how does CO2 directly link to the greenhouse effect, such as "eating" away at the atmosphere etc...?

Answer 1

Many kinds of gases trap heat at the Earth's surface, like a blanket. Without this blanket of greenhouse gases, the earth would be a frozen wasteland, so gases like CO2 are important to our atmosphere. They help to reflect the sun's rays back to the earth, insulate the earth by trapping in heat from the sun, and maintain a warm temperature on the planet's surface.

Before the Industrial Revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere was in a rough balance with what could be stored on Earth. Natural emissions of heat-trapping gases matched what could be absorbed in natural sinks. For example, plants take in CO2 when they grow in spring and summer, and release it back to the atmosphere when they decay and die in fall and winter.

According to some studies, there is more CO2 in the atmosphere now than at any time in the last 650,000 years. Studies of the Earth’s climate history show that even small changes in CO2 levels generally have come with significant shifts in the global average temperature. So, the increased insulation and reflective effects of the high level of CO2 in the atmosphere is contributing to a rise in the global temperature. There are concerns that even a small increase in global temperature can have catastrophic environmental effects on the ecosystem, but you can find a lot more information about those effects by searching for "Global Warming" online.

Answer 2

CO2 is transparent to visible light, but opaque to infared radiation. Thus, it lets light from the sun in but traps reradiated heat from the surface of the earth. This is its link to the green house effect. This is in fact, a quick description of the green house effect. As for eating away at the atmosphere, you need to stop drinking that Kool-aide because it is not happening. I have no idea what etc. is so I can not comment.

Answer 3

CO2 traps the heat coming from the sun in the atmosphere in stead of where the heat normally goes. The heat actually is 'reflected' back into space when there is not CO2 present. Some of the heat is trapped in the atmosphere when there is CO2 present instead of going back into space.

Answer 4

It doesn't, it's total BS fabricated by Al Gore and other complete idiots. See the following:

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris110706.htm
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris110706a.htm

Here is a petition signed by 17,000 scientists rejecting the bullshit psuedo science of Al Gore other liberal idiots: http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p41.htm