1. The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

2. The greenhouse effect is not the same event as enhanced greenhouse effect (global warming).
Greenhouse effect: the process which causes the surface of the Earth to be warmer than in the absence of an atmosphere.

3. Greenhouse Effect
Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth.
The Earth radiates this energy back towards space.
Some of the energy is absorbed and re-emitted by the greenhouse gases.

4. Greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
These make up less than 1% of our atmosphere.

5. In a sense, some of the energy is “trapped” in the atmosphere by these gases making the Earth warmer.
As long as the amount of greenhouse gases stays the same and the amount of energy coming from the sun is constant, an average temperature will be maintained.

6. Many scientists think that increasing concentrations of the greenhouse gases will lead to an increase in the world’s average temperature.
So, what could happen?

7. This phenomenon is called the enhanced greenhouse effect or global warming.

8. Is the greenhouse effect bad for the Earth?

9. No, without it, the Earth would be approximately -18. C (just above 0
No, without it, the Earth would be approximately -18*C (just above 0*F) instead of 16*C.
This would affect life as we know it.
So, what is the problem?

10. We saw that climate change and global warming is affecting the artic, do you still think that it is affecting the fauna of Yellowstone?