Dr. A.K.M.

Rashidul Alam
Professor
Department of Environmental Sciences
Jahangirnagar University,
Savar, Dhaka-1342
 Global Warming
“Global warming is defined as a natural or
human induced increase in the average global
temperature of the atmosphere near Earth’s surface.”

 The temperature at or near the surface of Earth is

determined by four main factors:

1. The amount of sunlight earth receives,

2. The amount of sunlight earth reflects,
3. Retention of heat by the atmosphere, and
4. Evaporation and condensation of water vapor

 The energy that lights and warms Earth comes from the Sun.
Most of the energy that floods onto our planet is short-wave
radiation, including visible light.
 Cont…………
 When this energy strikes the surface of Earth, the energy
changes from light to heat and warms Earth. Earth’s
surface, in turn, releases some of this heat as long-wave
infrared (IR) radiation.

 Much of this long-wave infrared radiation makes it all the

way back out to space, but a portion remains absorbed in
Earth’s atmosphere which causes the global warming.

 Certain gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor,

carbon dioxide, and methane, CFC provide the
absorption. Absorbing and reflecting infrared waves radiated
by Earth, these gases conserve heat as the glass in a
greenhouse does and are thus known as greenhouse
gases.
 Green House Gases
“Greenhouse gases are those gaseous
constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and
anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at
specific wavelengths within the spectrum of
infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface,
the atmosphere, and clouds.”

 This property causes the greenhouse effect.

 Many gases exhibit these “greenhouse” properties. Some

of them occur in nature (water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide), while others are exclusively
human-made (like gases used for aerosols).
 Types of Green House Gases
Trace gasses Relative Sources
contribution
15 -25 Air conditioners, foam
Chlorofluorocarbons
products, refrigerators,
(CFC)
aerosol spray cans
12 - 20 Landfills, marshes rice
Methane (CH4)
paddies, livestock
Ozone (O3) 8 photochemical reaction
Nitrous oxide (N2O) 5 Burning of fossil fuels
Total 40 - 50
50 - 60 Incomplete burning of
Contribution of
fossil fuels by motor
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
vehicles, industries.
 Green House Gases
 Greenhouse gases occur naturally in the environment and
also result from human activities.

 By far the most abundant greenhouse gas is water vapor,

which reaches the atmosphere through evaporation from
oceans, lakes, and rivers.

 Carbon dioxide is the next most abundant greenhouse

gas. It flows into the atmosphere from many natural
processes, such as volcanic eruptions; the respiration of
animals, which breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon
dioxide; and the burning or decay of organic matter, such
as plants.
 Cont…………
 Methane is an even more effective insulator, absorbing
over 28 times more radiation than does the same amount
of carbon dioxide.

 Methane is emitted during the production and transport of

coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane also comes from rotting
organic waste in landfills, and it is released from certain
animals, especially cows, as a by product of digestion.

 Nitrous oxide is a powerful insulating gas released

primarily by burning of fossil fuels and by plowing farm
soils. Nitrous oxide absorbs about 300 times more
radiation than does the same amount of carbon dioxide.
 Sources of Greenhouse Gases

 Aside from purely human-produced synthetic

halocarbons, most greenhouse gases have both
natural and human-caused sources.

 During the pre-industrial Holocene, concentrations of

existing gases were roughly constant.

 In the industrial era, human activities have added

greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, mainly through
the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests.
 Anthropogenic Sources
 Burning of fossil fuels, land use change and deforestation
leading to higher carbon dioxide concentrations.

 Livestock enteric fermentation and manure management,

paddy rice farming, land use and wetland changes, pipeline
losses, and covered vented landfill emissions leading to
higher methane atmospheric concentrations.

 Use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigeration systems,

and use of CFCs and halons in fire suppression systems
and manufacturing processes.
 Cont…………
 Agricultural activities, including the use of fertilizers that
lead to higher nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations.

 The seven sources of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion

are:
1. Liquid fuels (e.g., gasoline, fuel oil)
2. Solid fuels (e.g., coal)
3. Gaseous fuels (e.g., natural gas)
4. Cement production
5. Flaring gas industrially and at wells
6. Non-fuel hydrocarbons
7. "International bunker fuels" of transport not
included in national inventories
 Natural Sources
 Natural processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decay, and
sea surface gas exchange lead to massive exchanges, sources and
sinks of CO2 between the land and atmosphere and the ocean and
atmosphere.

 The main natural source of CH4 to the atmosphere is wetlands.

Additional natural sources include: Termites, Oceans, Vegetation and
CH4 hydrates

 Natural sources of N2O include: Oceans, Chemical oxidation of

ammonia in the atmosphere, and Soils (Tropical soils are a particularly
important source of N2O to the atmosphere.)

 Troposphere ozone is produced by photochemical reactions in the

atmosphere involving precursor chemicals such as Carbon monoxide,
CH4, Volatile organic compounds and Nitrogen oxides
 Top 5 Emitters of GHGs
 In 2005, the world's top-20 emitters comprised 80% of
total GHG emissions (PBL, 2010). Tabulated below are
the top-5 emitters for the year 2005 (MNP, 2007).

Top-5 emitters for the year 2005

% of global total Tones of GHG
Country or region
annual emissions per capita
China 17 % 5.8
United States 16 % 24.1
European Union 11 % 10.6
Indonesia 6% 12.9
India 5% 2.1
Changes of GHGs with time
 Mechanism of Global warming
 Greenhouse Effect causes global warming

IR is absorded by the GHGs and they release heat which enhances global warming.
UV radiation is absorbed by the earth and it is converted to
IR due to collision, temperature and other factors.

IR is reflected from the earth and absorbed by the green

house gases and GHGs releases heat to the atmosphere.

Global warming of this earth is enhancing by this way.

 Effects of Global Warming
 The effects of global warming are felt in many ways now
and this will worsen.

 Effects are noticeable in the following areas:

• Extreme weather
• Rising sea levels/oceans
• Ecosystems
• Agriculture
• Human health
• War and conflicts
 Extreme Weather
 Scientists predict that during global warming, the northern
regions of the Northern Hemisphere will heat up more than
other areas of the planet, northern and mountain glaciers
will shrink, and less ice will float on northern oceans.

 The warmed world will be generally more humid as a result

of more water evaporating from the oceans.
Greater humidity will increase rainfall, on average, about 1
percent for each Fahrenheit degree of warming.

 Storms are expected to be more frequent and more intense.

 Winds will blow harder and perhaps in different patterns.

Hurricanes, which gain their force from the evaporation of
water, are likely to be more severe.
 Rising Sea Levels/Oceans
 As the atmosphere warms, the surface layer of the ocean warms as
well, expanding in volume and thus raising sea level.

 Warming will also melt much glacier ice, especially around

Greenland. Sea levels worldwide rose 10 to 25 cm during the 20th
century, and scientists predict a further rise of 9 to 88 cm in the
21st century.

 Sea-level changes will complicate life in many coastal regions.

Erosion of cliffs, beaches, and dunes will increase. Storm surges,
will become more frequent and damaging.

 Even a modest rise in sea level will greatly change coastal

ecosystems. A 50-cm (20-in) rise will submerge about half of the
present coastal wetlands of the United States. New marshes will
form in many places, but not where urban areas and developed
landscapes block the way. This sea-level rise will cover much of the
Florida Everglades.
 Effects on Ecosystems
 All ecosystems are affected by global warming.

 The UN Environment Program (UNEP) predicts that by

2075 few locally endemic species will survive.

 25% of the Earth’s mammals and 12% of bird species will

be extinct within the next 30 years.

 Polar bears are stressed through loss of habitat. Many

species are steadily moving their ranges towards higher
northern and southern latitudes, including butterflies, frogs,
and birds. They breed earlier and plants flower earlier in
the season.
 Effects on Agriculture
 A warmed globe will probably produce as much food as
before, but not necessarily in the same places.

 Southern Canada, for example, may benefit from more

rainfall and a longer growing season. At the same time, the
semiarid tropical farmlands in some parts of Africa may
become further impoverished (to become poor).

 Desert farm regions that bring in irrigation water from

distant mountains may suffer if the winter snow pack,
which functions as a natural reservoir, melts before the
peak growing months. More insects and plant diseases
may also afflict crops and woodlands.
 Effects on Human Health
 In a warmer world more people will get sick or die from heat
stress, due less to hotter days than to warmer nights (giving
the sufferers less relief).

 Diseases transmitted by animal hosts will widen their range

as these animal hosts move into regions formerly too cold
for them.

 Other tropical diseases may spread similarly, including

dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Scientists also
predict rising incidence of allergies and respiratory diseases
as warmer air grows more charged with pollutants, mold
spores, and pollens.
 War and Conflict
 Decreasing resources will increase competition between
nations in order to survive.

 The US Pentagon predicts nuclear war and conflicts over

water, energy and food resources on a scale that eclipses
its concerns over international terrorism. If that’s the most
conservative assessment we’re in real trouble…

 Mass migration of environmental refugees, up to 150

million of them by 2050, will also increase risks of violent
conflicts.

 Obviously among alternate energy sources that of our

genuine care and goodwill towards others and our
environments is crucial.
 5 Deadliest Effects of
Global Warming
The 5 deadliest effects of global warming.

5. Spread of disease: As northern countries warm, disease

carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and
disease with them. Indeed some scientists believe that in
some countries thanks to global warming, malaria has not
been fully eradicated.

4. Warmer waters and more hurricanes: As the

temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more
frequent and stronger hurricanes. We saw in this in 2004
and 2005.
 Cont………
3. Increased probability and intensity of droughts and
heat: waves Although some areas of Earth will become
wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious
droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it,
with more severe droughts also expected in Europe.

2. Economic consequences: Most of the effects of

anthropogenic global warming spell one thing for the
countries of the world: economic consequences. Hurricanes
cause do billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost
money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of
these.

1. Polar ice caps melting: The ice caps melting is a four-

pronged danger.
 Efforts to Control Global
warming
 The only way to control the global warming is to control
the anthropogenic production of green house gases.

 There are two major approaches to slowing the buildup of

greenhouse gases.

1) The first is to keep carbon dioxide out of the

atmosphere by storing the gas or its carbon
component somewhere else, a strategy called
carbon sequestration.

2) The second major approach is to reduce the

production of greenhouse gases.
 References

1) Manahan, Stanley E. 2000 “Environmental

Chemistry”, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton: CRC
Press LLC, New York. 7th Edition

2) Textbook of Environmental Studies by Erach

Bharucha, Universities Press, India, 2005

3) http://en.wikipedia.org