Global Warming?
“Global Warming” or “Climate Change” has become the rallying cry of the environmental movement. We now face massive “Cap and Trade” taxes. In the next few days or weeks I am going to try express the science and the economics of this issue and how this issuet could impact our lives.
The theory of global warming centers around Carbon Dioxide being a green house gas. A greenhouse gas is “a gas that can trap heat in the atmosphere.” All chemicals absorb energy in a range on the Electromagnetic Spectrum. The gases that are considered greenhouse gases absorb light that lies within the infrared area of the spectrum. The molecules absorb the heat that is reflected from the surface and release the heat shortly thereafter returning a portion back to the earth. This is the greenhouse effect; this process is necessary to keep our planet warm and livable.
The electromagnetic spectrum is also how we as humans determine colors. An item that is red or green reflect a certain portion of the scale that we humans can see. We cannot see the infrared spectrum emitted by these gases but they do emit the radiation all the same.
The main types of greenhouse gases are as such
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Methane (CH4)
- Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
- Flourinated gases or CFC's (any organic compound composed of carbon, flourine, chlorine and hydrogen)
- Water Vapor
CDE or Global Warming Potential (GWP) for the three main greenhouse gases
Carbon Dioxide = 1
Methane = 25
Nitrous Oxide = 298
Water Vapor = Varies on temperature
( http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/co2equivalents )
This is a unit of measurement that basically says Methane is 25 times stronger as an atmospheric warming agent than Carbon Dioxide per molecule.
The Earth's atmosphere is composed about as such
| Gas Name | Chemical Formula | Percent Volume |
| Nitrogen | N2 | 78.08% |
| Oxygen | O2 | 20.95% |
| *Water | H2O | 0 to 4% |
| Argon | Ar | 0.93% |
| *Carbon Dioxide | CO2 | 0.0360% |
| Neon | Ne | 0.0018% |
| Helium | He | 0.0005% |
| *Methane | CH4 | 0.00017% |
| Hydrogen | H2 | 0.00005% |
| *Nitrous Oxide | N2O | 0.00003% |
| *Ozone | O3 | 0.000004% |
* variable gases
( http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7a.html )
The main global warming gases represent a small portion of the total atmosphere, with Water Vapor comprising the largest portion of any greenhouse gas.
Part 1 Conclusions:
This part mainly focused on the theory and science behind the greenhouse gases.
One question that I could not find an answer to is the “Global Warming Potential” of Water Vapor for some reason the government sites just brush off the effect of Water Vapor; even though Water vapor is recognize as having a significant effect on the greenhouse effect. Most sites acknowledge more research is needed. I agree; without this information no collusion should be made on the theory of Global Warming.
Part 2 will focus on how or if greenhouse gases are warming the Earth.

