10.4 Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouse Gases

10.4

Objectives

​LEarners can:

• explain how greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect

• describe how human activity contributes greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

• develop strategies that can help mitigate human impacts on greenhouse gas emissions

• global warming

• greenhouse effect

• mitigation

​prerequisite vocab

• greenhouse gas

​New vocab

vocabulary

Greenhouse gas- gas that helps trap energy from the sun.

​

​Vocab

Categorize

Options (3)

the act of reducing the severity of something

trapping of the sun's energy by the atmosphere

increase in Earth's overall temperature caused by excess carbon dioxide

Match the vocabulary word to its definition.

mitigation

greenhouse effect

global warming

Poll

For much of human history, the use of fossil fuels was pretty limited. The general use of these resources was for heating and cooking in homes. When did the use of fossil fuels increase drastically?

• First Ice Age

• Industrial Revolution

• The year 2000

• Cambrian Period

​Industrial Revolution

The rise of industry led to increased use of factories and fossil fuel-powered transportation, which heavily impacted the atmosphere—though the environmental consequences weren’t understood until much later.

Greenhouse Effect v. Greenhouse gas

​Greenhouse Gas

The greenhouse effect, caused by certain gases in the atmosphere, helps regulate Earth's global temperatures.

​Greenhouse Effect

​Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap energy from the sun; while many occur naturally, human activity has significantly increased their levels in the atmosphere.

Multiple Choice

What is the main role of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?

• They trap heat energy from the sun.

• 
  They give the sky its blue coloring.

• 
  They are necessary for cooling the Earth's surface.

• 
  They provide gases for human breathing.

​Carbon dioxide, naturally present in the atmosphere from sources like volcanoes and animal respiration, is essential for plant photosynthesis but is also a major byproduct of burning fossil fuels.

​​Carbon Dioxide

​Methane is produced by decomposing organic matter, especially in swamps and marshes, and is also released by plant-eating animals like cows during digestion.

​​Methane

​Nitrous oxide enters the atmosphere naturally via the nitrogen cycle and is also released through agricultural activities like fertilizer use.

​​Nitrous Oxide

​Fluorinated gases, unlike other greenhouse gases, have no natural sources and are primarily produced through industrial processes and products like refrigerants in air conditioning and heat pumps.

​​Fluorinated Gases

​
Examples of Greenhouse Gases

Water Vapor

​Water vapor is Earth's most abundant greenhouse gas, and its levels increase as global temperatures rise due to other greenhouse gases. This added water vapor enhances warming, creating a feedback loop.

Categorize

Options (4)

leaked from vehicle cooling systems

released from cattle livestock raised for food

burning of fossil fuels in vehicles

released from using fertilizer during agriculture

Match the greenhouse gas with a primary source for emissions of that gas.

fluorinated gases

methane

carbon dioxide

nitrous oxide

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Human activities have significantly contributed to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To understand the human impact on greenhouse gas levels, scientists use data to compare the emissions of different gases.

​Carbon dioxide (CO₂) results from burning fossil fuels. Plants help absorb carbon dioxide, but deforestation reduces Earth's forests, minimizing their ability to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere

​Fluorinated gas emissions such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) are solely the result of human activity. These gas emissions result from manufacturing and are found in many coolant systems. When appliances, like refrigerators, are not correctly disposed of, these gases enter the environment.

​Using natural and synthetic fertilizers contributes heavily to the atmosphere's nitrous oxide (N₂O) levels. The production of these fertilizers also generates significant amounts of N₂O emissions.

​The primary sources of human methane (CH₄) emissions are leaks from natural gas systems and livestock. Livestock are considered human-related sources because they are raised for food and products people use.

Burning of fossil fuels for:

1. electricity

2. heat

3. transportation.

​Human activities have contributed significantly to the levels of greenhouse gases found in the atmosphere, most significantly carbon dioxide.

​

3 main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States

Burning of Fossil Fuels

• Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.

• Raises global temperatures which increases water vapor through evaporation

• May also raise fluorinated gas emissions due to greater reliance on cooling systems, illustrating how warming can amplify greenhouse gas levels.

​Global Warming

​As the human population grows, demand for food and agriculture increases, but climate change caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions is making it harder to grow crops and implement some climate solutions.

Multiple Choice

Many critical factors play a role in the ability to grow crops. There are also many advantages to increasing the amount of plants beyond just the need to meet food demands. According to the video, what benefit would increased crop yields have on the atmosphere?

• They could increase the overall oxygen levels of the atmosphere.

• They could increase the overall levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

• They could filter out greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.

• They could filter out high levels of pollen that people are allergic to.

​Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emision

Growing concern about global warming is driving efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and while eliminating them entirely isn't realistic due to fossil fuel dependence, small strategies across sectors like industry and agriculture can help lower emissions.

​Improving factors like building insulation and vehicle fuel efficiency reduce energy use, especially from those sources that burn fossil fuels and release carbon dioxide emissions.

​​Energy Efficiency

​Upgrading natural gas transport and storage equipment, as well as capturing methane from coal mining, can reduce methane emissions and improve efficiency.

​​Natural Gas Use & Equipment

​Reducing and more efficiently applying nitrogen-based fertilizers can help lower nitrous oxide emissions.

​​Agriculture

​Fluorinated gases are released through leaks in systems like air conditioners and vehicle cooling systems, incentives for manufacturers have led to improved components that help reduce these emissions.

​​Transportation

​Mitigation Strategies

Multiple Choice

Which greenhouse gas emissions would most be addressed by increased use of hybrid and electric vehicles?

• nitrous oxide

• methane

• carbon dioxide

• 
  fluorinated gases

Reorder

Use the chart to sort the greenhouse gas emissions from the most significant quantity to the least.

• Carbon Dioxide (CO₂₎

• Methane (CH₄₎

• Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)

• Fluorinated Gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF₆, & NF₃₎

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4