Greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases| Global change| AP Environmental science| Khan Academy
Khan Academy・2 minutes read
Earth's atmosphere and greenhouse effect are crucial for trapping energy and warming the planet, with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide playing a key role. However, human activities, particularly the use of fossil fuels, have led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, impacting the Earth's climate and stressing the importance of sustainable practices to combat climate change.
Insights
- Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons are vital for maintaining Earth's surface temperature at a habitable level, preventing it from being excessively cold.
- Human activities, primarily the use of fossil fuels during the industrial revolution, have significantly increased greenhouse gas emissions, disrupting the natural balance and leading to environmental and weather-related challenges due to the excessive concentration of these gases.
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Recent questions
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons that trap energy.
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Summary
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Greenhouse Gases: Earth's Vital Climate Regulator
- Earth's atmosphere plays a crucial role in the greenhouse effect, where gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons absorb and re-emit electromagnetic radiation, trapping some energy and warming the planet.
- Without greenhouse gases, Earth's surface temperature would be around -18 degrees Celsius, highlighting the necessity of these gases for maintaining habitable conditions.
- The concentration of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, has risen significantly in recent times, exceeding levels seen in the past three million years, impacting the Earth's climate.
- Human activities, especially the industrial revolution's reliance on fossil fuels, have led to a dramatic increase in greenhouse gas emissions, disrupting the natural balance and contributing to global warming.
- While the greenhouse effect is essential for Earth's livability, the excessive concentration of greenhouse gases due to human activities poses significant environmental and weather-related challenges, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices to mitigate climate change.
