Greenhouse Gases

In Earth's atmosphere there is natural concentration of greenhouse gases and on the other hand there are greenhouses gases which are a direct result of human agricultural and industrial activity. Greenhouse gases which are natural to the atmosphere are water fumes, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide and ozone. On the contrary, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and hafnium carbide (HFC) are byproducts of industrial activity.

Most scientists believe that the rise in carbon dioxide stems from the increased burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and diesel fuel and from changes in land use: deforestation and the transforming of wild vegetation into agricultural areas. The rise in levels of methane and nitrogen oxide is caused by mechanized agriculture.

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has steadily increased since the beginning of the industrial revolution (circa 1750) as the following figures indicate:
In the last 250 years, carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has risen by 30 per cent; methane concentration in the atmosphere has risen by 145 per cent; nitrogen oxide concentration in the atmosphere has risen by 15 per cent.

There is a far reaching consensus of opinion among the scientific community on a crisis of climate change the world today faces. Many experts agree that in order to avert an ecological catastrophe, the industrialized countries must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20-40 per cent (regarding the exact rates, scientists are on a par) by the year 2020.

Already these days we can witness some phenomena which are a bad omen for the not too far future. Some of these climatic phenomena are believed to be the consequences of climate change and they include the expansion of deserts, unstable atmospheric conditions that lead to extreme climatic occurrences and sea level rise.

Not much has been done so far. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCCC – is the main body that sponsors international cooperation on the issue of climate change. The most known initiative is the Kyoto Protocol. There is also the Bali Road Map. The latter has set a framework for replacing the articles of the Kyoto Protocol in a future agreements scheduled for 2009.

In addition, there is a plethora of non governmental and private organizations (NGOs) that are active in the field of the environment. One of these organizations is called Green Knowledge. Green Knowledge has been established in Canada. Its founder, a retired software engineer and a veteran environmental activist – Jim Barron, states that the main goals of his organization are first and foremost explanatory. The crucial point in fighting climate change is to raise awareness to the problem. People in the rich countries must realize that driving gas guzzlers takes its toll in terms of the wellbeing of our planet. Yet, the main obstacle, he admits, is convincing people from developing countries to slow down developing programs. These people care about their livelihood more than issues such as air pollution or climate change.

31.05.2008. 14:32