Atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet. The atmosphere absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation, warms the surface by the greenhouse effect, and reduces temperature extremes between day and night. This is the mean of life protection on Earth.

Air pollution is the human introduction of gasses, particles, or biological materials into the atmosphere. That causes harm to living organisms.

Reasons & Effects of Air Pollution

CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) from exhausts and energy production
CH₄ (Methane) from cattle breeding
SO_x (Sulfur Oxides) from exhausts and industry
FCKW (CFCs) from refrigerants and propellants
NO_x (Nitrogen Oxides) from exhausts and industry
O₃ (Ozone) from air with high oxygen level, catalysed by nitrogen oxides
C (Soot and Particulate) from exhausts and industry

1) Greenhouse Effect: by keeping sun warmth and light from reflecting back into space
2) Particulate Contamination: affecting respiratory systems
3) Raised UV Radiation Levels: by destruction of the ozone layer
4) Acid Rain: leads to acidification and forest dieback
5) Increased Ozone Levels: affecting respiratory systems
6) Contamination by Nitrogen Oxides: affecting respiratory systems

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a major greenhouse gas that forms approximately 0.04% of the Earth’s atmosphere.

A graph depicting carbon dioxide levels from 1958 to 2009 as measured at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Year is on the x-axis, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (in parts per million) is on the y-axis.

It is essential to photosynthesis in plants, but can be considered as air pollution when excess content that keeps the natural balance. Over millions of years this content has varied due to ice ages and interglacial periods. Approximately 70% of emitted CO₂ is man made. The capacity of the Earth’s natural cycles to absorb this excess is not sufficient. Therefore the air temperatures are rising on average. If we continue with the rate of fossil-fuel burning, CO₂ will continue to rise to levels of order 1500 ppm (see valuable link Business-As-Usual Projection).

The atmosphere will not return to pre-industrial levels even tens of thousands of years into the future. Serious efforts have to be made to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.

The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aimed at combating global warming. Under the Kyoto Protocol each country must adhere to certain caps on greenhouse gas emissions.

Due to political disagreements the recent convention in Copenhagen has been widely considered to be a failure to urgently act on climate change. The ignorance and uncertainty created by skeptical scientists has not helped the situation at all, therefore is up to individual to become aware of the facts and the ways to abate the serious problem. Self-education is a key to all societies to address climate change.

Using solar energy as a natural source of energy reduces air pollution and maintains the atmosphere’s balance.

VALUABLE LINK:

CO2 over past 420,000 years & Business-As-Usual Projection

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REFERENCES:

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

3) http://www.aip.org/history/climate/co2.htm

4) http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-james-hansen27-2009dec27,0,5460299.story

IMAGES:

Name- Reasons and Effects of Air Pollution
Source- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luftverschmutzung-Ursachen%26Auswirkungen.svg
Author- chris
Licensing- Creative Commons Attribution Unported 3.0

Name- CO₂ Manua Loa
Source- http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CO2-Mauna-Loa.png
Image released to the public domain

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