Green House Gases and Their Contribution to Global Warming

Green house is a structure used to grow crops such as;

• Tomatoes
• Sweet pepper
• Celery, cucumber
• Cabbages
• Kales
• Onions
• Spinach
• Tissue culture bananas and strawberry among others.

The structures modify the weather and provide adequate crops growing conditions, protection from pest and diseases and adverse weather. They vary with some made of sophisticated materials such as transparent glass or heavy duty to polythene sheets or simply constructed using wood, polythene sheets and insect net with locally available materials. This depends on the purpose of use and economic returns of the enterprise.
Green house production has enormous benefits and advantages which make it worth the investment. The benefits include time spent on labor is less since the area under production is small, productivity is high and done throughout the year, better control of pest and diseases, efficient water use and maximum utilization of land. It is also important to note that crops grown in mature slightly earlier. It allows sunlight to pass through and warms the ground inside the green house. It works by isolating air inside the structure so that the heat is not inside the structure so that the heat is not lost by convection. Air is confined within the house and prevents convective cooling; referred to as green house effect.
Green house gases are atmospheric gases that contribute to the effect by absorbing infrared radiation thus producing solar warming of the earth's surface. They include;

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (NO2)
• Water vapor among others.

Although green house gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, the eminent levels especially of carbon dioxide and methane that have been pragmatic in recent decades are directly correlated, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the deforestation of tropical forests. Rising concentration levels of these in the atmosphere outcome in increase of global temperature referred as global warming. Global warming is mainly caused by human influence due to emissions from;

• Land cultivation
• Industrial activities
• Fossil fuel ignition
• Cutting down trees
• Cement
• Ozone depletion
• Plate tectonics solar
• Output, orbital variations
• Volcanism and ocean variability

The effect of global warming are visible due to rise in the sea level, changing model of precipitation, expansion of subtropical deserts, frequency and intensity of tremendous weather events such as famine, heavy shower, extinctions of some genus and irregular weather.
Global warming is climate change and it is at the top of the world debate agenda. The debates center on options to mitigate and adaption climate change. Mitigation focuses on initiative of green schemes as carbon sinks, energy supply, transportation, industry and agriculture geared to reducing further emissions from green houses. Scientist are developing innovations such as carbon trading, green water credits, focus on renewable such solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels plus other economic incentives. Africa faces the greatest risk from the effects of global warming while its emissions have been small compared to the developed world.

Reference: Sylvia_Mburugu