The greenhouse effect is the delay by the Earth's atmosphere of the planet's thermal radiation. The greenhouse effect was observed by any of us: in greenhouses or greenhouses the temperature is always higher than outside. The same is observed on the scale of the Earth: solar energy, passing through the atmosphere, heats the Earth's surface, but the thermal energy emitted by the Earth cannot escape back into space, since the Earth's atmosphere delays it, acting like polyethylene in a greenhouse: it transmits short light waves from the Sun to the Earth and delays long thermal (or infrared) waves emitted by the Earth's surface. There is a greenhouse effect.The greenhouse effect occurs due to the presence of gases in the Earth's atmosphere that have the ability to delay long waves.They are called "greenhouse" or "greenhouse" gases.

Greenhouse gases were present in the atmosphere in small amounts (about 0,1%) since its inception. This amount was enough to maintain the Earth's heat balance at a level suitable for life due to the greenhouse effect. This is the so-called natural greenhouse effect, if it were not for it, the average temperature of the Earth's surface would be 30 ° C not +14°C, as it is now, but -17°C.

The natural greenhouse effect does not threaten either the Earth or humanity, since the total amount of greenhouse gases was maintained at the same level due to the cycle of nature, moreover, we owe it life, provided that the balance is not disturbed.

But an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere leads to an increase in the greenhouse effect and a violation of the heat balance of the Earth. This is exactly what happened in the last two centuries of the development of civilization. Coal-fired power plants, car exhausts, factory chimneys and other man-made sources of pollution emit about 22 billion tons of greenhouse gases per year into the atmosphere.

The role of the greenhouse effect

The state of the atmosphere, in particular, the amount of water vapor and carbon dioxide present in it, has a great influence on the climate of the Earth. An increase in the concentration of water vapor causes an increase in cloudiness and, consequently, a decrease in the amount of solar heat entering the surface. And a change in the concentration of carbon dioxide CO 2 in the atmosphere causes a weakening or strengthening greenhouse effect, in which carbon dioxide partially absorbs the heat emitted by the Earth in the infrared range of the spectrum with its subsequent re-emission towards the earth's surface. As a result, the temperature of the surface and lower layers of the atmosphere rises. Thus, the phenomenon of the greenhouse effect significantly affects the mitigation of the Earth's climate. In its absence, the average temperature of the planet would be 30-40°C lower than it actually is, and would not be +15°C, but -15°C, or even -25°C. At such average temperatures, the oceans would very quickly become covered with ice, turned into huge freezers, and life on the planet would become impossible. The amount of carbon dioxide is influenced by many factors, among which the main ones are volcanic activity and the vital activity of terrestrial organisms.

But the greatest impact on the state of the atmosphere, and, consequently, on the climate of the Earth on a planetary scale, is external, astronomical factors, such as changes in solar radiation fluxes due to the variability of solar activity and changes in the parameters of the earth's orbit. The astronomical theory of climate fluctuations was created back in the 20s of the twentieth century. It has been established that a change in the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit from a possible minimum of 0.0163 to a possible maximum of 0.066 can lead to a difference in the amount of solar energy falling on the Earth's surface at aphelion and perihelion by 25% per year. Depending on whether the Earth passes its perihelion in summer or winter (for the northern hemisphere), such a change in the solar radiation flux can lead to a general warming or cooling on the planet.

The theory made it possible to calculate the time of ice ages in the past. Up to errors in determining geological dates, the age of a dozen previous icings coincided with the theory. It also allows you to answer the question of when the next closest icing should come: today we live in an interglacial era, and it does not threaten us for the next 5000-10000 years.

What is the greenhouse effect?

The concept of the greenhouse effect was formed in 1863. Tyndale.

An everyday example of the greenhouse effect is heating from the inside of a car when it is in the sun with the windows closed. The reason here is that sunlight enters through the windows and is absorbed by the seats and other items in the cabin. In this case, light energy turns into thermal energy, objects heat up and emit heat in the form of infrared, or thermal, radiation. Unlike light, it does not penetrate the windows to the outside, that is, it is captured inside the car. Due to this, the temperature rises. The same thing happens in greenhouses, from which the very name of this effect, the greenhouse effect (or greenhouse Effect). On a global scale, carbon dioxide in the air plays the same role as glass. Light energy penetrates the atmosphere, is absorbed by the earth's surface, converted into its thermal energy, and released as infrared radiation. However, carbon dioxide and some other gases, unlike other natural elements of the atmosphere, absorb it. At the same time, it heats up and, in turn, heats the atmosphere as a whole. This means that the more carbon dioxide it contains, the more infrared rays will be absorbed and the warmer it will become.

The temperature and climate to which we are accustomed is provided by the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the level of 0.03%. Now we are increasing this concentration, and a warming trend is emerging.
When worried scientists warned mankind decades ago about the growing greenhouse effect and the threat of global warming, at first they were looked at as comic old men from an old comedy. But soon it wasn't funny at all. Global warming is happening, and very fast. The climate is changing before our eyes: the unprecedented heat in Europe and North America causes not only massive heart attacks, but also catastrophic floods.

In the early 1960s, frost of 45°C was common in Tomsk. In the 70s, the fall of the thermometer below 30 ° below zero already caused confusion in the minds of Siberians. The last decade scares us less and less with such cold weather. But the strongest hurricanes that destroy the roofs of houses, break trees, break power lines have become the norm. Even 25 years ago, such phenomena were very rare in the Tomsk region! To convince someone that global warming has become a fact is no longer enough to look at press reports, domestic and international. Severe droughts, monstrous floods, hurricane-force winds, unprecedented storms - now we have all become involuntary witnesses of these phenomena. In recent years, there has been unprecedented heat in Ukraine, tropical downpours have been going on, which lead to devastating floods.

Human activity at the beginning of the 21st century leads to a rapid increase in the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere, which threatens the destruction of its ozone layer and abrupt climate change, in particular, global warming. To reduce the threat of a global environmental crisis, it is necessary to significantly reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere everywhere. Responsibility for reducing such emissions should be shared among all members of the world community, which differ significantly in many ways: the level of industrial development, income, social structure and political orientation. Because of these differences, the question inevitably arises of the extent to which the national government should control air emissions. The debatability of this problem is further enhanced by the fact that no agreement has yet been reached on the issue of the environmental impact of the growing greenhouse effect. However, there is a growing understanding that, given the threat of global warming, with all the devastating consequences that follow from this, limiting harmful emissions into the atmosphere is becoming a task of paramount importance.

The coastal areas of the Azov and Black Seas are facing a real threat of extinction. The catastrophic floods we are already dealing with will also occur much more frequently. For example, the Dnieper dams, in particular the Kyiv dam, were built taking into account the most devastating floods that have ever happened on the Dnieper.

The rapid growth of industrial and other air pollutant emissions has led to a dramatic increase in the greenhouse effect and the concentration of gases that deplete the ozone layer. For example, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere has increased by 26%, with more than half of the increase occurring since the early 1960s. Concentration of various gaseous chlorides, primarily depleting the ozone layer chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), in just 16 years (from 1975 to 1990) increased by 114%. The level of concentration of another gas involved in the creation of the greenhouse effect, methane CH 4 , has increased by 143% since the beginning of the industrial revolution, including about 30% of this growth since the early 1970s. Until urgent action is taken at the international level, the rapid growth of the population and the increase in its income will be accompanied by an acceleration in the concentration of these chemicals.

The 1980s have been the warmest decade since the meticulous documentation of weather patterns began. Seven of the hottest years on record were in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990, with 1990 being the hottest on record. However, until now, scientists cannot say for sure whether such a warming of the climate is a trend under the influence of the greenhouse effect, or whether these are just natural, natural fluctuations. After all, the climate has experienced similar changes and fluctuations before. In the course of the last million years, there have been eight so-called ice ages, when a giant ice carpet reached the latitudes of Kyiv in Europe, and New York in America. The last ice age ended about 18 thousand years ago, and at that time the average temperature was 5 ° lower than now. Accordingly, the level of the world ocean was 120 m lower than the current one.

During the last ice age, the atmospheric CO 2 content dropped to 0.200, while for the last two periods of warming it was 0.280. This is how it was at the beginning of the 19th century. Then it gradually began to increase and reached its current value of approximately 0.347. It follows that in the 200 years that have passed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, natural control over the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through a closed cycle between the atmosphere, ocean, vegetation, and organic and inorganic decay processes has been grossly violated.

It is still unclear whether these parameters of climate warming are really statically significant. For example, some researchers note that the data characterizing climate warming are significantly lower than those calculated using computer forecasts based on data on the level of emissions in previous years. Scientists know that some types of pollutants can actually slow down the warming process by reflecting ultraviolet rays into space. So the question of whether there is a gradual climate change or whether these changes are temporary, masking the long-term impact of the increasing greenhouse effect and ozone depletion, is debatable. Although there is little evidence at the statistical level that climate warming is a sustainable trend, the assessment of the potential catastrophic consequences of climate warming has led to widespread calls for precautionary measures.

Another important manifestation of global warming is the warming of the oceans. In 1989, A. Strong of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration reported: “Measurements of ocean surface temperatures taken from satellites from 1982 to 1988 show that the world's oceans are gradually but noticeably warming by about 0.1 ° C per year". This is extremely important because, due to their colossal heat capacity, the oceans hardly react to random climatic changes. The observed trend towards their warming proves the seriousness of the problem.

The occurrence of the greenhouse effect:

The obvious cause of the greenhouse effect is the use of traditional energy carriers by industry and motorists. Less obvious reasons include deforestation, recycling, and coal mining. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), carbon dioxide CO 2 , methane CH 4 , oxides of sulfur and nitrogen contribute significantly to the increase in the greenhouse effect.

However, carbon dioxide still plays the greatest role in this process, since it has a relatively long life cycle in the atmosphere and its volumes are constantly increasing in all countries. Sources of CO 2 can be divided into two main categories: industrial production and others, accounting for 77% and 23% of the total volume of its emission into the atmosphere, respectively. The entire group of developing countries (approximately 3/4 of the world's population) accounts for less than 1/3 of the total industrial emissions of CO 2 . If China is excluded from this group of countries, this figure will drop to about 1/5. Since wealthier countries have higher levels of income and, accordingly, consumption is higher, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere per capita is much higher. For example, per capita emissions in the United States are more than 2 times the European average, 19 times the African average, and 25 times the corresponding figure for India. However, recently in developed countries (in particular, in the USA) there has been a tendency to gradually phase out production that is harmful to the environment and the population and transfer it to less developed countries. Thus, the US government takes care of maintaining a favorable environmental situation in its country, while maintaining its economic well-being.

Although the share of third world countries in industrial CO 2 emissions is relatively small, they account for almost all of its other emissions into the atmosphere. The main reason for this is the use of forest burning techniques to involve new lands in agricultural circulation. The indicator of the volume of emissions into the atmosphere under this article is calculated as follows: it is assumed that the entire volume of CO 2 contained in plants, when burned, enters the atmosphere. It is estimated that deforestation accounts for 25% of all air emissions. Perhaps even more significant is the fact that the process of deforestation destroys the source of atmospheric oxygen. Tropical rainforests are an important self-healing mechanism for an ecosystem, as trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis. Deforestation reduces the ability of the environment to absorb carbon dioxide. Thus, it is the characteristics of the land cultivation process in developing countries that determine such a significant contribution of the latter to the increase in the greenhouse effect.

In the natural biosphere, the content of carbon dioxide in the air was maintained at the same level, since its intake was equal to its removal. This process was determined by the carbon cycle, during which the amount of carbon dioxide extracted from the atmosphere by photosynthetic plants is compensated by respiration and combustion. Currently, people are actively upsetting this balance by cutting down forests and using fossil fuels. Burning every pound of it (coal, oil and natural gas) produces about three pounds, or 2 m 3, of carbon dioxide (the weight is tripled, since each carbon atom of the fuel in the process of burning and turning into carbon dioxide attaches two oxygen atoms). The chemical formula for burning carbon is as follows:

C + O 2 → CO 2

Every year, about 2 billion tons of fossil fuels are burned, which means that almost 5.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. Approximately 1.7 billion tons of it also enters there due to the reduction and burning of tropical forests and the oxidation of soil organic matter (humus). In this regard, people are trying to reduce emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere as much as possible, trying to find new ways to fulfill their traditional needs. An interesting example of this is the development of new, environmentally friendly air conditioners. Air conditioners play a significant role in the occurrence of the "greenhouse effect". Their use leads to an increase in vehicle emissions. To this must be added a slight but unavoidable loss of coolant, which escapes under high pressure, for example, through seals at the junction of hoses. This refrigerant has the same impact on the climate as other greenhouse gases. Therefore, researchers began to search for an environmentally friendly coolant. Hydrocarbons with good cooling properties cannot be used due to their high flammability. Therefore, the choice of scientists fell on carbon dioxide. CO 2 is a natural constituent of air. The CO 2 required for air conditioning appears as a by-product of many industrial processes. In addition, for natural CO 2 it is not necessary to create an entire infrastructure for maintenance and processing. CO 2 is inexpensive and can be found all over the world.

Carbon dioxide has been used as a cooling agent in the last century for fishing. In the 1930s, CO2 was replaced by synthetic and environmentally harmful substances. They made it possible to use a simpler technique under high pressure. Scientists are developing components for a completely new cooling system using CO 2 . This system includes compressor, gas cooler, expander, evaporator, header and internal heat exchanger. The high pressure required for CO 2, given materials that are more advanced than before, does not pose a great danger. Despite their increased pressure resistance, the new components are comparable in size and weight to conventional units. Tests of a new car air conditioner show that the use of carbon dioxide as a refrigerant can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a third.

A constant increase in the amount of fossil fuels burned (coal, oil, gas, peat, etc.) leads to an increase in the concentration of CO 2 in the atmospheric air (at the beginning of the 20th century - 0.029%, today - 0.034%). Forecasts show that by the middle XXI century, the content of CO 2 will double, which will lead to a sharp increase in the greenhouse effect, and the temperature on the planet will increase. Two more dangerous problems will arise: the rapid melting of glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic, the “permafrost” of the tundra and the rise in the level of the World Ocean. Such changes will be accompanied by climate change, which is even difficult to foresee. Consequently, the problem is not just in the greenhouse effect, but in its artificial growth, generated by human activity, changing the optimal content of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Industrial human activity leads to a noticeable increase in them and the appearance of a threatening disproportion. If humanity fails to take effective measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and preserve forests, the temperature, according to the UN, will rise by another 3°C in 30 years. One solution to the problem is clean energy sources that would not add carbon dioxide and a lot of heat to the atmosphere. For example, small solar plants are already being successfully used, consuming solar heat instead of fuel.

Gardeners are well aware of this physical phenomenon, as it is always warmer inside the greenhouse than outside, and this helps plants grow, especially during the cold season.

You can feel the same effect when you are in a car on a sunny day. The reason for it is that the sun's rays pass through the glass inside the greenhouse, and their energy is absorbed by plants and all objects inside. Then the same objects, plants radiate their energy, but it can no longer penetrate the glass, so the temperature inside the greenhouse rises.

A planet with a stable atmosphere, such as Earth, experiences much the same effect. To maintain a constant temperature, the Earth itself needs to radiate as much energy as it receives. The atmosphere serves as a glass in a greenhouse.

The greenhouse effect was first discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824 and was first studied quantitatively in 1896. The greenhouse effect is the process by which the absorption and emission of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases causes the atmosphere and surface of a planet to heat up.

Earth's warm blanket

On Earth, the main greenhouse gases are:

1) water vapor (responsible for approximately 36-70% of the greenhouse effect);

2) carbon dioxide (CO2) (9-26%);

3) methane (CH4) (4-9%);

4) ozone (3-7%).

The presence of such gases in the atmosphere creates the effect of covering the Earth with a blanket. They allow you to keep heat near the surface for a longer time, so the Earth's surface is much warmer than it would be in the absence of gases. Without the atmosphere, the average surface temperature would be -20°C. In other words, in the absence of the greenhouse effect, our planet would be uninhabited.

The strongest greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect takes place not only on Earth. In fact, the strongest greenhouse effect that we know of is on the neighboring planet, Venus. The atmosphere of Venus is almost entirely composed of carbon dioxide, and as a result, the surface of the planet is heated to 475 ° C. Climatologists believe that we have avoided such a fate thanks to the presence of oceans on Earth. There are no oceans on Venus, and all the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by volcanoes remains there. As a result, we are seeing an uncontrolled greenhouse effect on Venus that makes life on this planet impossible.

The planet Venus is experiencing an unmanageable greenhouse effect, and seemingly gentle clouds hide a scalding hot surface.

The greenhouse effect has always been

It is important to understand that the greenhouse effect has always existed on Earth. Without the greenhouse effect caused by the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the oceans would have frozen over long ago, and higher forms of life would not have appeared. In essence, not the climate, but the fate of life on Earth depends entirely on whether a certain amount of carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere or disappears, and life on Earth then ceases. Paradoxically, it is humanity that can prolong life on Earth for some time by returning to circulation at least part of the carbon dioxide reserves from coal, oil and gas fields.

Currently, the scientific debate about the greenhouse effect is on the issue of global warming: are we, humans, disrupting the energy balance of the planet too much as a result of burning fossil fuels and other economic activities, while adding an excessive amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen in her? Today, scientists agree that we are responsible for increasing the natural greenhouse effect by several degrees.

Let's do an experiment

Let's try to show the result of the action of increasing carbon dioxide in the experiment.

Pour a glass of vinegar into the bottle and put a few crystals of soda in it. We fix a straw in the cork and close the bottle tightly with it. Place the bottle in a wide glass, place lighted candles of various heights around it. Candles will begin to go out, starting with the shortest one.

Why is this happening? Carbon dioxide begins to accumulate in the glass and oxygen is displaced. It also happens on Earth, i.e. the planet begins to experience a lack of oxygen.

What does this threaten us with?

So, what are the causes of the greenhouse effect, we have seen. But why is everyone so afraid of him? Let's consider its consequences:

1. If the temperature on Earth continues to rise, this will have a major impact on the global climate.

2. More precipitation will fall in the tropics as the extra heat will increase the amount of water vapor in the air.

3. In arid regions, the rains will become even more rare and they will turn into deserts, as a result of which people and animals will have to leave them.

4. The temperature of the seas will also rise, which will lead to the flooding of low-lying areas of the coast and to an increase in the number of powerful storms.

5. Residential land will shrink.

6. If the temperature on Earth rises, many animals will not be able to adapt to climate change. Many plants will die from lack of water and animals will have to move to other places in search of food and water. If the increase in temperature leads to the death of many plants, then many animal species will die out after them.

7. Temperature change is bad for people's health.

8. In addition to the negative consequences of global warming, one can also note a positive consequence. Global warming will make Russia's climate better. At first glance, a warmer climate appears to be a boon. But the potential gain may be wiped out by the harm from diseases caused by harmful insects, as the rise in temperature will hasten their reproduction. Lands in some regions of Russia will be unsuitable for habitation

It's time to act!

Coal-fired power plants, car exhausts, factory chimneys and other man-made sources of pollution together emit about 22 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases per year. Animal husbandry, fertilizer application, coal burning and other sources produce about 250 million tons of methane per year. About half of all greenhouse gases emitted by mankind remain in the atmosphere. About three-quarters of all greenhouse gas emissions over the past 20 years have been caused by the use of oil, natural gas and coal. Much of the rest is caused by landscape changes, primarily deforestation.

Human activities lead to an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

But the time has come to work just as purposefully on how to give back to nature what we take from it. A person is able to solve this grandiose problem and urgently begin to act to protect our Earth:

1. Restoration of soil and vegetation cover.

2. Decreased consumption of fossil fuels.

3. Wider use of water, wind, solar energy.

4. Combat air pollution.

Earth as a result of the impact of human activities. Of particular concern is the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in , which leads to heating of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere and, perhaps, is one of the main reasons for the climate warming observed in recent decades.

The most significant natural greenhouse gas is H20 water vapor. It absorbs and emits long-wave infrared radiation in the wavelength range of 4.5 - 80 microns. The influence of water vapor on the greenhouse effect is decisive and is created mainly by the absorption band 5 - 7.5 μm. Nevertheless, part of the radiation from the Earth's surface in the spectral regions of 3 - 5 µm and 8 - 12 µm, called transparency windows, escapes through the atmosphere into the world space. The greenhouse effect of water vapor is enhanced by the absorption bands of carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere as a result of volcanic activity, the natural cycle of carbon in nature, the decay of organic matter in the soil when heated, as well as human activities, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas ) and deforestation.

In addition to carbon dioxide, the content of greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and tropospheric ozone is increasing in the atmosphere. Methane enters the atmosphere from swamps and deep cracks in the earth's crust. The increase in its concentration is facilitated by the development of agricultural production (especially the expansion of abundantly irrigated rice fields), the increase in the number of livestock, the burning of biomass and the extraction of natural gas. Nitrous oxide concentrations are increased by the use of nitrogen fertilizers, aircraft emissions, and oxidation processes. Ozone in the troposphere increases as a result of chemical reactions under the action of sunlight between hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides formed from the burning of fossil fuels. The concentration of these gases is increasing faster than the concentration of carbon dioxide, and their relative contribution to the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere may increase in the future. The growth of the atmosphere is also facilitated by an increase in the concentration of a highly absorbing aerosol of industrial origin (soot) with a particle radius of 0.001 - 0.05 microns. An increase in greenhouse gases and aerosols could significantly increase global temperatures and cause other climate changes, the environmental and social consequences of which are still difficult to predict.

The mechanism of the greenhouse effect is as follows. The sun's rays, reaching the Earth, are absorbed by the soil surface, vegetation, water surface, etc. The heated surfaces give off thermal energy again to the atmosphere, but in the form of long-wave radiation.

Atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) do not absorb thermal radiation from the earth's surface, but scatter it. However, as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels and other production processes, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, various hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, etc.) accumulate in the atmosphere, which do not scatter, but absorb thermal radiation coming from the Earth's surface. The screen that arises in this way leads to the appearance of the greenhouse effect - global warming.

In addition to the greenhouse effect, the presence of these gases causes the formation of the so-called photochemical smog. At the same time, as a result of photochemical reactions, hydrocarbons form very toxic products - aldehydes and ketones.

Global warming is one of the most significant consequences of anthropogenic pollution of the biosphere. It manifests itself both in climate change and in biota: the production process in ecosystems, the shift in the boundaries of plant formations, and changes in crop yields. Especially strong changes can affect high and middle latitudes. According to forecasts, it is here that the temperature of the atmosphere will increase most noticeably. The nature of these regions is especially susceptible to various impacts and is extremely slowly restored.

As a result of warming, the taiga zone will shift to the north by about 100-200 km. The rise in the ocean level due to warming (melting of ice and glaciers) can be up to 0.2 m, which will lead to the flooding of the mouths of large, especially Siberian, rivers.

At the regular conference of the countries-participants of the Convention on Prevention of Climate Change, held in Rome in 1996, the need for coordinated international action to solve this problem was once again confirmed. In accordance with the Convention, industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition have assumed obligations to stabilize the production of greenhouse gases. The countries of the European Union have included in their national programs provisions to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2005.

In 1997, the Kyoto (Japan) agreement was signed, under which developed countries pledged to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at the 1990 level by 2000.

However, greenhouse gas emissions have even increased since then. This was facilitated by the US withdrawal from the Kyoto agreement of 2001. Thus, the implementation of this agreement was threatened with disruption, since the quota necessary for the entry into force of this agreement was violated.

In Russia, due to the general decline in production, greenhouse gas emissions in 2000 amounted to 80% of the 1990 level. Therefore, in 2004 Russia ratified the Kyoto agreement, giving it a legal status. Now (2012) this agreement is in force, other states (for example, Australia) join it, but the decisions of the Kyoto Agreement remain unfulfilled. However, the struggle to implement the Kyoto agreement continues.

One of the most famous fighters against global warming is the former Vice President of the United States. A. Gore. After losing the 2000 presidential election, he dedicates himself to combating global warming. "Save the world before it's too late!" is its slogan. Armed with a set of slides, he traveled the world explaining the science and politics of global warming, the potential for serious consequences in the near future, if not limited by the rise in human-caused carbon dioxide emissions.

A. Gore wrote a widely known book “Inconvenient truth. Global warming, how to stop a planetary catastrophe. In it, he confidently and rightly writes: “Sometimes it seems that our climate crisis is proceeding slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly, becoming a truly planetary danger. And in order to defeat the threat, we must first recognize the fact of its existence. Why don't our leaders seem to hear such loud warnings of danger? They resist the truth, because at the moment of recognition they will face their moral duty - to act. Is it just much more convenient to ignore the danger warning? Perhaps, but an inconvenient truth does not disappear just because it is not seen.

In 2006, he was awarded the American Literary Prize for the book. The book was made into a documentary The Inconvenient Truth" with A. Gore in the title role. The film in 2007 received an Oscar and was included in the rubric "Everyone Should Know This". In the same year, A. Gore (together with a group of IPCC experts) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on environmental protection and research on climate change.

Currently, A. Gore is also actively continuing the fight against global warming, being a freelance consultant for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Global warming and greenhouse effect

Back in 1827, the French physicist J. Fourier suggested that the Earth's atmosphere acts as a glass in a greenhouse: air lets in solar heat, but does not allow it to evaporate back into space. And he was right. This effect is achieved due to some atmospheric gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide. They transmit visible and "near" infrared light emitted by the Sun, but absorb "far" infrared radiation, which is formed when the earth's surface is heated by the sun's rays and has a lower frequency (Fig. 12).

In 1909, the Swedish chemist S. Arrhenius for the first time emphasized the enormous role of carbon dioxide as a temperature regulator of the near-surface air layers. Carbon dioxide freely transmits the sun's rays to the earth's surface, but absorbs most of the thermal radiation of the earth. This is a kind of colossal screen that prevents the cooling of our planet.

The temperature of the Earth's surface is steadily increasing, having increased over the XX century. by 0.6 °C. In 1969 it was 13.99°C, in 2000 it was 14.43°C. Thus, the average temperature of the Earth at present is about 15 °C. At a given temperature, the surface of the planet and the atmosphere are in thermal equilibrium. Heated by the energy of the Sun and the infrared radiation of the atmosphere, the surface of the Earth returns an average equivalent amount of energy to the atmosphere. This is the energy of evaporation, convection, heat conduction and infrared radiation.

Rice. 12. Schematic representation of the greenhouse effect due to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Recently, human activity has introduced an imbalance in the ratio of absorbed and released energy. Before human intervention in global processes on the planet, the changes taking place on its surface and in the atmosphere were associated with the content of gases in nature, which, with the light hand of scientists, were called "greenhouse". These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitric oxide and water vapor (Fig. 13). Now anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been added to them. Without the gas "blanket" enveloping the Earth, the temperature on its surface would be 30-40 degrees lower. The existence of living organisms in this case would be very problematic.

Greenhouse gases temporarily trap heat in our atmosphere, creating the so-called greenhouse effect. As a result of technogenic human activities, some greenhouse gases increase their share in the overall balance of the atmosphere. This applies primarily to carbon dioxide, the content of which has been steadily increasing from decade to decade. Carbon dioxide creates 50% of the greenhouse effect, CFCs account for 15-20%, and methane accounts for 18%.

Rice. 13. The proportion of anthropogenic gases in the atmosphere with the greenhouse effect of nitrogen 6%

In the first half of the XX century. the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was estimated at 0.03%. In 1956, within the framework of the first International Geophysical Year, scientists conducted special studies. The given figure was adjusted and amounted to 0.028%. In 1985, measurements were taken again, and it turned out that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had increased to 0.034%. Thus, an increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a proven fact.

Over the past 200 years, as a result of anthropogenic activities, the content of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere has increased by 25%. This is due, on the one hand, to the intensive burning of fossil fuels: gas, oil, shale, coal, etc., and on the other hand, to the annual decrease in forest areas, which are the main sinks of carbon dioxide. In addition, the development of such agricultural sectors as rice growing and animal husbandry, as well as the growth of urban landfill areas, lead to an increase in the emission of methane, nitrogen oxide and some other gases.

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas. Its content in the atmosphere increases by 1% annually. The most significant suppliers of methane are landfills, cattle, and rice fields. Gas reserves in the landfills of large cities can be considered as small gas fields. As for rice fields, it turned out that despite the large release of methane, relatively little of it enters the atmosphere, since most of it is broken down by bacteria associated with the rice root system. Thus, the impact of rice agricultural ecosystems on the release of methane into the atmosphere is generally moderate.

Today there is no doubt that the trend towards the use of predominantly fossil fuels inevitably leads to global catastrophic climate change. At the current rate of use of coal and oil in the next 50 years, an increase in the average annual temperature on the planet is predicted in the range from 1.5 ° C (near the equator) to 5 ° C (in high latitudes).

An increase in temperature as a result of the greenhouse effect threatens with unprecedented environmental, economic and social consequences. The water level in the oceans can rise by 1-2 m due to sea water and the melting of polar ice. (Due to the greenhouse effect, the level of the World Ocean in the 20th century has already risen by 10-20 cm.) It has been established that a 1 mm rise in sea level leads to a retreat of the coastline by 1.5 m.

If the sea level rises by about 1 m (and this is the worst scenario), then by 2100 about 1% of the territory of Egypt, 6% of the territory of the Netherlands, 17.5% of the territory of Bangladesh and 80% of the Majuro Atoll, which is part of the Marshal, will be under water - fishing islands. This will be the beginning of a tragedy for 46 million people. According to the most pessimistic forecasts, the rise in the level of the World Ocean in the XXI century. may entail the disappearance from the world map of countries such as Holland, Pakistan and Israel, the flooding of most of Japan and some other island states. St. Petersburg, New York and Washington may go under water. While some parts of the land are at risk of being at the bottom of the sea, others will suffer from the most severe drought. Disappearance threatens the Azov and Aral seas and many rivers. The area of ​​deserts will increase.

A group of Swedish climatologists found that from 1978 to 1995 the area of ​​floating ice in the Arctic Ocean decreased by about 610 thousand km2, i.e. by 5.7%. At the same time, it turned out that through the Fram Strait, which separates the Svalbard (Svalbard) archipelago from Greenland, up to 2600 km 3 of floating ice is annually carried into the open Atlantic at an average speed of about 15 cm / s (which is about 15-20 times more than the flow of such a river as Congo).

In July 2002, a call for help was heard from the small island state of Tuvalu, located on nine atolls in the South Pacific Ocean (26 km 2, 11.5 thousand inhabitants). Tuvalu is slowly but surely submerged - the highest point in the state rises only 5 m above sea level. time to raise the sea level in the area by more than 3 m, due to rising ocean levels due to global warming. If this trend continues, the tiny state will be washed off the face of the Earth. The government of Tuvalu is taking measures to resettle citizens in the neighboring state of Niue.

An increase in temperature will cause a decrease in soil moisture in many regions of the Earth. Droughts and typhoons will become commonplace. The ice cover of the Arctic will be reduced by 15%. In the coming century, the ice cover of rivers and lakes in the Northern Hemisphere will be 2 weeks less than in the 20th century. Ice is melting in the mountains of South America, Africa, China and Tibet.

Global warming will also affect the state of the world's forests. Forest vegetation, as is known, can exist within very narrow limits of temperature and humidity. Most of it may die, the complex ecological system will be at the stage of destruction, and this will entail a catastrophic decrease in the genetic diversity of plants. As a result of global warming on Earth in the second half of the XXI century. may disappear from a quarter to half of the species of land flora and fauna. Even under the most favorable conditions, by the middle of the century, the immediate threat of extinction will hang over almost 10% of the species of land animals and plants.

Studies have shown that in order to avoid a global catastrophe, it is necessary to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere to 2 billion tons per year (one third of the current volume). Given the natural population growth, by 2030-2050. per capita should be no more than 1/8 of the amount of carbon emitted today on average per inhabitant of Europe.

In the 21st century, the global greenhouse effect is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing our planet today. The essence of the greenhouse effect is that the sun's heat lingers near the surface of our planet in the form of greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect is caused by industrial gases entering the atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect consists in an increase in the temperature of the lower layers of the Earth's atmosphere in comparison with the effective temperature, namely the temperature of the planet's thermal radiation recorded from space. The first mention of this phenomenon appeared in 1827. Then Joseph Fourier suggested that the optical characteristics of the Earth's atmosphere are similar to the characteristics of glass, the level of transparency of which in the infrared range is lower than in the optical one. When visible light is absorbed, the surface temperature rises and emits thermal (infrared) radiation, and since the atmosphere is not so transparent to thermal radiation, heat is collected near the surface of the planet.
The fact that the atmosphere is able to keep out thermal radiation is caused by the presence of greenhouse gases in it. The main greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Over the past decades, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. Scientists believe human activity is the main cause.
Due to the regular increase in average annual temperatures in the late eighties of the last century, there was a fear that global warming caused by human activities is already happening.

The influence of the greenhouse effect

The positive consequences of the greenhouse effect include additional "heating" of the surface of our planet, as a result of which life appeared on this planet. If this phenomenon did not exist, then the average annual air temperature near the earth's surface would not exceed 18C.
The greenhouse effect arose due to the huge amount of water vapor and carbon dioxide entering the planet's atmosphere over hundreds of millions of years as a result of extremely high volcanic activity. The high concentration of carbon dioxide, which is thousands of times higher than today, was the cause of the "super-greenhouse" effect. This phenomenon brought the temperature of the water in the oceans to the boiling point. However, after some time, green vegetation appeared on the planet, which actively absorbed carbon dioxide from the earth's atmosphere. For this reason, the greenhouse effect began to decline. Over time, a certain balance was established, allowing the average annual temperature to stay at around + 15C.
However, human industrial activity has led to the fact that a large amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases began to enter the atmosphere again. Scientists analyzed data from 1906 to 2005 and concluded that the average annual temperature increased by 0.74 degrees, and in the coming years will reach about 0.2 degrees per decade.
Greenhouse effect results:

• temperature increase
• change in the frequency and volume of precipitation
• melting glaciers
• sea ​​level rise
• biodiversity threat
• crop failure
• drying up of fresh water sources
• increased evaporation of water in the oceans
• decomposition of water and methane compounds located near the poles
• slowing down currents, for example, the Gulf Stream, as a result of which it will become colder in the Arctic
• rainforest shrinkage
• expansion of the habitat of tropical microorganisms.

Consequences of the greenhouse effect

Why is the greenhouse effect so dangerous? The main danger of the greenhouse effect lies in the climate changes it causes. Scientists believe that the increase in the greenhouse effect will cause an increase in risks to the health of all mankind, especially the representatives of low-income segments of the population. A decrease in food production, which will be a consequence of the death of crops and the destruction of pastures by drought or vice versa by flooding, will inevitably lead to a shortage of food. In addition, elevated air temperature exacerbates heart and vascular diseases, as well as respiratory organs.
Also, an increase in air temperature can cause an expansion of the habitat of animal species that are carriers of dangerous diseases. Because of this, for example, encephalitis mites and malarial mosquitoes can move to places where people do not have immunity to transmitted diseases.

What will help save the planet?

Scientists are sure that the fight against the increase in the greenhouse effect should involve the following measures:

• reducing the use of fossil energy sources such as coal, oil and gas
• more efficient use of energy resources
• dissemination of energy-saving technologies
• use of alternative energy sources, namely renewable
• use of refrigerants and blowing agents that contain low (zero) global warming potential
• reforestation work aimed at the natural absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
• abandonment of cars with a gasoline or diesel engine in favor of electric cars.

At the same time, even the full-scale implementation of the listed measures is unlikely to fully compensate for the damage caused to nature due to anthropogenic action. For this reason, we can only talk about minimizing the consequences.
The first international conference to discuss this threat took place in the mid-1970s in Toronto. Then, the experts came to the conclusion that the greenhouse effect on Earth is in second place in importance after the nuclear threat.
Not only a real man is obliged to plant a tree - every person should do this! The most important thing in solving this problem is not to turn a blind eye to it. Maybe today people do not notice the harm from the greenhouse effect, but our children and grandchildren will definitely feel it for themselves. It is necessary to reduce the volume of burning coal and oil, to protect the natural vegetation of the planet. All this is necessary for the planet Earth to exist after us.