The Greenhouse Effect  

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You have probably heard a lot about the greenhouse effect, but maybe the concept remains a little fuzzy in your consciousness. So what exactly is this so-called greenhouse effect and what does it mean for you and the future of this planet? The greenhouse effect simply refers to a natural process that is part of the earth. However, because of the devastating effects wrought by global warming, the greenhouse effect has received a very bad reputation in recent years. With over 150 years of industrialization under our belt, the greenhouse effect has gradually become a menacing prospect.

First, it should be understood that the greenhouse effect is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the greenhouse effect is a natural process that is necessary in order to sustain life on earth. Basically, life on earth is sustained on planet earth by energy received from the sun. However, much of the sun that is reflected onto our planet is being deflected off the planet and scattered back across space—at least 30 percent of sunlight is beamed out into space to be exact. The rest of the this sunlight eventually reaches the surface of earth, but is then reflected back up to the atmosphere again as a very slow energy known as infrared radiation.

The infrared radiation that is not carried away by air currents is absorbed by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and water vapor. This helps to slow its escape way from the earth's atmosphere. Only about one percent of the earth's atmosphere is made up by greenhouse gases. However, they are very necessary in order to regulate the earth's climate. These natural greenhouse gases help keep the earth warm enough to sustain life. However, what happens when too many greenhouse gases are released into the earth's atmosphere?

When too many greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, global warming occurs. Although the greenhouse effect is certainly a necessary and very essential part of our earth's environment if it is to sustain human life, too much of it and there is trouble. This happens when human activity produces too many greenhouse gases and releases them into the atmosphere. Many human activities just create too much activity, many more greenhouse gases than the earth can possibly sustain.

What are some of the most common human activities that can result in global warming, and which have become responsible for the global climate change that we are currently experiencing? The most common human activities that are the most responsible for the effects of global warming include the burning of natural gas, oil and coal. This includes the gasoline that helps run your automobile.

Another common activity that can be responsible for too many greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere include many common farming practices and land use changes. Many of these farming practices include many levels of nitrous oxide and methane. Other activities include factories and industry that have been responsible for producing long-lasting industrial gases. Most of these industrial gases do not occur naturally in nature.

Other major factors that are responsible for causing the effects of global warming includes deforestation. Deforestation is one of the major causes for global warming because trees help to absorb many of the greenhouse gases released by the human activity. However, deforestation means that many important allies—trees—are no longer around to help absorb excess gases. Another factor is population growth, which is also responsible for the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Population growth is a major factor because it means more people are burning fossil fuels and releasing greenhouse gases into the environment. Also, population growth has caused increased farming, which has also helped increase the effects of global warming.

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