Earth Awareness
Greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring process that aids in heating the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. It results from the fact that certain atmospheric gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane, are able to change the energy balance of the planet by absorbing long wave radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface.
Without the greenhouse effect life on this planet would probably not exist as the average temperature of the Earth would be a chilly -18° Celsius, rather than the present 15° Celsius. The enhanced greenhouse effect is the augmentation of these natural gases by human activities.
The Carbon Cycle
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2005
