All fossil fuels on burning produce carbon dioxide gas. Carbon dioxide is not a poisonous gas. The presence of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is essential for plant life. But, increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an increase in the temperature in the earth.
Solar radiations consist of ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation. Ozone in the upper atmosphere absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation. The visible and infrared radiations pass through this layer and reach the earth surface. When earth gets heated upon, it starts radiating infrared radiation of longer wavelength.
Carbon dioxide is heavier than air. So it stays near to the earth atomic lower heights in the atmosphere. This layer of carbon dioxide does not allow the long wave length infrared radiation to pass through it. As a result, the infrared radiation reflected from the warm earth gets trapped in the lower part of earth’s atmosphere and raise the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere.
Consequences of the greenhouse effect
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Increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, raises the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. This change in the earth’s temperature would
- Cause changes in the pattern of crop cultivation.
- Adversely affect the monsoon rains.
- Cause excessive melting of polar ice thereby raising the level of water in seas and oceans.
- This would cause flooding and submerging of many low-lying areas.