But Why Are Greenhouse Gases Increasing?

Andrew Simms, Policy Director, New Economics Foundation warned (the Guardian, 15th October, 2003) of the disaster waiting to happen. He wrote “The number of people seeking refuge as a result of environmental disaster is set to increase dramatically over the coming years. Ironically, given current attitudes, we in Britain will resist accommodating them, and yet they will have become refugees as a direct result of the way we in the west live. Global warming - more than war or political upheaval - stands to displace millions. And climate change is being driven by our fossil fuel-intensive lifestyles ……”

Population of the earth has been rising; life styles of people are changing. Human activities have been releasing increasing quantities of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, CFC, etc. in the atmosphere. In the beginning of the 18th century, industrial revolution brought about a sharp increase in emission of carbon dioxide because of the increased use of fossil fuels. Since then fossil fuels such as coal and oils are being used increasingly for generation of power, transportation, heating, cooking, and running industrial machinery; this has contributed an increase of about 65% in the amount of carbon dioxide in the green house gases. The remaining 35% increase is caused by deforestation and loss of woodlands due to change in land use for agriculture and for industry. This increase in quantity of carbon dioxide is responsible for about 55% increase in the greenhouse effect.

Increase in population world wide has put greater pressure on food production, especially rice. Rice paddy flooding in anaerobic condition produces methane gas; grazing animals release methane in the atmosphere due to the digestion of grass and herbal plants. Development of land for agricultural or industrial use requires land filling; decomposition of organic matter in landfills also release methane over a period of time. Rapidly increasing consumption of coal and oils calls for greater amount of coal mining and extraction of oil and gas; these activities also release methane gas in the atmosphere. Since the middle of the 18th century, concentration of methane gas in atmosphere has increased by more than 150 %. Methane is responsible for about 15 % of the increase in the greenhouse effect.

Burning of fossil fuels and biomass cause emission of nitrous oxides; nitrous oxide is released from grasslands, oceans, etc. The overall effect of this constituent of the greenhouse gases is about 5 % increase in the greenhouse effect.

With such a gloomy, depressing scenario is there any hope for mankind?