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What is the Greenhouse Effect and
why is it important in climate change?

The Earth's atmosphere develops a natural greenhouse effect, and it is this that keeps the planet warm and a safe place for us to live. The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, for example) trap energy from the sun near the surface of the Earth. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and the Earth would be a much colder place. If the balance of greenhouse gases is altered, then it has a big impact on life on Earth. The way we have lived since the Industrial Revolution has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and this is causing the climate to change.

How does the Greenhouse Effect work?

The Greenhouse Effect is a fairly simple process. The above diagram explains the Greenhouse Effect, which is at the heart of climate change.
Heat in the form of radiation penetrates the atmosphere from the sun and this causes the Earth to warm up. Some of this heat is reflected back into space off clouds and the surface of the Earth. Some of this heat, however, is trapped on the surface of the Earth by the atmosphere and this keeps the planet warm.
Increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - of which carbon dioxide is the biggest problem, through the burning of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) and the rotting of green waste (trees and plants) -upsets the greenhouse effect. The build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stops the heat from the sun being reflected back into space and traps it on the surface of the Earth. As the build-up of carbon dioxide increases, the heating increases and the global surface temperature rises.
The atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse, so the more carbon dioxide we put in the atmosphere, the hotter it becomes. Higher temperatures cause more storms, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns. These changes create further changes that affect the climate in the longer term.
Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere will return the greenhouse effect to more stable levels and help reduce the impact of climate change.