Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet!

Experiment: Effects of greenhouse gases on global temperature

A lot of stories are being circulated on the internet in an attempt to discredit the theory of man-made climate change. Some websites even challenge the conventional greenhouse theories. In the light of this problem, the author has conducted a very simple experiment that hopefully will help to clarify the basic understanding of man-made climate change.

In this experiment, a solar cooker  was used to observe the effects of greenhouse gases on temperature. The purpose of this experiment was to better understand the role of greenhouse gases on climate change.

Procedures

Step 1: Prepare the following materials:

* two metal cans, both of which are painted in black.

* two plastic bags.

* a solar cooker (for example, this one ).

* an infrared thermometer or any other non-contact temperature measuring device.

Step 2: Each metal can is placed in a tightly closed plastic bag. One bag is filled with air and the other bag is filled with predominately carbon dioxide.

Step 3: Use the solar cooker to heat up both cans under sunny and cloudy skies. The experimental setup is shown in the following figure:

 

Figure 1. Experimental setup for proving the role of carbon dioxide on climate change

Step 4. Use the infrared thermometer provided to measure the temperature of the metal cans under sunny and cloudy weathers.

Experimental results under a cloudy sky

The follwing figure shows the temperatures of both metal cans (that is, one enclosed in carbon dioxide and the other enclosed in air) under a cloudy sky.

Before the measurement, both cans have been carefully treated to the same temperature.

As shown in the following figure, the temperature of the can enclosed in carbon dioxide were noticably higher.

Figure 2. Temperature of the cans in cloudy weather

Experimental results under a sunny sky

Under a sunny sky, the temperatures of both cans rose up so quickly to the point that I could not manually record the temperature of each can.

Before the experment, both cans were at 36 degree C.

After about 5 minutes, I broke both plastic bags and removed both metal cans from the solar cooker, allowing the metal cans to cool down naturally. At that time, the temperature of the can enclosed in carbon dioxde gas reached 95 degree C, while the can enclosed in air reached 85 degree C.

During the cooling phase, I measured the temperature of each can again. The follwing figure shows the temperatures of both cans after being removed from the solar cooker.

As shown in the following figure, the temperature of the can enclosed in carbon dioxide were noticably higher.

Figure 3. Temperature of the cans in sunny weather

Concluding remarks

In this experiment, the gases inside each bag act as a greenhouse enclosure. Each black metal can acts as a blackbody radiator that absorbs solar radiations and that radiates predominately infrared light at room temperature. The results of this experiment suggest that greenhouse effects due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide contribute to a noticable heat gain in the blackbody radiator (i.e. the metal can enclosed in carbon dioxide).

In the earth context, the reflective surface of the solar cooker is equivalent to the icy glacier regions of the earth. The black metal can is the non-reflective surface of the earth. The gases inside each bag is our atmosphere. The heat gain in the black metal can as a result of increased carbon dioxide represents global warming (or climate change).

While this experiment may be easy to understand, the implication of the results is stunning. In the Arctic region, the sea ice is supposed to reflect solar radiations. However, it has been reported that, as shown in following figure, the northen hemisphere has experienced significant ice loss over the past few years. According to NASA, the total Arctic sea ice has decreased by 38% since 1979. This suggests that the area of the reflective surface on the northern hemisphere is shrinking, increasing exposing the non-reflective surface that serves as blackbody radiators. Therein, the blackbody radiators include not only the non-reflective surface, but also those surface and undersea volcanoes. Our experimental results have already demonstrated that increase in carbon dioxide level will lead to noticable heat gain in a blackbody radiator. It is not difficult to understand why some parts of the earth experience an unprecedented hot climate.

Figure 4. Northern Hemisphere Sea Ice Anomaly (credit due to Arctic Climate Research at the University of Illinois)

The ozone hole over Antarctic has not been patched, while some other regions of our ozone layer have experienced serve ozone loss during the past few years. In the absence of any sunshine, say during the evening time, some heat or other blackbody radiations on the planet lose to outerspace through the broken ozone layer, making some places unprecedentedly cold. However, when the sunshire reappears during the daytime, the solar radiations penetrate through the same thinned regions of the ozone layer, heating up the same places that are bitterly cold during the evening time.

It is important to understand that, at the time of this writing, we are still at a solar minimum. This means any rebound in solar radiations will potentially lead to further ice loss in the polar regions.

It is also important to understand that carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas that contributes to atmospheric greenhouse effects. There are many other more potent greenhouse gases whose concentrations are on the rise as of right now. Methane is one of those. If this trend is to continue, and if the sun refuses to be quiet during the upcoming solar cycle 24, then we will be in deep deep trouble!

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