The greenhouse effect is important to life on Earth, without it the Earth would be far too cold for us. But some scientists are concerned that humans are producing too many greenhouse gases, and that we may be warming the Earth too much. The first step to a safe future is to be aware of the possible problems. Next we must study climate and atmospheric trends, which will take many years of observation. NASA is very involved in these studies, measuring greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from satellites in space. As we develop a deeper understanding of climate trends, we can better predict what affects we have on our environment, and how to ensure a healthy future.
The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring process that aids in heating the Earth's surface and atmosphere. It results from the fact that certain atmospheric gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane, are able to change the energy balance of the planet by absorbing longwave radiation emitted from the Earth's surface. Without the greenhouse effect life on this planet would probably not exist as the average temperature of the Earth would be a chilly -18 Celsius, rather than the present 15 Celsius.
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