Environmental impacts and sources
N20 (nitrous oxide)

In 1895, Swedish scientist Arrhénius analyzed the mechanism of the greenhouse effect. This, caused mainly by the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), water vapor (H₂O), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), is essential to life. These gases capture and hold the energy reflected by solar radiation. Without this natural greenhouse effect, the average temperature on earth would not be 15°C but – 6°C [1].

The warming potential of these gases (radioactive forcing) depends on their capacity to absorb and re-emit solar radiation, as well as their lifetime in the atmosphere. The warming potentials of CH₄ and N₂O are respectively...