|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

The Effect of Green House Gases on the Environment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the effects of greenhouse gases on the environment, calling them a threat to public health and the environment. Through the ages, the environment has had a mechanism to handle carbon in the atmosphere by sequestering atmospheric carbon in plants. However, since the Industrial Revolution, this equilibrium has slowly changed with deforestation and the increased dependence on fossil fuels.

  1. Temperature

    • The primary greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases, all of which trap heat at the earth's surface.

    Oceans

    • Thawing of glaciers and permafrost occur as the earth's surface temperature rises, causing a change in the ocean's salinity and negatively impacting marine fauna.

    Agriculture

    • Agriculture is vulnerable to the effects of greenhouse gases, with rising temperatures increasing soil evaporation and the possibility for extreme weather events such as drought.

    Coastal Areas

    • The International Panel on Climate Change predicts that as sea levels rise, coastal wetlands will shrink up to 33 percent by 2080, leaving coastal areas more vulnerable to flooding caused by storm surges.

    Biodiversity

    • The IPCC also predicts that climate change caused by greenhouse gases may potentially cause 20 to 30 percent of global animal and plant species to become extinct.

Environmental Health - Related Articles