Green house effect and Global warming: еnvironmental consequences and it’s causes
The greenhouse effect is the way heat is trapped close to the Earth's surface by "greenhouse gases". These heat-trapping gases can be thought of as a blanket wrapped around the Earth, keeping the planet warmer than it would be without them. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides and water vapour. Scientists have determined that the warming effect of carbon dioxide helps stabilize the Earth's atmosphere. Without carbon dioxide, the Earth's surface would be 33°C (59°F) colder. Greenhouse gases occur naturally and are part of our atmosphere. For this reason, the Earth is sometimes referred to as the "Goldilocks" planet - its conditions are neither too hot nor too cold, just right to allow life (including us) to thrive. Part of what makes the Earth so receptive is its natural greenhouse effect, which keeps the planet at an average of 15°C (59°F). But in the last century or so, humans have interfered with the planet's energy balance, mainly by burning fossil fuels, adding carbon dioxide to the air. The level of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has been constantly rising for decades and traps additional heat on the Earth's surface, causing temperatures to rise.