A description of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gases ( GHGs ) are gaseous components of the atmosphere that

absorb solar energy reflected from the earth's surface as infrared radiation . This
energy is transferred to the major non - GHGs ( nitrogen ( N ) and oxygen )
resulting in an overall temperature increase in the lower atmosphere . GHGS are
critically import ant for regulating the earth's surface temperature , as without
any atmospheric GHGS the average temperature would be -6 ° C instead of 15 ° C
( Steinfeld et al .. 2006 ) . Since the pre - industrial period , the global emissions of
several major GHGS have increased exponentially and by 70 % between 1970 and
2004 as a result of industrial and agricultural activities ( IPCC , 2007 ) .
Consequently , the average temperature of the earth's surface has increased by
0.6 ° C since the late 1800s . with further increases of 1-5 ° C projected by 2100
( Steinfeld et al .. 2006 ) . These increases in temperature are projected to affect
the earth's climate and weather patterns , and extreme events such as droughts ,
floods and storms are expected to occur more frequently
The main anthropogenic or human - induced GHGS are carbon dioxide ( CO₂ ) .
methane ( CH₂ ) and nitrous oxide ( N₂O ) . These GHGS each have a different
global warming potential ' ( GWP ) based on the gases ' ability to absorb solar
energy and on their atmospheric lifetime . The GWP for CO₂ , CH₂ and N₂O is
currently calculated to be 1 , 25 and 298 ( Solomon et al . , 2007 ) , respectively ,
indicating that 1 kg of CH is 25 times and 1 kg of N₂0 298 times as potent as 1 kg
of CO₂ . Weighted by their GWP , CO₂ , CH , and N₂O currently contribute c.75 % .
15 % and 10 % of the global GHG emissions ( Fig . 1.1 : IPCC , 2007 ) . The main
source of CO₂ emissions is fossil fuel use , while agricultural practices contribute
40 % and 90 % of the global CH , and N₂O emissions , respectively . CH , and N₂0
are the two main GHGS from agriculture contributing over 90 % of the emissions (
Fig . 1.1 ) . Of the total agricultural emission , pastoral grazing systems have been
estimated to contribute 20 % of the CH , emissions and between 16 % and 33 % of
the N₂O emissions ( Clark et al . , 2005 ) .

An explanation of the importance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Despite their negative impacts on humans and the environment, greenhouse
gases are essential for keeping a stable temperature on our planet. The
greenhouse effect happens when gases in the Earth's atmosphere capture the
Sun's heat. This process warms the Earth far more than it would be without an
atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is one of the factors that contribute to Earth
being a pleasant place to live. Without the natural greenhouse effect, heat from
the Earth's surface would simply escape into space, resulting in an average
temperature of about -20°C. The greenhouse effect also aids in maintaining a
tolerable temperature, making the Earth habitable for all living species, and it
may be utilized to artificially produce seasonal vegetation during non-seasonal
months. Most crucial, greenhouse gases shield humans from potentially harmful
sun radiation. One of the principal greenhouse gases, ozone, functions as a barrier
against UV radiation entering the Earth.
To make it more specific, the greenhouse effect occurs as a result of the sun
bombarding Earth with massive amounts of radiation that reach the Earth's
atmosphere in the form of visible light, as well as ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR),
and other forms of radiation that are invisible to the human eye. UV light has a
shorter wavelength and a greater energy level than visible light, but IR light has a
longer wavelength and a lower energy level. Clouds, ice, and other reflecting
surfaces reflect around 30% of the energy that impacts Earth. According to NASA's
Earth Observatory, the remaining 70% is absorbed by oceans, land, and the
atmosphere.
As the seas, land, and atmosphere heat up, they emit heat in the form of infrared
thermal radiation, which escapes into space. According to NASA, it is this balance
of incoming and outgoing radiation that allows the Earth to be livable, with an
average temperature of around 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). Earth
would be as frigid and lifeless as its moon, or as scorching hot as Venus, without
this atmospheric balance. The dark side of the moon, which has nearly no
atmosphere, is around - 243 F (minus 153 C). Venus, on the other hand, has a
thick atmosphere that retains solar heat; the average temperature on Venus is
around 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 C).

A description of factors affecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

There are three elements that govern how much a greenhouse gas affects global
warming: Its abundance in the atmosphere, how long it remains in the
atmosphere, and its GWP. Concentration, often known as abundance, refers to
the amount of a certain gas in the air. Higher quantities of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere result from increased greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas
levels are measured in parts per million, billions, and trillions. One part per million
equates to one drop of water diluted in approximately 13 gallons of liquid
(roughly the fuel tank of a compact car). Each of these gases may stay in the
atmosphere for varying durations of time, ranging from a few years to thousands
of years. Everywhere of these gases remain in the atmosphere long enough to get
thoroughly mixed, so that the amount that is detected in the atmosphere is nearly
the same all over the world, independent of the source of the emissions. Water
vapor, for example, is the most prevalent greenhouse gas, but carbon dioxide has
a greater influence on global warming due to its abundance in the atmosphere
and its comparatively long atmospheric lifespan of 300 to 1,000 years, according
to NASA. According to 2020 research published in the Journal of Air Sciences,
water vapor has an atmospheric lifespan of no more than 10 days.

A review of the relationship between Greenhouse Gas Emissions and

GNI per capita
Because human activities result in environmental degradation through the
emission of greenhouse gases, pollution has become a key concept in the
paradigm of economic development. In explaining this nexus, the environmental
Kuznets curve (EKC) gave an overwhelming insight into the dynamics of
interaction between economic growth and environmental pollution. The EKC is
credited to Simon Kuznets and later formalized by Grossman and Krueger (1991).
The EKC curve shows that human activities that bring about economic growth
lead to environmental degradation due to the use of energy inefficient methods
in the early stages of productivity. This is relationship is indicated in Fig.1

Fig.1
Higher income, more GHG emissions generally. There is a general trend of richer
people emitting more greenhouse gases than poorer people. The top 10% of the
richest people in the world are responsible for 50% of the world's greenhouse gas
emissions. Meanwhile, the poorest 50% only produce around 10% of emissions.
This is consistent with the general hypothesis that economic growth is an
important factor in pollution reduction. Moreover, a higher level of income
inequality is associated with a more polluted environment and has negative
effects on the quality of the environment. The results of this study show that
income inequality is negatively associated with carbon emissions in developing
countries. The higher level of income disparity is linked with improving
environmental quality in these countries. On the other hand, financial instability
has a positive and significant relationship with pollution.