Arthur Zulu

How Geen House Gases Will Destroy The Earth

Death came swiftly for the Great Julius Caesar on his way to the capitol. And one of his murderers? Brutus, a trusted friend!

If you talk of betrayals, more bizarre things have happened. For even Agamemon -- conqueror of lands and of mighty men, was killed by his own wife!

But pity neither Caesar, nor Agamemon. For your best riends are this moment betraying you. They have dug your grave, made out your coffin and are preparing to announce your obituary, even while you are still alive!

But hold on before you dispatch hired assassins to good old Billy, or faithful Penelope, and end up in the dock for first-degree murder. Who are these friends?

They are greenhouse gases. Now, try this experiment. Find a hot corner of the street, park your car there, and shut yourself inside with the windows closed. How do you find the experience?

The car will be terribly hot because while the transparent glass lets the sun’s rays in, it cannot let out the dangerous invisible infrared radiation. You will be killing yourself!

The same story proves true for the earth’s atmosphere which acts like the glass in a greenhouse. It traps the sun’s heat thereby warming the earth. Without it, the earth orbiting in the cold, empty space, would freeze!

But too much of a good thing is bad. The greenhouse gases -- our friends which make us warm, are turning into our enemies. Let’s see their dubious roles.

WATER VAPOR
As our friend, it absorbs heat. But as our enemy it cooperates with other gases to sound our death knell.

CARBON DIOXIDE
As our friend, it traps heat and sustains life. But we have produced too much of it that even the plants and the ocean cannot absorb, and the surplus is turning up the earth’s temperature.

METHANE
As our friend, this natural gas is as useful as carbon dioxide. But it has turned into an enemy because we have produced twice as much as we need, and the excess is making it impossible for the atmosphere to disintegrate other dangerous gases.

CFCs
As our friend, when chlorofluorocarbons are in the lower atmosphere, they are efficient heat absorbers. But when they rise up, they become our enemies because they go to destroy the earth’s protective umbrella, the ozone.

NITROUS OXIDE
As our friend, this laughing gas like CFCs absorbs heat when it is in the lower atmosphere. But when it goes up, it destroys the ozone.

OZONE
This gas is our friend when it is in the high atmosphere where it filters deadly ultraviolet radiation, the cause of skin cancer. But when it comes down, it becomes our enemy.

Since these greenhouse gases are being added into the atmosphere daily from the use of fossil fuel, how can the danger of mass poisoning be avoided?

Well, Homo Sapien the smart has already dreamed up solutions:

Man will harness solar power to replace conventional ones.

Man will invent clean burning hydrogen fuel in place of the hazardous petroleum products.

Man will make a gigantic parasol to shield the earth from the sun’s dangerous rays.

Man will reforestate the globe to suck up excess carbon dioxide.

Man will fire up giant laser rays to kill CFCs before they damage the ozone.

Man will use solar power satellites to collect solar energy from space, and send it down as microwaves, or laser beams, for use in place of burning fossil fuels.

Man will …. That’s enough. Thank you man the wise. Clap for yourself!

Let’s hope that you will fix the greenhouse gases before they cover your grave!

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Article Tags: Greenhouse Gases

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