What are the consequences of greenhouse gases in i) natural greenhouse effect, ii) enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 1

Some gases ("greenhouse gases") let sunlight in, which warms the Earth, and then block that heat from leaving. That's the "natural greenhouse effect", mostly caused by water vapor. Without it Earth would be very cold.

Man is making excessive amounts of greenhouse gases, mostly by burning fossil fuels. That causes the delicate natural balance to go out of whack and the Earth warms unnaturally. That's global warming, which I suppose could be called "enhanced greenhouse effect" although I haven't seen that term used.

Global warming won't be a Hollywood style disaster. Gradually coastal areas will flood and agriculture will be damaged. But it will be very bad. Rich countries will cope, but it will take huge amounts of money. In poor countries many people will die of starvation, but not all of them.

Most scientists say, in 20-50 years. But we need to start right now to fix it, fixing it will take even longer than that.

More information here:

http://profend.com/global-warming/

Lots of numerical scientific data proving it real here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Climate_Change_Attribution.png

http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

Answer 2

The effects of greenhouse gases in the atmopshere are the same whether they're natural or enhanced, the main difference lies in the rate of climatic change.

Throughout the history of the planet there have been wide fluctuations in the levels of greenhouse gases and this, along with other factors, has led to the natural warming and cooling of the planet.

Looking at more recent history, what we find is that in the last couple of hundred years the levels of greenhouse gases have risen far more than at any time during the 750,000 years for which we have records. CO2 for example has varied between 180 and 290ppmv* but in recent decades has increased to 384 and is sill increasing. Similarly, levels of the other greenhouse gases have increased, so much so that there's now 40% more that at any time in known history.

The consequences are wide ranging and sometimes seemingly contradictory. Climate change for example leads to both floods and droughts, it leads the loss of agricultural land but the creation of new agricultural land. The effects are explained in more detail here http://profend.com/global-warming/pages/effects.html and here http://profend.com/global-warming/pages/future.html



* Levels are measured in parts per million by volume, 290 for example means that for every one million parts of atmosphere 290 of them are CO2.

Answer 3

There are millions of consequences, but here are a few of them:
1) The polar ice caps will melt
2) Because of the ice caps meting the sea level will rise significantly resulting in many countries will be covered in 20 feet of water!
3) Many of are beloved creatures will become extinct including polar bears!
4) The overall climate and seasons will change (some have already began to). In places like Africa where it is the dry season there is floods and downpours everywhere!

Answer 4

The consequences are a thinning of the ozone layer. But that can happen naturally as well as by human intervention. Did you know there is naturally occurring smog in the pristine forests of the mountains? How did it get there and what are the long term effects?

Answer 5

it will be even hotter and it will happen even faster!