Human Population Effects on Atmosphere

As described in previous posts, the carbon pollution in our atmosphere due to human activities is becoming an increasingly alarming problem.

In this post, I wanted to just explain the greenhouse effect. In the next post, I hope to connect human population growth with carbon pollution.

The Greenhouse Effect

When sunlight strikes the earth, the short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through the atmosphere and are absorbed by the Earth. Longer wavelengths of the infrared radiation is emitted by earth. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane, absorb this infrared radiation, resulting in the warming of the earth. The greenhouse gases play important role in warming the earth, or else the surface of the earth would likely below the freezing point of water. This process is known commonly as the Greenhouse Effect. With an increase in these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the Greenhouse Effect is enhanced, causing an increase in the warming of the earth. Furthermore, the addition of carbon dioxide disrupts the natural processes of the world. 

This picture illustrates the greenhouse effect.