The Greenhouse Effect Text

Global warming is the worldwide rise in air and water temperatures. The main cause of global warming is the increased amounts of greenhouse gases that are trapped in our atmosphere. The greenhouse effect, is that the heat from the sun comes into the Earth's atmosphere and cannot get out so it becomes trapped.

The greenhouse effect may be the most serious environmental problem the human has ever experienced. For this reason scientists around the world are working hard to achieve a better understanding of the greenhouse effect. They try to predict the impact it will have on earth, and to discover ways to control it. Global warming can be expected to change the earth's climate dramatically and in a relatively short time.

In brief, the Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form of radiation or known as infrared rays. The Earth absorbs about 70 per cent, which warms the land, atmosphere and oceans , and powers life on the planet. This is called the greenhouse effect and an analogy drawn to how in colder climes, plants and flower are grown in greenhouses that are warmed by the sun's rays.

The remaining 30 per cent is reflected back into space. But in recent times, the Earth is not able to reflect back into space the radiation it does not absorb. It is effect from the gases industries and other human activities are pumping into the atmosphere. Deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels release quantities of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the air. These blanket the Earth's atmosphere and as these gases increase, the Earth absorbs more sunlight and gets warmer.

Global warming could change the atmosphere so much and so fast. All sorts of plants and animals might soon be in danger of extinction. If the rise in sea level occur, many areas would be much more prone to flooding. Generally much deeper floods would be experienced than nowadays. Overall, the global temperature