The Conversation has published an article by Jason West and we are in deeper trouble than we think. Climate change is a common topic for discussion among the people and rightfully so. The condition of the climate now is something that has never been in the world’s history. There is only 0.04% of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. And it is surprising how such a small amount can cause such a huge change in the atmosphere. But yet, it is true.
The carbon dioxide absorbs the heat emitted by the Earth and doesn’t let it escape to space. This is one way how it influences the environment. Scientists say that the Earth is already warmer than it is supposed to be by 33 degrees Celsius. It is because of the sunlight that falls on the surface of the Earth. Oxygen and nitrogen are the most abundant gases in the atmosphere, but they do not contribute towards the temperature of the Earth. It is because these gases cannot trap the heat. The gases present in smaller amounts are responsible for creating a greenhouse effect.
The sun radiates heat in the form of shortwave radiation. And to keep the temperature of the Earth constant, it is necessary for the Earth to emit that heat out. It releases that heat in the form of infrared radiation, but gases like carbon dioxide trap this heat. This outgoing heat doesn’t travel to the Earth completely. Some of it gets trapped in the atmosphere and hence, the temperature of the Earth increases gradually. The more the amount of carbon dioxide increases, it traps the more the amount of heat.
Today, the amount of carbon dioxide is higher than what has been in many past years. Scientists say that the temperature of the Earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius. It might not seem much, but it causes a huge effect. Because of this global warming, the glaciers are melting; The summers are becoming harsher, floods are occurring because of the melting glaciers and a lot of events are happening because of that.
Research says that if humans don’t take measures to control it, the level of carbon dioxide may go up to 0.1% in 2100. This change will be fast and will lead to a lot of dangerous consequences. That is why they say that a sliver of the atmosphere can cause big problems on Earth.