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The Effects of Enhanced Greenhouse Effects

The enhanced greenhouse effect is the human contribution of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, which could lead to devastating changes in climate. As the layer of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere thickens, more heat is trapped between the surface of the planet and the greenhouse gasses. This tends to cause the planet to get hotter. Heating the surface of the Earth has profound consequences. In 2010, the enhanced greenhouse effect already showed signs of increases in sea levels, more severe weather and radical shifts in social patterns.

  1. Sea Levels

    • Increasing temperatures are causing polar icecaps, non-polar glaciers, the Greenland ice sheet and parts of Antarctica to melt, leading to an increase in sea levels. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sea levels are expected to rise about 50 centimeters globally by 2100. This seemingly slight increase may have dire consequences around the globe: entire beaches may disappear, large portions of small low-lying islands like Kiribati and Tuvalu may significantly erode, and the encroaching seas may threaten freshwater aquifers.

      Perhaps one of the most significant impacts could be in Australia, where 85 percent of the population lives within an hour's drive of the coast. Experts expect that the Australian coastline will recede by an order of 100 times the rise in vertical sea levels, meaning the coastline in Australia could recede up to 50 meters or even 100 meters inland.

    Weather

    • As the oceans warm, they are infused with greater amounts of energy to contribute to severe weather. This has led to an increase in storms, rainfall, floods and even droughts around the world. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the hottest year on record was 2005.

      NOAA also reported that in 2005, three category 5 hurricanes formed in the Atlantic Basin for the first time in history, more than 200 daily heat records were broken in six different U.S. states, wildfires burned 8.5 million acres, 37.1 inches of rain fell in Mumbai over a 24-hour period, and Europe and the Amazon saw their worst droughts in decades.

      The most severe effect global warming has on weather is its contribution to heat waves. Heat is more deadly than any other natural weather disaster, especially in urban areas, and as the Earth's population continues to soar, cities are becoming increasingly larger.

      The European heat wave of 2003 was the cause of 35,000 deaths and, according to a study published in Science magazine in 2004, the trend of rising global temperatures is not expected to change.

    Social

    • It seems that the only silver lining to be found in the enhanced greenhouse effect is a social one. Humanity is facing potentially devastating consequences from global warming. To guard against the most dire effects may require us to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and convert to renewable energy sources that have much smaller harmful emission levels.

      Development of these technologies could produce an economic upturn by creating jobs and new markets, as well as lead to national and individual energy independence. In addition, many families and individuals have become more energy-conscious and are beginning to conserve energy and use alternatives like hybrid cars.

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