The Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is an increase in the

temperature of a planet as heat energy from
sunlight is trapped by the gaseous
atmosphere. Excess carbon dioxide and
water vapor increase this global warming
effect.

Solar Energy (sunlight) is short-wavelength

radiation which easily penetrates the Earth's
atmosphere and warms the Earth; only about one quarter of incoming sunlight is
reflected by the atmosphere. The warmed Earth emits long-wavelength radiation
(infrared waves or heat energy) back into space; these longer waves are mostly
reflected back to Earth by the atmosphere.

The size of the atmosphere in the illustration above is greatly exaggerated in

order to show the greenhouse effect. Most of the Earth's atmosphere is within 10
miles (16 km) of the Earth's surface).

Animal extinction

More than 16,000 species of the world's mammals, birds, plants and other organisms are at
present officially regarded as threatened with extinction to one degree or another, according
to the Red List.

Facts About Endangered Species

According to scientists, more than one and one-half million
species exist on the earth today. However, recent estimates state that
at least 20 times that many species inhabit the planet.

In the United States, 735 species of plants and 496 species of

animals are listed as threatened or endangered.
 266 of these listed species have recovery plans currently under
development.

There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide.

There are more than 3,500 protected areas in existence worldwide.

These areas include parks, wildlife refuges and other reserves. They
cover a total of nearly 2 million square miles (5 million square km),
or 3% of our total land area.

Aquatic species, which are often overlooked, are facing serious

trouble. One third of the United States’ fish species, two-thirds of its
crayfish species, and almost three-quarters of its mussel species are
in trouble.

Habitat Destruction

Our planet is continually changing, causing habitats to be altered and modified.

Natural changes tend to occur at a gradual pace, usually causing only a slight
impact on individual species. However, when changes occur at a fast pace, there
is little or no time for individual species to react and adjust to new circumstances.
This can create disastrous results, and for this reason, rapid habitat loss is the
primary cause of species endangerment. The strongest forces in rapid habitat loss
are human beings. Nearly every region of the earth has been affected by human
activity, particularly during this past century. The loss of microbes in soils that
formerly supported tropical forests, the extinction of fish and various aquatic
species in polluted habitats, and changes in global climate brought about by the
release of greenhouse gases are all results of human activity.

It can be difficult for an individual to recognize the effects that humans have had
on specific species. It is hard to identify or predict human effects on individual
species and habitats, especially during a human lifetime. But it is quite apparent
that human activity has greatly contributed to species endangerment. For
example, although tropical forests may look as though they are lush, they are
actually highly susceptible to destruction. This is because the soils in which they
grow are lacking in nutrients. It may take Centuries to re-grow a forest that was
cut down by humans or destroyed by fire, and many of the world's severely
threatened animals and plants live in these forests. If the current rate of forest loss
continues, huge quantities of plant and animal species will disappear.
The Ozone Hole
The ozone layer resides in the stratosphere and surrounds the entire Earth. UV-B radiation
(280- to 315- nanometer (nm) wavelength) from the Sun is partially absorbed in this layer.
As a result, the amount of UV-B reaching Earth’s surface is greatly reduced. UV-A (315- to
400-nm wavelength) and other solar radiation are not strongly absorbed by the ozone
layer. Human exposure to UV-B increases the risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and a
suppressed immune system. UV-B exposure can also damage terrestrial plant life, single
cell organisms, and aquatic ecosystems

In the past 60 years or so human activity has contributed to the deterioration of the ozone
layer

Only 10 or less of every million molecules of air are ozone. The majority of these
ozone molecules resides in a layer between 10 and 40 kilometers (6 and 25 miles)
above the Earth's surface in  the stratosphere.
THE TOP 10 MOST POLLUTED PLACES FOR
2006, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY COUNTRY:
Linfen, China, where residents say they literally choke on coal dust in the evenings, exemplifies

many Chinese cities;

Haina, Dominican Republic, has severe lead contamination because of lead battery recycling,

a problem common throughout poorer countries [image];

Ranipet, India, where leather tanning wastes contaminate groundwater with hexavalent

chromium, made famous by Erin Brockovich, resulting in water that apparently stings like an

insect bite [image];

Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan, home to nearly 2 million cubic meters of radioactive mining waste

that threatens the entire Ferghana valley, one of the most fertile and densely populated areas in

Central Asia that also experiences high rates of seismic activity;

La Oroya, Peru, where the metal processing plant, owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run

Corporation, leads to toxic emissions of lead;

Dzerzinsk, Russia, one of the country's principal chemical weapons manufacturing sites until

the end of the Cold War [image];

Norilsk, Russia, which houses the world's largest heavy metals smelting complex;

Rudnaya Pristan, Russia, where lead contamination resulted in child blood lead levels eight to

20 times maximum allowable U.S. levels;

Chernobyl, Ukraine, infamous site of a nuclear meltdown 20 years ago; and

Kabwe, Zambia, where child blood levels of lead are five to 10 times the allowable EPA

maximum [image].