The Greenhouse Effect

Introduction Year after year, we, as humans, try to make our planet better than what it previously was. As we go through our daily lives, we try to improve our surroundings and make things better and more convenient. We do, though, on occasion, make our planet “worse”. One of the ways we do this is through the releasing of greenhouse gases – or, too many greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and keep Earth warm through a process called the greenhouse effect (Greenhouse Effect). Although it is necessary that the Earth has this greenhouse effect, there is fear that increasing levels of greenhouse gases are resulting in too much of a greenhouse effect. “The problem we now face is that human activities – particularly

This is commonly known as what humans “breathe out” and plants “breathe in”. This is, though, the most common chemical that is found in the problem of the increasing greenhouse effect. It is a byproduct of many different everyday activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, certain chemical reactions, tree products, and many other events. Carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere much faster than it is removed – especially as the centuries go on. “Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle” (Overview of Greenhouse Gases). With increasing amounts of technology (example: vehicles) and less plants on Earth (more urban areas), there is a trend of too much carbon dioxide entering the Earth’s atmosphere – thus increasing the atmosphere’s greenhouse effect and warming Earth’s

This gas is typically thought of when referring to medical term “laughing gas,” which is used to put patients into a euphoric state to lesser their pain during procedures. This gas does, though, also contributes to the increasing level of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. In fact, “When compared to carbon dioxide, it has 298 times the ability per molecule of gas to trap heat in the atmosphere” (Nitrous Oxide). This is, too, largely due to human acts. “Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste” (Overview of Greenhouse Gases). This is just another example of how we, as humans, are slowly destroying our Earth. We are emitting this gas, nitrous oxide, into the Earth’s atmosphere only to have it trap heat and warm up our planet. We have to minimize the amount of nitrous oxide that is emitted into the