During the day, the sun’s solar energy penetrates the earth’s atmosphere. The earth’s surface then warms up. At night, the earth’s surface cools down. It releases the heat back into the air, but some of the heat gets trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That is what keeps our earth at an average temperature of 15 °C.
3. The greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is now too strong, and the earth is getting warmer and warmer. There are now too much greenhouse gases, created by human activities, contained in the atmosphere, trapping solar energy.
Greenhouse Effect
More heat escapes into space
radiation
Re-radiated heat
Re-radiated heat
Solar
Less heat escapes into space
radiation Solar Natural
Greenhouse Effect Intensified by Humans
1. Go to YouTube and look up ‘Climate change (according to a kid) – Rappler’ (watch up to 2:11).
2. Look up www.co2.earth for daily readings of global CO2 levels.
4. How human activity is intensifying the greenhouse effect
Causes of Climate Change Greenhouse gas emissions by type: