A Climate Change Story (1)

Last week, COP 15 or International Climate Change Conference were held. The declaration has been made and we will wait for the impact to our beloved earth. Climate Change itself is a serious problem that threat all of the earth residents. Me, you, our family, our community, our pets, plants, animals, everything. Then, maybe you'll ask, what is climate change? Why it is very important for me?

Climate change is connect with the earth temperature. The Sun keep shines us everyday, it send its heat energy to the earth continually. The heat comes in through a thin layer that cover earth named Atmosphere. The heat keep it through until it reach earth surface, sea, plants, mountain, our skin, etc. It makes the earth warm and the live keep going.

As the temperature increases the earth send the heat energy (infrared radiation) back into the atmosphere (it was just like mirror reflect your face). Some of this heat absorbed by gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and halocarbons.

The Greenhouse Effect
These gasses, which are all naturally occurring act as blanket, preventing the heat energy to comes out from our atmosphere. They keep the earth's average temperature at about 15 degrees Celsius: warm enough to keep humans, plants and animal to live. Without these gasses the temperature will drop to -18 degrees Celsius . . . . too cold for most life forms. This natural warming effect is called The Greenhouse Effect.

To understand the greenhouse effect, see the picture below.



Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide is the most significant gas to keep the earth warm. Four billion ago the concentration of CO2 was much higher than today - 80% compared to today's 0.03%. But most of it was removed through photosynthesis over time. All this carbon dioxide became locked in organism and then minerals such as oil, coal and petroleum inside the Earth's crusts.

The natural carbon dioxide cycle
A natural carbon dioxide cycle keep the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere balance. Decaying plants, volcanic eruptions and the respiration of animals release natural CO2 into the atmosphere, where it stays for about 100 years. It is removed again from the atmosphere by photosynthesis in plants and dissolution water (for instance in oceans).

The amount of naturally produced CO2 is almost perfectly balanced by the amount naturally removed.

Source: WWF