The Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is an effect that happens in the atmosphere with the sun's heat radiations. The sun projects heat onto the earth and it tries to enter our atmosphere. When the heat comes into contact with the earth, the earth sends it back up. Greenhouse gases trap the hot air and send it back down to earth. Greenhouse gases are mainly Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Water Vapour, Nitrous Oxide and Ozone to name but a few. Carbon Dioxide comes from car exhaust, and us. Methane is a gas that comes from decomposing natural farm wastes such as manure or dead leaves. Water Vapour is basically the clouds. Nitrous Oxide is a relatively unknown gas. Not much is known about it. It is produced naturally and some studies may show that the excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer in farms may increase it. Ozone is not created by human resources but with natural resources. Some hot air does not get caught by the greenhouse gases and it is sent back into outer space. This keeps the earth warm but the warmth is controlled.

However, with the increase in greenhouse gases, more heat gets trapped, causing global warming, and with global warming more water is evaporated creating more clouds (water vapour) even more enhancing this now dangerous effect. This increase is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, leaving waste to rot, or even driving a car.

Although it is named after a greenhouse, this effect does not operate quite exactly the same way. In a greenhouse, the heat is allowed in but not out. In the greenhouse effect, the heat is mostly allowed in and most of that heat is allowed back out. Although now, with more greenhouse gases, less hot air is let out and if we continue, soon this atmospheric effect will live up to it's name and our world will truly be a greenhouse, leaving no heat escape.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect,http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse/

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