Common Green House Gases (GHGs) and their Impact to our environment

EcoVision
Nov 18
2 min read

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat and help keep the planet warm enough to support life.

Definition:

Greenhouse gases are atmospheric gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation, causing the greenhouse effect — a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface.

How It Works:

The Sun’s energy reaches Earth as sunlight (shortwave radiation).
The Earth absorbs some of this energy and re-emits it as heat (longwave infrared radiation).
Greenhouse gases absorb and re-radiate some of this heat back toward the surface, preventing it from escaping into space.
This process keeps the Earth’s atmosphere about 33°C warmer than it would otherwise be.

Major Greenhouse Gases:

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) – from burning fossil fuels, deforestation
Methane (CH₄) – from livestock, landfills, natural gas
Nitrous oxide (N₂O) – from fertilizers and agriculture
Fluorinated gases (F-gases) – from industrial and refrigeration processes
Water vapor (H₂O) – naturally occurring but influenced by climate feedbacks

⚠️ Why It Matters:

While natural greenhouse gases are essential for life, excess concentrations from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and climate change.

🌍 1. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

Main sources:

Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) for electricity, heating, and transportation
Deforestation — trees absorb CO₂, so cutting them down reduces carbon storage
Industrial processes (cement production, steelmaking)
Wildfires and land-use changes

Notes:CO₂ is the largest contributor to human-caused global warming. It can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years.

🔥 2. Methane (CH₄)

Main sources:

Agriculture — especially cattle, sheep, and rice paddies
Landfills and waste decomposition
Fossil fuel production and transport — leaks from oil, gas, and coal operations
Wetlands (natural source)

Notes:Methane is much more potent than CO₂ — about 28–36 times stronger at trapping heat over a 100-year period — but lasts only about 12 years in the atmosphere.

🏭 3. Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)

Main sources:

Agricultural activities — use of nitrogen-based fertilizers is the biggest contributor
Manure management
Industrial processes (chemical manufacturing)
Combustion of fossil fuels and biomass

Notes:N₂O is ≈265 times more powerful than CO₂ over 100 years and contributes to both global warming and ozone depletion.

⚙️ 4. Fluorinated Gases (F-gases)

Includes: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF₆), Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF₃)

Main sources:

Refrigeration and air conditioning systems
Electronics manufacturing
Aluminum and semiconductor industries
Electrical transmission equipment (especially SF₆)

Notes:Though present in smaller quantities, these gases can have global warming potentials thousands of times higher than CO₂, and some persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Summary Table

Greenhouse Gas	Main Human Sources	Relative Warming Power (vs. CO₂)	Approx. Atmospheric Lifetime
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)	Fossil fuel use, deforestation	1	Hundreds–thousands of years
Methane (CH₄)	Agriculture, landfills, fossil fuels	28–36	~12 years
Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)	Fertilizers, livestock, industry	265	~120 years
Fluorinated Gases (F-gases)	Refrigerants, manufacturing	100–23,500	Decades–thousands of years