Methane Hydrate: The Main Cause Of Global Warming

In the last 100 years, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, causing the Earth to warm by an average of 0.6 degrees celsius, largely a result of burning fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and land use changes increased for food production. The basic science is straightforward and climate researchers have shown that gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and others can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Human activities such as industry, transport, energy generation and deforestation all produce these greenhouse gases. In the last 20 years, concern has grown that global warming is inevitable and now considered most probably caused by man-made increases in

Global warming is one of the most tumultuous topics in today’s society. Some believe it is happening as we speak, while others question its very existence, So, is it real, or is merely a hoax? There is no one answer, but evidence does overwhelmingly support the former. Surely we have all heard this word at one time or another, but few individuals actually know its true definition. Justifiably, however, global warming is not that simply explained. In layman’s terms, it is the dramatic increase in the Earth’s average air and ocean temperature since the 20th century. This increase is primarily attributed to two main culprits: the greenhouse effect and human activity, such as fossil fuel burning. In both cases, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the

The Global Warming theory has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Citizens of the world are being encouraged to be more environmentally conscious by others including politicians, celebrities, and world organizations. The problem with the theory lies in the fact that it has become more and more controversial as it gains publicity and attention. The basic concept behind this theory is that the earth was made with a balance of “greenhouse gasses”. These gasses are naturally occurring within the atmosphere and they essentially make the planet habitable by keeping it warm.

There is a never ending search for an effective source of energy that is both efficient and the safest option to use. Scientists located in japan may have found a solution to this dilemma as they were recently able to locate methane clathrate, more commonly known as fire ice. Despite the name existing as an oxymoron, many believe this hydrate could prove to be the savior for the earth’s fuel problems. However, given current research this supposedly useful source of natural gas could prove even more detrimental towards the environment than carbon dioxide.

These gasses trap warmth and reason the planet to warm through a procedure called the greenhouse effect. Since 1751 around 337 billion metric huge amounts of CO2 have been discharged into the climate from the using of fossil fills and concrete generation, expanding air CO2 from the pre-mechanical level of around 280 ppm (parts per million), to a high of 400 ppm in 2013. Methane, which is expanding in the climate because of farming and fossil fuel use, traps 84 times as much warmth as CO2 for the initial 20 years it is in the environment, and is in charge of around one-fifth of a dangerous atmospheric climate change since 1750. Nitrous oxide, fundamentally discharged through farming practices, traps 300 times as much warmth as CO2. Over the twentieth century, as the convergences of CO2, CH4, and NO2 expanded in the air, the earth warmed by pretty nearly 1.4°.

Natural gas hydrates are a form of clathrates or inclusion compounds which consist of some guest molecules trapped in a cage structure, built by host molecules. In the case of natural gas hydrates, small gas molecules (light hydrocarbons, acid gases and water-soluble polar compounds) occupy hallow spaces within the network of water molecules, connected together through hydrogen bounds [1-4]. Also many important hydrate formers were recognized during nineteenth century, this field remained as a scientific curiosity in those days [1,

Global warming is a serious issue affecting the modern world. This phenomenon is caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Bradford). In fact, the atmosphere now contains 40% more carbon dioxide than in the mid-1700’s (“Causes of Climate Change”). The Greenhouse Effect, caused by gasses such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane, traps heat within the atmosphere that would normally be reflected into space. The retention of heat is natural and has occurred since the earth’s formation; however, the retention rate has never increased so rapidly. This rapid change, if allowed to continue,

Global Warming is a serious problem affecting everyone. The earth’s temperature increases, the ice melts and therefore the sea level rises. Lately, increases in natural disasters are causing more damage and devastating millions of victims and scientist predict that Global Warming may be the cause. What causes global warming is a build-up in greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, water vapour, nitrous oxide and methane; which contributes to the ‘greenhouse effect’. This effect is when the sun rays come through the atmosphere, but then the heat is trapped in the atmosphere, by these gasses. However, without these gasses the earth would not be able to sustain life as it would be freezing, because the planet would not be retaining heat, and during the day it would be boiling as there would be no gasses to filter the sun’s rays; but unfortunately over the years humans have created too many of these gasses, gradually increasing the earth’s temperature. (Orcale, 2002)

Scientists at Cardiff University have discovered the presence of large concentrations of methane gas trapped in the ocean floor. This gas is due to dying and decomposing sea organisms, or serpentinization. The sediment contains bacteria that produce methane, which accumulates as super concentrated methane ice, called gas hydrates. The layer of ice traps the methane gas, and scientists are studying it as a potential energy source.

An article in the Wall Street journal caught this student’s attention as the article discussed in detail the effects of global climate change and the effect of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere. I will discuss the article briefly and bring out why greenhouse gasses are affecting our climate. This student agrees with many of the points brought out in the article about the effects of fossil fuel energy and the harmful emissions produced. In addition the article briefly touches upon solid waste and its impact to the environment and to climate change. In another article that this student read and caught his attention takes us in another direction in which renewable resources and advances in technology are helping to reduce the effects of greenhouse gasses.

Global warming is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. Global warming is the rise in the earth’s mean surface temperature due to increase of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which affects life forms on the earth’s surface. The scientific consensus as summarized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is that the global average surface temperature has risen over the last century. Many scientists believe that global warming is caused mainly by the production of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) and any fabricated pollution without taking into account the natural factors. The earth is kept warm due to what is known as the greenhouse effect. Without it the earth would be frozen; the short wave length of ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun penetrates the atmosphere and is absorbed by the earth, which thereby warms the earth. These gases are known as greenhouse gases. The effects of global warming include increased temperature, rise in sea levels, increase in insects that spread disease and tropical storms. A greenhouse gas does not cause these effects. The Great Global Warming Swindle documentary shows a group of scientists through scientific research that carbon dioxide is not responsible for global warming. They believe the real cause of global warming is the sun. Global warming is caused by the sun

Discovering the Main Cause of Global Warming Upon researching the causes of Global warming, it was discovered that humans are the main cause of global warming which contributes to the rising average global temperatures. The theory of global warming was originated in the late 1850's by a scientist named John Tyndall. Tyndall discovered that some gases block radiation, and trap heat on the earth’s surface. He then suggested that the accumulation of these gases to a high level, causes climate change. Current research shows that global warming is caused by the high levels of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by humans. Smoke produced by factories, vehicular exhaust, and the burning of fossil fuels such as coal in power plants are the primary sources of carbon dioxide. When carbon dioxide is released into the Earth's atmosphere, it steadily accumulates because it cannot escape into space. Humans are the main cause of Global Warming. Global warming is also known as the greenhouse effect, which means an increase in the temperature of earth’s atmosphere. “Since about the mid 1800s, the worldwide average temperature has been going up about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4°F), or 0.8 degrees Celsius (0.8°C), much of it after 1970 During that upward trend , many cold and warm periods have come and gone” (Colligan

Historically speaking by the late 1980s and early 1990s, the likelihood that climate warming would have negative effects on sea ice was gaining recognition. Climate change happens when certain gasses block heat from escaping the atmosphere. Most scientists agree the cause of this trend is human expansion of the greenhouse effect. One of the most common gasses and its importance on this greenhouse effect is methane, a hydrocarbon gas produced both through natural sources and human activities, including the decomposition of wastes in landfills, agriculture, and especially rice cultivation, as well as ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock. On a molecule-for-molecule basis, methane is a far more active greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but also one which is much less abundant in the atmosphere. Over time this greenhouse effect causes the earth’s atmosphere to warm causing some regions to become warmer than others resulting in changing climates. This change in climate may produce more or less precipitation depending on the region.

Global warming refers to the persistent rise of air and sea temperatures. Global temperatures in the 20th century have increased by 0.8 °C (Weart, 2003). There has been a substantial rise of temperatures in the last few decades raising major concerns globally. If the current trends persist, it may be difficult for the earth to sustain life in the next 200 years. Global warming emanates from both human and natural causes. The current state of global warming is mostly related to human causes, as natural causes are rare. Natural causes include volcanic eruptions, changes in solar output, and variation of the earth’s position altering its distance from the sun (Singer & Avery, 2007). Volcanic eruptions do not always cause global warming. In most cases, eruptions cause a cooling effect in the surrounding areas. A volcanic eruption produces and injects sulfate aerosols, as well as, SO2 into the atmosphere. The reaction of these sulphur compounds leads to the formation of gaseous sulfuric acid layer covering the earth’s surface. This acid layers hinders penetration of solar energy. Major concerns should be on human activities that cause global warming since they can be controlled. According to various researches on global warming, production of greenhouse gasses is the major cause of global warming. Greenhouse gasses include water vapor, methane (CH4) carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gasses absorb heat; thus, causing global warming. Methane

The concept of global warming has become one of the most widely debated and controversial topics of our time. Scientists learned long ago that the earth’s climate has powerfully shaped the history of humanity. However, it is only in the past few decades that research has revealed that humans have a significant influence on the climate as well. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that since 1950, the world’s climate has been warming, primarily as a result of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of tropical forests. More importantly, an article titled "Global Warming" published in the New York Times shows that methane, a gas that is emitted from landfills, livestock and oil gas facilities,