There have being a wide speculations about the depleting state of the ozone layer of the atmosphere due to the increase in the release of greenhouse gases and is consequence global warming effect on the earth for more than a decade now. Obviously, the effect of global warming is being felt all over the world like flooding, sudden change in wind pressure, disease outbreaks, rise in the temperature of the environment sudden earth movement etc with Africa (the developing continent) at the severe end of it. Various proposals have being raised in different conferences with the popular among them, the Kyoto Protocol held in Japan in December 1997.
The Kyoto protocol recognized six gases responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer; these gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluocarbons (HFCs) perflourocarbon (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). The most prominent of these, and the most pervasive in human economics activities is carbon dioxide, produced when wood of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas are burned. The six gases above are therefore called the Greenhouse gases. The Kyoto protocol tend to achieve a reduction in the rate of emission of this greenhouse gases to a bearable minimum foe a global sustainable development by using so many policies like the Clean Development Mechanism CDM. Recently, there was a conclusion to reduce the rate of emission by 30 percent by the year 2020 and by 50 percent in the next 43 years to come; this indeed is impossible considering some factor at hand and we cant fold our hands and watch our once a friendly environment turn(ed) hostile; just because we are ignorant of the truth. But is the effect of the greenhouse gases on the ozone layer really responsible for the global warming?
The only way the energy from the sun reached the earth is through light energy and ultraviolet radiation, which are electromagnetic wave capable of traveling through vacuum (heat energy from the sun never reaches the earth!). The light energy is being send out to the earth by radiation, however not all reaches the earth surface as they are subjected to attenuation, about 50 percent is reflected back into space while some portion of it are absorbs while another portion is scattered by the different types of scattering we have. Both absorption and scattering remove energy from the beam of light thereby reducing the effect here on earth and they take place in the atmosphere.
The atmosphere is an envelop of gases held together by the earth gravitational field, these gases are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen and argon in certain percentage also water droplets and tiny solid particle are found in variable proportion. The atmosphere composes of different layer from the troposphere which is the lowest to the magnetosphere the highest which also merge with the sun. Adsorption and scattering occurs in mostly in the troposphere where we have high concentration of these gases, it is therefore logical to state that the higher the concentration of these gases the greater the rate of absorption and scattering at the part of the atmosphere. Hence releasing more and more carbon dioxide gas and others greenhouse gases into the atmosphere result in more and more absorption and scattering of the light beam and that of the ultraviolet radiation that also reaches the earth therefore reducing the dangerous effect of ultraviolet radiation. Is that not reasonable?
The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere part of the atmosphere. Absorption and scattering is said, to take place mostly there due to the vibration of triatomic molecules, let’s not go into details. But the expectation here is that when the molecules adsorption the energy from the sun (in form of ultraviolet radiation) there particles gyrate and therefore they to gain kinetic energy hence their temperature increase, this consequently should increase the temperature of the stratosphere by the day time and the reverse take place at night time.Surprisely, the temperature of the stratosphere remain constant. This shows that no transfers of energy really takes place there, and by implication no absorption of ultraviolet radiation!
The percentage of the atmosphere gases have since remain constant over the period of time, none evidently show any upward changes yet despise the enormous quantity of carbon dioxide release in to the atmosphere and even the other greenhouse gases are not readily available in the atmosphere as one may expect unless in an industrial environment, the reader may begin to wonder where do the excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases go to (?)
If I am tempted to answer that question I may end up with the conclusion that the gravitational force of the earth can only hold a certain mass/quantity of gases in the atmosphere at a particle time, and any increase in the said mass/quantity of gases will raise the atmospheric pressure which tend to counter the effect of the gravitational force, a point is reach when the gravitational force can no longer hold the weigh of the atmosphere, and as a result of that, there is change in the normal balance of nature. However, to maintain the normal balance, a tear occurs in the atmosphere which causes the excess gases to escape into the magnetosphere and merge thereafter with the sun! (I stand to be challenge).
We know from the onset that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but it can be transfer from one form to another. The light beam that finally reach the earth either directly or otherwise is being converted to different form of energy such as heat energy, fossil fuel, wood, electric energy wind energy etc.However, some portion keep the temperature of the environment constant making it conducive for life, the same thing happens in the aquatic environment. But then how do the temperature of the environment rise and what causes global warming?
Human being quest to conquer the world set them on an adventurous exploration and exploitation of the environment, first, without a second consideration of the adverse impact it will have on our sojourn on earth, within a period of few years forest were clear (more then 2.5 million hectare are cut down every year in Africa), rocks are blast, road are being constructed houses built, marshy areas give way for land etc,. All these activities reduce the agents that help use up the light energy. Not done with that, man venture into activities that emits energy to the environment, technology grow 100 percent, he begun to converted energy store as wood, fossil fuel etc, and this increases everyday. Worse still, man carried out a suicidal mission on the environment when he successfully attempted the fission/fusion of the radioactive elements, and in just a little while, his population rise to almost uncontrolled level (remember man do emit heat energy during our internal activities) and before we realize too much energy is already in the environment.
About 80 percent of energy release into the environment by these activities everyday is in the form of heat energy which if not use or taken out the environment will rise the temperature of the environment among other things and therefore causes global warming!
Nigeria and Africa as a whole is the victim of this mayhem that the whole world is now looking for solution. We have not yet explore our potential in term of technology, we are yet to get steady power supply, our transport system has not really come of age, our education level is at the ground stage, our natural resources not well utilize, our hospitals are just images of their names, our industries are epileptic, our road and building designs are still of the ancient, in fact we have not unleash our adventurous mission on the environment, but yet the environment temperature have increase and global warming is becoming unbearable.
Now the question is this, with the recent restriction in some activities, especially the reduction in the emission of the said greenhouse gases, can we really get the best of our technology, will our power supply be ever constant, when will our transport system, roads and building come of age, will we ever enjoy our natural resources the way it should be, when will our education system be at its best, are we going to eradicate all eradicable diseases, are we really going achieve the Millennium Development Goals by making the best use of our environment just like the other continents?
Really, we cannot achieve our dreams for Africa as a continent even though we are bless with so much good from God until we first, accept the fact that these greenhouse gases have no or little effect to the environment and face the challenges ahead, we have to embark too, on an adventurous exploration and exploitation of the environment, in our own case with the necessary precautions.
Finally, I will conclude by suggesting ways we can remove the excess heat energy we pump into the environment everyday, so that we can get the environment cool again. We should endeavor to make our machines/engines in such a way that less or no heat is emitted into the environment if that look impossible, we should find a way of using the heat energy emitted by our machines. In matter of emergency, heat cells should be invented to convert heat energy from the environment to another friendly and useful form of energy (after all thermionic emission is possible). Our electric bulbs should be redesign in such a way that light is given out with minimum or no heat energy emitted at all. We really need to remove excess heat energy from the environment so as the avoid the adverse effect of global warming, we really need to get the environment cool, that is the task!!
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Friday, 8 February 2008
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