Environment is our surrounding. I tell you more about our environment.
Greenhouse Effect
Have you ever seen a greenhouse? Greenhouse are used to grow plants in winter and cold regions . It is a house made of green plastic or glass which traps the heat of the sun to allow plants to grow in winter and cold regions.
Similarly , some gases trap the heat of the sun in the atmosphere of our planet to help us survive. These heat – tapping gases are called greenhouse gases. The most common greenhouse gases are water vapour , carbon-dioxide , and methane . Without the greenhouse effect , the Earth would be too cold for life to exits.
Land , oceans , and plants absorb , or soak up , energy from sunlight. They release some of this energy as heat. Greenhouse gases absorb the heat and then send it back towards the Earth. Without greenhouse gases , this heat would escape back into space . Let us see what will happen if there is too much greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Global Warming
Human activities are increasing the greenhouse effects . When people drive a car or operate a factory they burn coal , oil , and other fuels . This adds extra greenhouse gases to the air , and the extra trap more heat . This has led to global warming. Global warming is the steady rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface.
Effects of the Global Warming
The Warmer weather could harmful for living things. It could also cause the polar ice caps to melt. This would cause sea levels to rise. Plants , animals , and buildings along coastlines would be in danger .
The most effective method of waste control is to follow the rule of the three ‘R’ s.
Reduce : Reduce the number of things we use. This way use fewer natural resources and hence produce less waste . We should not use more things than we need.
Reuse :. This means to use things which we would normally throw away . We can preserve glasses , plastic bottles , polythene bags , tins , cans , packing boxes , etc . Decorative items can be made from old items. Old boxes , cans , etc., Can be used to store things . Old text books can be reused by other students of kept in good condition.
Recycle : This means to use waste items to make new things . Old newspaper , magazine , etc., Can be given for recycling.
Conservation of Forest
Deforestation is the major cause of the ‘greenhouse effect’ as trees use carbon dioxide when they make their own food. Fewer trees means that less carbon-dioxide is being taken out of the atmosphere. More the trees , less , would be the pollution; lesser the trees , more would be the pollution.
Forest also gives shelter and protection to many animals . Due to deforestation some animals are dying as there is a decline in their prey and animals do not get enough to eat.
Trees give us life-giving oxygen , food and medicines.
Planting and looking after trees is very essential. This is called afforestation.
Conservation of Wildlife
Cutting and burning of the trees have forced the wild animals to flee from their natural habitat. Many animals are dying or being killed. Some animals are being killed for medicinal value.
Some animals are already extinct . Some of them are considered endangered. Tigers and rhinoceros in india are getting less every year due to habitat loss and poaching. The Great Indian bustard , a beautiful bird nearly the size of a young ostrich , is almost extinct.
