What are greenhouse gases and how can they be eliminated?

The development in knowledge associated with climate change has always gone hand in hand with greenhouse gases which have been defined as the main issue in this area. As the days go by, human beings and society continue to produce these types of gases that are harmful to the atmosphere.

Due to growth and industrial expansion in practically all corners of the planet, these gases are constantly being produced. However they are not exclusively produced through industrial actions: there are also natural processes that produce them. An obvious example of this is steam and methane, which are produced in nature without human intervention, although it is indeed the human factor which drives their release into the atmosphere.

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has carried out a National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases in which those elements included in this definition appear. It can be consulted here.

Historically, this global problem began with the industrial revolution, as the increase in this type of activity resulted in a greater concentration and emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that, up until that point, had never been seen before. Thus, new factories with high levels of production, especially those which use primary elements such as coal or other raw materials, are at the origin of this major problem faced by society that needs to be tackled to reduce its impact on climate change.

What are greenhouse gases?

These are elements, in gas state, that are found naturally in the atmosphere and are of natural origin or are produced through human activity. Their main characteristic is that they absorb the energy that comes from the sun. Specifically, they are those which do not allow the heat to escape through the atmosphere and make the temperature increase within this layer.

The greenhouse gases are: carbon dioxide, sulphur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide and perfluorocarbons .

The biggest problem created by the emission of these greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is the rise in the Earth’s temperature. Since the end of the 19th century, this has increased more than one degree centigrade, resulting in serious consequences for the planet such as the rise in sea level due to the melting of the polar icecaps and more extreme seasons in the year.

How can we eliminate greenhouse gases?

It is the work of all the elements that make up society, in each of its strata, order to curb and reduce the release of these components into the atmosphere.

One of the great factors which increases the emission of greenhouse gases is transport. To avoid and reduce their production, it is important to use modes of transport that are conscious of the planet and do not produce these dangerous substances. In this article on examples of sustainable transport, we discuss the main environmentally friendly alternatives that are already present in our surroundings.

Sustainable and renewable energy sources are another important way to reduce this problem. The new forms of consuming electricity from clean alternatives, and their entry in the different processes of production in industrial society and services will also be of great help to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. As well as this, the optimisation of consumption and avoiding the misuse of energy will also be a deciding factor to reduce the impact.

Recycling and reuse are other key actions. If every human being avoids buying things that require the production of new products, the emission of these gases resulting from factory production will be reduced. The management of plastics and the reduction in the use of paper to avoid generating these gases are also part of these actions.

Food is another issue that depends on the  end consumer. It is advisable to buy local products, which are produced in the most sustainable way and thus reduce the negative impact on the natural env