Greenhouse gas

hide

Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. Common greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. In our solar system, the atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without them, Earth's surface would be on average about 33°C (59°F) colder than at present.

Human activities since the start of the industrial era around 1750 have increased the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The 2007 assessment report compiled by the IPCC observed that "changes in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols, land cover and solar radiation alter the energy balance of the climate system", and concluded that "increases in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations is very likely to have caused most of the increases in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century".

For more information about Greenhouse gas, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with carbon emissions

results timeline


Commuters wait on the platform shrouded by fog in London

Climate change not man-made, say majority of Britons: poll

Space & Earth / Environment

created Nov 15, 2009 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (16) | comments 47

Less than half of Britons believes that human activity is to blame for global warming, according to a poll carried out for The Times newspaper and published on Saturday.


Researchers Discover Use for Carbon Dioxide in Conversion of Biomass Into Biofuel

Researchers Discover Use for Carbon Dioxide in Conversion of Biomass Into Biofuel

Space & Earth / Environment

created Nov 11, 2009 | popularity 3.6 / 5 (14) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Columbia University have successfully discovered a beneficial use for carbon dioxide in the conversion of organic materials, such as grass and bark, into fuel. Their findings ...


China is now the world's top producer of the solar power cells

China solar panel makers see boost from Copenhagen

Technology / Energy

created Dec 03, 2009 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 2

In Trina Solar's brilliant white factory in eastern China, masked workers in lab coats turn silicon wafers into solar power cells capable of harnessing the sun's clean and limitless energy.


Australian scientists call for urgent 'global cooling' to save coral reefs

Space & Earth / Environment

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity 1.8 / 5 (5) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Australian marine scientists have issued an urgent call for massive and rapid worldwide cuts in carbon emissions, deep enough to prevent atmospheric CO2 levels rising to 450 parts per million (ppm).


The end of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon?

Space & Earth / Environment

created Dec 03, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

A new article in the December 4 issue of Science addresses how the combined efforts of government commitments and market transition could save forest and reduce carbon emissions in Brazil. The Policy Forum brief, entitled "The E ...


ORNL, Los Alamos pioneer new approach to assist scientists, farmers

Space & Earth / Environment

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Los Alamos ...


Cautious conservation: How to ensure that slowing global warming will protect biodiversity

Biology / Ecology

created Nov 16, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

While it is clear that massive destruction of tropical rainforests poses a serious threat to the incredibly rich biodiversity found on Earth, other hazards are not so explicit. An international group of prominent scientists ...


New forest fire detection system prototype installed at Lake Tahoe

New forest fire detection system prototype installed at Lake Tahoe

Space & Earth / Environment

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Graham Kent, Nevada Seismological Laboratory director at the University of Nevada, Reno is leading the installation, testing and maintenance of a novel way to monitor forests fires and other environmental ...