Green House Effect

The greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped near the Earth's surface by substances known as 'greenhouse gases (NASA Global Climate Change, Sep 27, 2023). It is a type of blanket or layer in which the planet Earth is wrapped, it helps to maintain warmer temperatures. When talking about the Greenhouse Effect the following gases are also mentioned, the main one is Carbon Dioxide, followed by Ozone, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, water vapor, and chlorofluorocarbons. These are part of the atmosphere and for that reason, the temperatures are not too cold or too hot and this helps the evolution of life on earth.

The most important greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which absorbs and radiates heat. On the other hand, nitrogen, or oxygen, which are in most of the atmosphere, absorb heat and release it in many directions, including the surface. If the earth had no carbon dioxide its natural greenhouse effect would be too weak to maintain a good temperature above freezing. According to observations from NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, in 2021 carbon dioxide alone was responsible for about two-thirds of the total warming influence of all man-made greenhouse gases (Rebecca Lindsey, May 12, 2023).

To help the planet there are many solutions such as consuming less energy, choosing to ride a bicycle instead of a car, or driving an electric car or an electric motorcycle. Use renewable energies and consume less electricity as it is responsible for a quarter of the emissions. You can implement the use of LED bulbs that consume less. Other options are to save water, one of the ways to start doing this is to turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, the same when washing dishes or you can also wash your car with a bucket and not with a hose. In urban and suburban environments, green or cool roofs can limit the amount of heat entering buildings during hot days and help decrease the urban heat island effect (UCAR 2020).

References:

https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/19/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect/

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20is%20Earth's%20most,including%20back%20toward%20Earth's%20surface.

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-solutions/reduce-greenhouse-gases