Anthropogenic Sources Of Energy

The industrialization throughout the western world in the last 150 years has played a major role in the rise of the GHG. The US as the economic leader and proponent of globalization can no long stand by especially since it has become clear that it is the major emitter of GHG (Jentleson 359).

Certain bacteria that live in the soil turn this extra nitrogen into nitrous oxide. Burning fossil fuels. Nitrous oxide usually stays in the atmosphere for about 114 years... and traps about 298 times more heat than the same amount of carbon dioxide (Greenhouse Gases, 2016)."

Methane (CH4) is one of the simplest forms of hydrocarbons and is found in abundance worldwide through the form of natural gas

Its negative effects can be corrected by using alternative energy sources (such as solar and wind-powered energy) that do not burn fossil fuels. Nitrous oxide emissions can also be reduced by decreasing the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers or by using them more effectively.

For industry/commercial businesses, they should update their equipment/machines they used to produce and or store as well as transport oil and gas. This will substantially diminish many of the leaks that contribute to methane emissions. Methane released by coal mines can/should also be captured and used for energy. This eliminates methane from releasing into the atmosphere, which would further contribute to global warming and the greenhouse effect. In the agricultural side, methane emissions can be reduced and/or captured by changing manure

Another bad gas would be Nitrous Oxide, this comes from fertilizing and there is a 74% that is comes from it.(1)

What do we know about our energy sources and how our energy choices affect the environment? Many people still do not put much though into this topic or pay any attention to the amount of energy they use or where it comes from. For some it is just willful negligence, but for many others it may be due to a lack of knowledge on the subject. Perhaps it is a good idea to pay closer attention and educate ourselves so we can make informed decisions that may lead to less stress on our wallets and on our environment. In order to make a change, we should observe our currently used energy sources in everyday life, the impact of increasing energy uses, and observe all of the alternative options available to us.

Humans are the source of a huge amount of pollution. Human activity has caused nitrogen dioxide levels to rise. This rise has increased pollution levels and has hurt the atmosphere. Human activity has also caused carbon monoxide levels to rise, but unlike NO2, carbon monoxide can easily be spread around the world by wind. The spread of carbon monoxide has added to pollution and hurt the atmosphere.

2) (Sub-sub-subpoint) From 1990 to 2014 we have seen an increase in manmade greenhouse gas levels by 7 percent. There are 4 main greenhouse gases that we are producing: Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated gases.

For example, according to the EPA, the nitrous oxide released froman SUV traps 270 times more heat per molecule in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide(1). When nitrous oxide increases in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere and unnecessarily contributes to the earth’s natural greenhouse effect.

Consequently, the greenhouse gasses that most affect the atmosphere include: carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, tropospheric ozone, and nitrous oxide (“Greenhouse Gases: Introduction”). The overall effect of the presence of certain gases depends on its abundance, concentration and the amount of time spent in the atmosphere. Water vapor is the most predominant gas in the atmosphere but it spends only about nine days there whereas carbon ioxide, another powerful gas, spends about five years (Schlesinger). The United States Environmental Protection Agency found that “In 2011, CO2 accounted for about 84% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities” (“Carbon Dioxide Emissions”). Carbon dioxide is an organic gas which is naturally found in the earth’s Atmosphere but the level has drastically increased since the start of the industrial revolution. This is because carbon dioxide is released during the combustion fossil fuels (ie. oil, natural gas, and coal) which occurs when generating electricity, transporting people and goods, and producing products. Electricity accounts for thirty eight percent of emissions, transportation thirty one percent, Industry fourteen percent, and the last sixteen percent a combination of residential and commercial and other sources (Carbon Dioxide Emissions). Talks in 1997 brought about the Kyoto Protocol on February 16, 2005. The Kyoto Protocol included thirty six countries making individual goals for

Pollution is another major factor that is threatening our world today. One example of pollution is nitrogen. Humans are adding about 130 to 150 million tons over the 90 to 150 tons that are produced by the nitrogen cycle. This excess in nitrogen causes coastal waters and estuaries to grow toxic algae, killing the fish and trapping the solar heat in the air. Another example of pollution is methane. Methane is produced by gases released by cows, termite mounds or by the bottom of rice paddy. If found in the air methane is very poisonous. By raising more cattle, cutting more tropical forests, thus increasing the amount of termites, and by growing more rice, the methane concentration in the air is almost twice as higher as it was 160,000 years ago. Smoke is another pollution factor. Smoke that is produced by cars contains carbon dioxide (CO2). This carbon dioxide in the air causes global warming, which results in the green house effect and climate changes. Satellite studies show that perhaps we will increase the temperature by 3.6 degrees by the year 2001. The warmer the weather the more water it can hold, the higher the precipitation will be. The higher the precipitation the more clouds, the more rain, and the more snow there will be. This will result in more storms and floods. Studies by Thomas Karl of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that the total winter precipitation in the US has increased to about 10% since

The next major gas is carbon dioxide.  “Small amounts of carbon dioxide in the air helps keep heat in the Earth in the vital process of the Greenhouse Effect.  As car exhausts and industries continue to shoot carbon dioxide in the air, the amount of carbon dioxide will increase.  This causes more heat to be kept, increasing the Earth’s temperature”(What Is The Greenhouse Effect).

Why are greenhouse gas concentrations increasing? Scientists generally believe that the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities are the primary reason for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide. Plant respiration and the decomposition of organic matter release more than 10 times the CO2 released by human activities; but these releases have generally been in balance during the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution with carbon dioxide absorbed by terrestrial vegetation and the oceans.

I, Vineet Kr. Gupta, am completed M.Tech (Energy & Environmental Management) from Kurukshetra University, Haryana, India. I wish to apply for the suitable position (Environment Management Division) in your organization in the thrust area of Environment Management.