Climate Change a Challenge to Biodiversity
Climate change is the direct or indirect alteration of the climate due to anthropogenic or natural factors. It is also change in climate that has significant impact on the Ecosystem. It is as well a change that brings about a change in the Food Web, leads to shortage of Biodiversity and Changes in the Ecosystem.
Climate change is caused by Green House Gases, which allow rays of light to penetrate the earth surface and do not allow them to go back. They include; Methane (CH4), Carbon(iv)oxide(CO2), NO2,and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They occur naturally in the atmosphere, however human activities (Gas flaring, Burning of Kerosene Stoves, Gas from Car exhaust pipe, burning of materials with incomplete combustion, etc) have increased their in balance. Human activities have allowed more of the Green House gas to be trapped within the Earth’s atmosphere, this is called green house (gases) effect. This leads to Global warming. This aggravates other processes leading to climate change .
In global warming, the temperature of the Earth is increasing beyond normal, which leads to the melting of polar ice caps, this increases the quantity of water which formed the ice, this leads to Sea level rise and water overflow, its banks, hence, completing the process of climate change.
CFC11 and CFC12 occur due to industrial processes, used in coolants, refrigerants, etc. When these gases get into the atmosphere (Stratosphere), they dissociate into their constituents elements (i.e. compound of Chlorine and Fluorine), they get to the Ozone layer (O3) and react with the Ozone , thus depleting the Ozone layer (reducing to O2 and finally O), and allowing more harmful gases and rays to reach Planet Earth.
The Ozone layer protects the Earth by disallowing harmful gases from getting into the Earth.
Chikezie Justice
31/10/2020