{"id":17001,"date":"2023-03-16T15:49:29","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T13:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatetrade.com\/?p=17001"},"modified":"2023-08-07T12:57:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T10:57:49","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-greenhouse-gases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatetrade.com\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-greenhouse-gases\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about greenhouse gases"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to climate action, everyone knows we need to reduce our carbon footprint. But what about other greenhouse gases?<\/span><\/p>\n

Long before everyone started talking about global warming, it was the expression \u201cgreenhouse effect\u201d that made people reflect about their impact on the climate. It is unclear when this phrase was coined, but the concept appeared in several scientific works at the end of the 19th century, including those of <\/span>Eunice Foote<\/span>,<\/span> Svante Arrhenius and John Tyndall.<\/span><\/p>\n

The greenhouse effect is <\/span>defined as<\/span><\/a> a warming of the Earth\u2019s surface and troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere) caused by the presence of certain gases in the air. Those gases are known as greenhouse gases.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are greenhouse gases<\/b><\/h2>\n

A greenhouse gas is any gas that absorbs heat (also known as infrared radiation) emitted from the Earth\u2019s surface and reradiates it back. By doing that, greenhouse gases trap heat inside the planet\u2019s atmosphere and cause the so-called greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. There are six main types of greenhouse gases, each with its own properties. Carbon dioxide is the <\/span>most emitted greenhouse gas<\/span><\/a> on Earth (at around 76%), which is why to combat climate change, we mostly talk about decarbonization. It is followed by methane at 16%, nitrous oxide at 6% and fluorinated gases at 2%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carbon dioxide (CO2)<\/b><\/h3>\n

The most famous greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide or CO2. This chemical compound is made of one carbon atom bonded with two oxygen atoms, hence the formula CO2. Before the industrial revolution, CO2 was present as a trace gas in our atmosphere, at around 228 parts per million. But today, its level has almost doubled, to 421 parts per million. This increase is responsible for the warming of the Earth\u2019s temperature and climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

 Sources of emission<\/b><\/h4>\n

Carbon dioxide is emitted naturally by many living organisms on our planet, including plants, animals, soils, oceans and volcanoes as they breathe and decompose. But it is the CO2 emitted by human beings that we should worry about. The wide majority comes from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas for electricity and mobility, as well as forestry and land use. Despite government and company pledges, this activity shows no sign of slowing down: in 2022, CO2 emissions from fossil fuels <\/span>reached a record<\/span><\/a> 36.6 billion tons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carbon dioxide sinks<\/b><\/h4>\n

While this gas has a bad reputation as the main contributor to climate change, it is also the primary source of carbon for life on Earth, as it is naturally absorbed by plants, algae and bacteria through photosynthesis. This means that preserving our planet\u2019s biodiversity is crucial to maintain its ability to absorb CO2 emissions. <\/span><\/p>\n

CO2 can also be captured through technology and stored geologically in underground holes or chemically in products like cement.<\/span><\/p>\n

More on this topic:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n