Related topics: climate change



Greenhouse gas

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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 greenhouse gases

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sky, sun

Scientists: No link cloud coverage and global warming

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created May 11, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (89) | comments 35

With the U.S. Congress beginning to consider regulations on greenhouse gases, a troubling hypothesis about how the sun may impact global warming is finally laid to rest.


EPA closer to global warming warning (Update)

Space & Earth / Environment

created Mar 23, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (79) | comments 5

(AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first step on the long road to regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.


EPA finds greenhouse gases pose a danger to health

Space & Earth / Environment

created Apr 17, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (75) | comments 9

(AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency concluded Friday that greenhouse gases linked to climate change "endanger public health and welfare," setting the stage for regulating them under federal clean air laws.


Racing the clock: Rapid climate change forces scientists to evaluate extreme conservation strategies

Biology / Ecology

created May 25, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (76) | comments 8

Scientists are, for the first time, objectively evaluating ways to help species adapt to rapid climate change and other environmental threats via strategies that were considered too radical for serious consideration as recently ...


Ice-free Arctic Ocean possible in 30 years, not 90 as previously estimated

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Apr 02, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (62) | comments 20

(PhysOrg.com) -- A nearly ice-free Arctic Ocean in the summer may happen three times sooner than scientists have estimated. New research says the Arctic might lose most of its ice cover in summer in as few ...


Station assistant helps a customer with an emissions test

Obama to unveil dramatic new auto emissions standards

Space & Earth / Environment

created May 19, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (57) | comments 16

A new front in the battle against climate change will open Tuesday, when President Barack Obama unveils sweeping new auto regulations described as equivalent to taking 177 million cars off the road.


Consulting with clouds: A clear role in climate change

Study shows strong evidence that cloud changes may exacerbate global warming

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Jul 23, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (56) | comments 15

The role of clouds in climate change has been a major question for decades. As the earth warms under increasing greenhouse gases, it is not known whether clouds will dissipate, letting in more of the sun's ...


Warner: Climate change a national security issue

Space & Earth / Environment

created Apr 24, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (52) | comments 10

(AP) -- Former Vice President Al Gore, a leading voice on climate change, urged lawmakers Friday to overcome partisan differences and pass legislation to curb greenhouse gases.


Energy Secretary Ed Miliband

Britain launches renewables drive to cut emissions

Space & Earth / Environment

created Jul 15, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (34) | comments 2

Britain announced plans Wednesday to slash emissions with a huge increase in the use of renewable energy to generate one third of the country's electricity needs by 2020.


Keeping slim is good for the planet, say scientists

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Apr 20, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (33) | comments 3

Maintaining a healthy body weight is good news for the environment, according to a study which appears today in the International Journal of Epidemiology.


Mediterranean Sea level could rise by 61 cm

Mediterranean Sea level could rise by 61 cm

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Mar 04, 2009 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (32) | comments 0

A Spanish-British research project has come up with three future scenarios for the effects of climate change on the Mediterranean over the next 90 years, using global models from the Intergovernmental Panel ...


Climate Change and Atmospheric Circulation Will Make for Uneven Ozone Recovery

Climate Change and Atmospheric Circulation Will Make for Uneven Ozone Recovery

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Apr 10, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (28) | comments 6

(PhysOrg.com) -- Earth's ozone layer should eventually recover from the unintended destruction brought on by the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and similar ozone-depleting chemicals in the 20th century. ...


Collection Cylinders

Potent greenhouse gas more prevalent in atmosphere than previously assumed

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 23, 2008 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (36) | comments 15

(PhysOrg.com) -- A powerful greenhouse gas is at least four times more prevalent in the atmosphere than previously estimated, according to a team of researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC ...


V. Ramanathan, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Warming world in range of dangerous consequences

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Sep 17, 2008 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (32) | comments 15

The earth will warm about 2.4° C (4.3° F) above pre-industrial levels even under extremely conservative greenhouse-gas emission scenarios and under the assumption that efforts to clean up particulate pollution ...


Gingrich says climate bill will punish Americans (AP)

Gingrich says climate bill will punish Americans

Space & Earth / Environment

created Apr 24, 2009 | popularity 1.4 / 5 (82) | comments 32

(AP) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says a Democratic proposal to limit global warming pollution will "punish the American people" with higher energy costs and lost jobs. Gingrich appeared before a ...