Greenhouse Effect Essay The greenhouse effect plays a crucial part in preserving the environment on earth. The use of chemicals given off from different material objects such as cars and aerosol cans throw off the greenhouse effect. Scientists believe that this may offset the earth’s climate in the future by creating holes in the atmosphere. This is known as global warming. Global warming can effect numerous aspects of the environment including water resources, coastal resources, agriculture, forests, and energy consumption.
The ozone layer which is our protector from the sun is impacted with the increase of burning fossil fuel such as oil, coal, and natural gas which increases atmospheric carbon dioxide. For all plant growth, phosphorus is an important mineral that is used as fertilizers that assist with plant blooming and production. This key element that plants use is needed for animals and humans and it begins with rain runoff that breaks down rocks which release phosphorus into the ground and eventually into the water supply. Humans’ impact the phosphorus cycle by the over use of manmade fertilizers that eventually returns to the earth and find their way into the ocean. With water pollution ocean life becomes tainted with over fertilization that can lead to death of plant and animal life.
These properties allow water to travel up plant stems; cohesion makes the water molecules stick together and adhesion makes the water cling to the stem wall therefore counteracting the downward pull of gravity. Without these properties, water would not reach all cells in a plant as a result the plants could not photosynthesize it and could not release oxygen causing almost all life forms to perish. Water's ability to retain large amounts of heat with only a slight change in its own temperature is an essential property to ensure life on Earth. The vast bodies of water retain enormous amounts of heat during the day which ensures survival for marine life. The water gradually cools during the night releasing its heat into the air making waterfront areas have warmer climates.
The carbon cycle is a process that transfers carbon among producers, organisms, and consumers to indicate two particular places it comes from and its oceans and the combustion of fossil fuels, which releases CO2 to the atmosphere. Humans are putting a huge impact on the carbon cycle. Humans are expanding business and housing developments and in the process are chopping down timbers and removing plants which releases significant amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. The Phosphorus cycle represents the cycles of all the biologically important mineral nutrients. Phosphate comes from a rock that gradually breaks down and will release other ions.
The major human sources for sulfur and nitrogen are emissions from cars, smoke from industrial plants and coal burning power planets. The biggest contributor is the coal burning power planets. The emissions from these power plants that we rely on throughout the country for power, produces the gases that cause acid rain. In the past few years many governments have presented laws that are cutting these emissions and making the planet run more efficiently. Two main methods of decreasing sulfur emissions at the coal power plants or other is fuel switching and scrubbing.
The remaining 45 percent (extracellular) is divided between the following: Plasma (8 percent) Interstitial and lymph (22 percent) Connective tissue, cartilage, and bone (15 percent) Water also is necessary as a solvent for the multitude of biochemical reactions that occur in the body: Water acts as a transport medium across membranes, carrying substances into and out of cells. Water helps maintain the temperature of the body. Water acts as a solvent (carrying dissolved chemicals) in the digestive and waste excretion systems. Healthy humans have an intake/loss of about two liters of water per day. The intake is about 45 percent
“The increase in the mean temperature of the earth due to excessive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen.” ( Green) These extra gases are making it hard for heat to escape the Earth’s atmosphere resulting in warmer temperatures. Here is a model of the Greenhouse Effect retrieved from http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/greenhouse.html. Ethical Issues on Global Warming There are many causes of Global Warming to include Carbon Dioxide from power plants, cars, airplanes, and from buildings. “In 2002 about 40% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions stem from the burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation.”(Ayres) 93% of electricity generations is produced by coal. 33% of the carbon dioxide comes from vehicles.
Most of the freshwater available to humans is often polluted, and made unsuitable to drink. Less than 1 percent of the freshwater is apt for drinking. About 42,000 people die every week from low quality drinking water and lack of sanitation. Many people are currently sick and unhealthy because of water-borne illnesses. One area known for its water sanitation problems is South America.
In the coal gasification process the air and stream are added to the raw coals then heat it to hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The carbon in the coal then react with the oxygen and the water then produces other gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. The carbon dioxide from the process is waste and can go to the atmosphere. The other gases can be burned or sent to the next process. Then the second process is after we get the processed and filtered coal, gas or water or carbon dioxide can be added to balance the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
One vital factor on how we are able to survive is the carbon dioxide that comes from the greenhouse gases. Although carbon dioxide is known as being the earth’s deadly enemy, it’s the one that provides the food for all the plants. Plants act as a filter to clean out the carbon dioxide in our air. Also, climate changes warm up very cold places allowing crops to grow in a better environment. As good as the greenhouse effect can be for our environment, there are also negative effects as well.