When the sun heats the earth, 30% of it is reflected by the atmosphere, 70% is absorbed. When it hit the ground some will be absorbed and most will be reflected. Because of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor and methane, these gases blocks the heat from escaping the earth's atmosphere thus causing a trapped heat inside the arth. This warms the earth
2007-01-28 16:26:47
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answer #1
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answered by john m 1
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Think of what happens when you go into a greenhouse on a sunny day. It is very warm. The sun heats everything inside the greenhouse, and there is no way for the heat to escape through the glass. (ignoring the big fans that try to move the heat out).
The earth is in a similar situation. Levels of carbon dioxide are building up, and creating a layer that does not let the heat out, much like the glass in a greenhouse.
As humans we consume energy, and much of what we consume creates carbon dioxide and other gases. The more we consume, the more we add to the problem.
And if you look at developing countries, they have major forests, that absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. We are loosing much of that land that supported vegetation to development.
Even if we stopped consuming energy today, it would take years for the earth to heal.
Are we seeing the efforts of global warming already, with the erratic (e.g. extremely strong storms, drought some areas, heavy rainfall in others) weather patterns we are seeing today?
2007-01-29 11:40:12
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answer #2
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answered by srrl_ferroequinologist 3
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The greenhouse effect, first discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824, and first investigated quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896, is the process in which the absorption of infrared radiation by an atmosphere warms a planet. Without these greenhouse gases, the Earth's surface would be up to 30° C cooler. The name comes from an incorrect analogy with the way in which greenhouses are heated by the sun in order to facilitate plant growth. In addition to the Earth, Mars, Venus and other celestial bodies with atmospheres (such as Titan) have greenhouse effects.
In common parlance, the term "greenhouse effect" may be used to refer either to the natural greenhouse effect, due to naturally occurring greenhouse gases, or to the enhanced (anthropogenic) greenhouse effect, which results from gases emitted as a result of human activities (see also global warming, scientific opinion on climate change and attribution of recent climate change).
A greenhouse is a small building with a lot of windows or for like my homemade greenhouse made of plastic. It is used to grow plants and flowers in a warm, controlled environment. So a person could grow things in cold weather because inside the greenhouse it is warm and humid. During the summer I grow excellent tomatoes cause the greenhouse keeps all the bugs out.
2007-01-29 00:21:21
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answer #3
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answered by Big C 6
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Simplistidly, the greenhouse effect is the increase in temperature when when the loss of heat from the system is inhibited. Any system will exhibit a temperature rise until it is able to shed as much heat as is coming into it.
2007-01-29 00:33:03
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answer #4
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answered by Helmut 7
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It;s when too much carbon dioxide emission creates a layer in the atmosphere and the natural heat that would normally be released into space, gets trapped increasing earth's temperatures which in turn creates a ripple effect that will eventually have tragic repercussions if we don't do something about it.
Rent the movie:" An Inconvenient truth". It's a must see.
2007-01-29 00:25:33
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answer #5
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answered by TJTB 7
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It's when everything looks green to you when you're inside the green house, heh, heh, heh..... Good enough, yes?
2007-01-29 00:22:41
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answer #6
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answered by FILO 6
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