Biology 101 Homework: Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer, Climate Change

This biology assignment delves into three critical environmental issues: the greenhouse effect, the ozone layer, and climate change. The assignment defines each concept, explaining their importance and the problems associated with them, such as global warming, air pollution, and the depletion of the ozone layer. It explores the causes, including the burning of fossil fuels, chlorofluorocarbons, and human activities that increase greenhouse gases. The assignment also examines potential fixing strategies, such as reducing carbon emissions, using eco-friendly products, and international initiatives like the Montreal Protocol. Finally, it outlines the consequences of inaction, including melting ice caps, skin cancer, and disruptions to ecosystems and rainfall patterns. The student has used multiple resources to research the topics and answer the questions completely as per the assignment brief.

Running head: BIOLOGY
BIOLOGY
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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1. Greenhouse Effect
A)Greenhouse Effect:
It is defined as airborne chemicals in the atmosphere of the earth that prevents heat from
escaping into space. The rapid burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil contributed to an
increase in the atmospheric concentration of GHG (Schwartz, 2018).
.
b) Why do we need it?
Since greenhouse gases trapped the heat energy of the earth to escape in the space, it
facilitates an optimizing temperature between cold and warm. However, excessive greenhouse
gases such as CO2 will disrupt the optimum balance between cold and hot which will result in
global warming.
c) What is the problem with it:
The common problem associated with the greenhouse effect excessive greenhouse gas
can lead to global warming and simultaneously climate change. Moreover, greenhouse effects
will result in respiratory disease, increased air pollution.
e) What is causing the problem?
Tropospheric ozone is an atmospheric pollutant cause severe air pollution and respiratory
disease. It is formed by the reaction of sunlight on air containing hydrocarbons as well as the
nitrogen dioxide.
e) Fixing strategy:
 Increasing the number of employees eligible telework
 Construction lessor disclosure of carbon emission (Schwartz 2018).

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f) Initiatives from other countries:
NIH has assembled a comprehensive GHG inventory for reducing carbon emission such as 76-
80% carbon dioxide 10 (Nems.nih.gov 2020)..
g) Consequences:
The consequences would be:
 melting ice caps
 fires
 storms
 desertification
Ozone Layer
a)description:
The ozone layer is defined as a region of Earth's stratosphere which absorbs most of the Sun's
ultraviolet radiation for reducing the harmful impact of ultraviolet ray.
b) Why do we need it:
The ozone layer present in the stratosphere prohibits the penetration of UV-C. It also
eliminated UV-B ray for reducing the harmful impact of social radiation (Solomon et al. 2018).
c) What is the problem with it?

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Since it protects the earth from the impact of social radiation, the depletion of it will
result in global warming, air pollution, skin cancer, immune deficiency disorder and change of
climate.
d )Cause:
Layer depleted when chlorofluorocarbons from refrigerants and spray involve in a
chemical reaction to break the ozone molecule.
e)Fixing strategy:
 Using air-conditioning and refrigeration that does not use HCFC
 Using Eco-friendly housing products (Oram et al. 2017)
f) Initiatives from other countries:
Ozone layer depletion: Montreal Protocol was an initiative by the Canadian government
to Ozone layer depletion by reducing consumption of hydrofluorocarbon (Www.canada.ca.,
2020).
g) Consequences:
 Skin cancer
 Eye cataract
 Reduced agricultural productivity (Oram et al. 2017)

3. Climate Change
a) Describe:
Climate change refers to the significant changes in temperature, wind pattern and air
composition for an extended period.
b) Do we need it?

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Since climate change will result in insult increase of temperature, increase storms and
disrupt the ecosystem, it is crucial to address climate change as a potential public health issue
(Seidl et al. 2017).
c) What is the problem with it?
 Increased temperature Increase risk of extinction for the majority of the species such as
snow leopard and tiger
 Disrupt rainfall pattern
d) What is causing the problem?
 Human activity for building successful industry increased greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere
 deforestation (Schwartz, 2018).
e) Fixing strategy:
 reduction of water waste
 planting tree
 use of motorcycle(Seidl et al. 2017).
f) ) Initiatives from other countries:
German has designed a climate change policy for reducing the activities that lead to climate
change (Häussler 2018)
g) Consequences:
 increased number of cold and hot days
 Disruption of ecosystem
 Disruption of rainfall pattern.

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References:
Häussler, T., 2018. Heating up the debate? Measuring fragmentation and polarisation in a
German climate change hyperlink network. Social networks, 54, pp.303-313.
Nems.nih.gov., 2020. Greenhouse Gas Reduction. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from
https://nems.nih.gov/sustain/Pages/Greenhouse-Gas-Reduction.aspx
Oram, D.E., Ashfold, M.J., Laube, J.C., Gooch, L.J., Humphrey, S., Sturges, W.T., Leedham-
Elvidge, E., Forster, G.L., Harris, N.R., Mead, M.I. and Samah, A.A., 2017. A growing threat to
the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons. Atmospheric Chemistry and
Physics, 17(19), pp.11929-11941.
Schwartz, S. E. 2018. Resource Letter GECC-1: The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change:
Earth's Natural Greenhouse Effect. American Journal of Physics, 86(8), 565-576.
Seidl, R., Thom, D., Kautz, M., Martin-Benito, D., Peltoniemi, M., Vacchiano, G., Wild, J.,
Ascoli, D., Petr, M., Honkaniemi, J. and Lexer, M.J., 2017. Forest disturbances under climate
change. Nature climate change, 7(6), pp.395-402.
Solomon, S., Ivy, D. J., Kinnison, D., Mills, M. J., Neely, R. R., and Schmidt, A. 2016.
Emergence of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer. Science, 353(6296), 269-274.
Www.canada.ca., 2020. Ozone layer depletion: Montreal Protocol. Retrieved 6 April 2020, from
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/international-affairs/
partnerships-organizations/ozone-layer-depletion-montreal-convention.html

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