Greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases| Global change| AP Environmental science| Khan Academy
Khan Academy・6 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.
Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free
Recent questions
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons that trap energy.
Related videos
NASA Space Place
What Is the Greenhouse Effect?
DW News
What is the greenhouse effect? | Global Ideas
TED-Ed
Climate change: Earth's giant game of Tetris - Joss Fong
National Geographic
Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye | National Geographic
Science ABC
Climate Change and Global Warming: Explained in Simple Words for Beginners
Summary
00:00
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.
