What is the Greenhouse Effect?
The greenhouse effect has been under scrutiny for decades. Many scientists and politicians want to blame the greenhouse effect for the majority of our problems with the environment and global warming. In reality, however, the greenhouse effect is what keeps most of life on earth as we know it healthy and thriving.
The greenhouse effect is the term scientists gave to the natural occurrences that keep warmth and moisture on the earth’s surface. The phrase was coined as such because the way that the gases in the earth’s atmosphere trap warmth and moisture on earth is much the same way that greenhouses trap warmth and moisture that allows plants to grow healthy and strong in all climates.
When the suns rays hit the earth’s atmosphere they are bounced off again back into space. The majority of the sun’s rays are reflected without ever being noticed by life on earth. However, some of the sun’s rays are caught up in gases such as carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, and water vapor. These gases trap some of the warmth from the sun’s rays and hold them to the earth. This is called the greenhouse effect.
Scientists estimate that without the greenhouse effect, earth would be approximately fifty four degrees cooler than it is now. This jump into lower temperatures would actually kill off most of the plant life on earth, and make it impossible for many species to survive. Basically, life on earth as we know it would die off without the benefits of the greenhouse effect.
So is the greenhouse effect really a bad thing? Of course not, although the increase in gases in the earth’s atmosphere does pose a problem. While the greenhouse effect in its natural form is necessary for life on earth, you can have too much of a good thing.
Humans have added gases to the earth’s atmosphere through industry, such as the gases released during the burning of oil, natural gas, and coal. These gases become a part of the earth’s atmosphere and are added to the gases already there. This strengthens the greenhouse effect, trapping more heat in the earth than is actually necessary or desired. This is the cause of global warming.
