Greenhouse Gases

Introduction

Greenhouse gases are called the components of Earth's atmosphere, which, thanks to its physical and chemical properties have the ability to stop solar energy within the earth's atmosphere (Center for Sustainable Systems, 2012).

These are primarily:

H2O vapor

Carbon dioxide CO2

Nitrous oxide NO2

Methane CH4

Ozone O3

CFCs

Other

Discussion

Among the greenhouse gases there are two groups main: the "natural" and "artificial". That is, those that existed before the arrival of Homo sapiens on the planet, and those that have been manufactured by the industry of man. The first group is by far the most important.

Among the gases "natural" is the most influential water vapor but because their presence and variations in the atmosphere basically unresponsive actions of human beings, we will leave aside the effects of analysis of the problem more detailed of Global Warming.

After water vapor, gases "natural" exert the greatest impact on the greenhouse effect are in decreasing order: carbon dioxide which contributes 50%, then the methane and ozone contribute about 15%, followed by Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxides, and Others (Cathles, Brown & Hunter, 2011).

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through the oxidation or combustion of organic carbon. Carbon dioxide is emitted during the breathing of almost all life forms; with the exception of certain viruses and bacteria anaerobic. It occurs in every combustion reaction, since the fire forest to power plants through the kitchen stoves, fires for the Sunday roast, and welding weld (EPA, 2010).

It is impossible to produce steel without generating carbon dioxide. Until the electric motor cannot operate without power generating plants and most of the electric power is generated by burning fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide.

The processes generate natural balance between what is emitted and absorbed. But the evidence indicates that just over half of the carbon product of human activity is absorbed by these natural processes. The rest (45%) contributes to increased carbon concentration in the atmosphere, and therefore the solar heat retention (Center for Sustainable Systems, 2012).

Methane

Methane is produced naturally by the decomposition of organic substances in environments poor in oxygen. It also occurs in the system of ruminant digestive and other animals, in the exploitation of fossil fuels and biomass burning.

Approximately half of the production of methane derived from the rice fields of animal activity, and the action of the termites. A quarter comes from wetlands and wet and about 15% of the industrial production of natural gas and coal. The filled garbage and other organic substances in decomposition contribute 5% methane emissions. In the long term, methane is much more worrying as the agent responsible for global warming, that carbon dioxide as it has a global warming potential 62 times greater than the latter (Cathles, Brown & Hunter, 2011).

Apparently mankind has a greatly reduced ability to modify these figures as drastic measures such as reducing the number of people on the planet or its food rations are impossible, then we must conclude that there is little they can do to humanity control the flow of methane into the troposphere, except reduce losses in pipelines, which have virtually ...