Hydrocarbons in Our Lives

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Recommended: An Essasy About Greenhouse Effect

Some gases in the atmosphere assist in maintaining the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere.

i. State the name given to this effect.
The greenhouse effect. ii. Name two gases which have this effect.
Methane and Carbon Dioxide are both gases that have this effect on the Earth’s atmosphere. iii. Describe the means by which this effect is achieved.
The greenhouse gases absorb certain wavelengths of infrared radiation emitted by the Sun in order to achieve the greenhouse effect. iv. There is concern that human activity threatens to lead to an increased warming of the Earth’s atmosphere.
a) State the name given to this effect.
The enhanced greenhouse effect.
b) Explain three ways in which human activity may have had this effect.
1. Humans cans emit carbon dioxide from the combustion of fossil fuels when they are using vehicles to transport, produce power, or burn rainforests
2. Humans can also emit methane, another greenhouse gas when the grow rice or farm cattle and sheep, through the anaerobic breakdown of plant material.
3. Another human activity that can cause the enhance greenhouse effect is through the use of nitrogenous fertilisers in agriculture, which emit nitrous oxide from the reduction of nitrates by microbes.
c) State two possible consequences of this global warming.
Two possible consequences of this global warming include, the contraction of the total area and thickness of sea ice, and a change in rainfall patterns.

v. This question requires research to assist in the development of your answer.
You may use the Internet to formulate your response.
Remember to supply the URL of pages used to assist you in your answer.

In some parts of the world, forests are being cleared on a large scale. The tr...

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...interpreted as a positive consequence of global warming. This is because most plants thrive on carbon dioxide, and generally grow more efficiently in warm temperatures (The Top 5 “Positive” Effects of Global Warming, 2008). Therefore, a prolonged period of warm weather will mean there will be more food and crops produced, which will consequently result in a growing economy, and will be especially beneficial for farmers, who will have an increased income. As evident, the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can result in both positive and negative consequences for humans and the environment.

Works Cited

• http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-is-altering-rainfall-patterns-worldwide/
• http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/plants-and-animals.html
• http://scribol.com/science/the-top-5-positive-effects-of-global-warming/4

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