| With global warming still in the fore and still a big | | | | of what we contribute! Nature cycles the carbon |
| issue, a lot of people are still uninformed properly | | | | dioxide through plants and weathering, but human |
| about it! A lot of places are getting warm, forcing | | | | production has sped it up more than nature can |
| quite a number of people to head off to the beach | | | | account for. Majority of man-made carbon dioxide |
| or fan themselves endlessly. Many are still under the | | | | comes from burning fossil fuels and deforestation. |
| assumption that greenhouse gases, which contribute | | | | 3. Methane - This gas causes 4% to 9% of the |
| to making the planet warm, should really go. What | | | | greenhouse effect. Human methane production |
| they don't know is that the primary purpose of | | | | mostly comes from livestock. By itself, it is an |
| those gases is to prevent heat from escaping into | | | | effective greenhouse gas, but it can transforms to |
| space, preventing the world from turning into one | | | | water and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which |
| huge snowball! If they didn't exist, we wouldn't be | | | | makes it quite effective in warming the earth! If that |
| able to live on this planet. This little article will tell you | | | | isn't enough, it also turns into ozone, which is another |
| about the most powerful greenhouse gases in the | | | | greenhouse gas! This is why the amount of methane |
| world. Some may even surprise you. | | | | around is has been more or less constant, and it is |
| 1. Water vapor - Yes. Water. Right on top of the list. | | | | why its effect is considered small since many who |
| Water vapor contributes from 36% to 66% of the | | | | measure it do not include what it turns into. |
| world's greenhouse effect. It's also the most | | | | 4. Ozone - This gas we all know and love as |
| abundant greenhouse gas! Concentrations of water | | | | protector against the sun rays is also a greenhouse |
| vapor fluctuate throughout the world, and humans | | | | gas. It causes only 3% to 7% of the greenhouse |
| don't affect it directly on a large scale. In addition, | | | | effect. Ozone causes irritation to the respiratory |
| warm air caused by the greenhouse effect can carry | | | | system at ground level, but is normally very light at |
| more water vapor, amplifying the greenhouse effect | | | | that level, choosing instead to concentrate higher up. |
| further. However, humidity is constant. The net | | | | However, the concentration of ozone at ground level |
| effect is overall positive, and also protects against | | | | is increasing, because of pollution! This is especially |
| the excess carbon dioxide. | | | | concentrated in populated areas. It decays quickly to |
| 2. Carbon Dioxide - Ah, the gas that many people | | | | normal oxygen. |
| blame for heating up the earth. It contributes 9% to | | | | Now that you know a little bit more about these |
| 26% of the greenhouse effect depending on area. | | | | gases, the question remains. What can we do? What |
| The world's species and environmental cycles | | | | we can, of course. How about you? What do you |
| produce this gas naturally, up to twenty times that | | | | know about greenhouse gases? |