Although it is rare to see people on television discuss climate change with the same panic they discuss inflation or celebrity controversies, climate change can mean the destruction of human lives and civilization, but there is still hope. Uniting by science, taking initiative, and spreading awareness about environmental crises can help reduce and reverse the effects of climate change. This article and its list of gasses and solutions is only one way in which climate change can be prevented.
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