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HANDLING OF ORGANIC WASTE TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES
29/06/2020 Views : 271
Putu Suardana
HANDLING OF ORGANIC WASTE TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES
P. Suardana (e-mail: suardanaputu@unud.ac.id)
Physics Study Program
FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND
NATURAL SCIENCE
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY
Global warming is
also called a climate emergency or climate crisis is a process of increasing
the average temperature of the atmosphere, ocean, and landmass of the Earth due
to trapping heat by greenhouse gases which is often called the greenhouse
effect. According to simulation calculations, the greenhouse effect has
increased the earth's average temperature by 1-5 degrees Celsius. If the
tendency to increase greenhouse gases remains as they are now it will cause an
increase in global warming between 1.5-4.5 degrees Celsius around 2030. Global
warming is causing extreme climate change on earth. This can result in
disruption of forests and agricultural areas, as well as other ecosystems,
thereby reducing its ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Global warming also causes melting of icebergs in the polar regions which can
lead to rising sea levels so that several small islands sink in the island
nation.
The Meteorology,
Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) estimates that there will be an
increase in air temperature in Indonesia by 0.5 oC in 2030. In addition to
rising temperatures, drought cases will also increase on the southern part of
Sumatra Island, most of Java, Madura, Bali , West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), to East
Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in 2030. Conversely in the rainy season, the amount of
heavy to extreme rain also tends to increase by 40% compared to the present.
Solar energy that
illuminates the Earth is mostly in the form of shortwave radiation, including
visible light. When this energy arrives at the surface of the Earth, it changes
from light to heat that warms the Earth. The surface of the Earth, will absorb
some of the heat and reflect the rest. Some of this heat is in the form of
long-wave infrared radiation into space, so that some of the heat remains
trapped in the Earth's atmosphere, due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases
such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and methane (CH4)
which trap this radiation wave. These gases absorb and reflect back the
radiation waves emitted by the Earth and as a result the heat will be stored on
the surface of the Earth. This situation occurs continuously, resulting in an
average annual temperature of the Earth continues to rise. These gases function
like gases in a greenhouse. As the concentration of these gases increases in
the atmosphere, more heat is trapped below.
The natural
greenhouse effect is very much needed by life on earth, because without this
natural greenhouse effect, the planet would be very cold. With an average
temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, the earth is actually 33 degrees Celsius
hotter than the original temperature, if there is no greenhouse effect the
earth's temperature is only -18 degrees Celsius so that the ice will cover the
entire surface of the Earth. But on the contrary, if the greenhouse gases are
already excessive in the atmosphere, it will cause global warming.
The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane gas and
nitrogen oxides (N2O). At present, based on data from Indonesia's Environmental
Statistics in 2017 the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is
around 383 ppm (parts per million) or around 0.0383 percent of atmospheric
volume, while methane gas and nitrogen dioxide are respectively 1,745 ppb and
314 ppb (part per billion) or around 0,000175 percent and 0,0000314 percent of
atmospheric volume. Although in terms of the highest concentration of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere, its potential to create global warming (Global
Warming Potential) is the smallest, different from nitrogen oxides which have
the highest potential to create global warming, which is 310 times that of
carbon dioxide and methane gas has 21 times the potential carbon dioxide
produces global warming. In
addition, unlike carbon dioxide, methane gas cannot be absorbed by plant
chlorophyll. This is what makes methane gas the center of attention for
researchers.
With the potential of
methane gas in greenhouse gases as mentioned above, methane gas must be
specifically controlled. Methane gas can come from various sources, one of which
is from the process of decomposing organic waste. Methane gas from organic
waste originating from home and livestock industries has not received serious
attention. Indonesian Environmental Statistics Data for 2017 currently big
cities in Indonesia produce organic waste an average of about 962 m3 per day
which products of greenhouse gas emissions from the organic waste sector
produce 94.64% is methane gas.
To reduce the impact
of methane gas hazards, efforts can be made to utilize methane gas as an
alternative fuel source. For example by handling the organic waste through the
fermentation process in a digester tube so as to produce biogas as cooking fuel
and for electrical energy sources. In addition, the waste from this
fermentation process can be used as organic fertilizer. Thus in addition to
being able to reduce methane gas levels in the atmosphere which causes the
greenhouse effect which is a trigger for global warming, handling organic waste
also produces biogas which can be used as fuel for cooking and as a source of
electrical energy.
References:
1.
"Pengertian
Pemanasan Global, Penyebab, Dampak dan Cara Mengatasinya LingkunganHidup.co". Lingkungan Hidup. 2017-09 01.
Diakses tanggal 2019-10-22.
2.
Thegorbalsla
(2018-09-01). "EFEK RUMAH KACA : Pengertian, Penyebab, Proses, Dampak, Contoh". Thegorbalsla (dalam bahasa
Inggris). Diakses tanggal 2019-10-22.
3. Editor (2018-06-08).
"Dampak Pemanasan Global Bagi Kehidupan Manusia dan Lingkungan". Lingkungan Hidup.
Diakses tanggal 2019-10-22.