Earth Science Report: "The Greenhouse Effect"

What's the deal with this "greenhouse effect"? What basically is the Greenhouse Effect? Why is it called greenhouse? What's its difference with the greenhouses we see in gardens? What is it major effects on our environment? Are we responsible? Could we do something about it? In contrast, what is a "green living"?

Recently, celebrities have been gathering support to help our environment preserve itself from destruction. A green living. Unfortunately, some individuals do not stay motivated even after artists from all walks persuade and lead everyone to segregate trash, to use fluorescent bulb, buy green cars or just walk the few blocks ahead... So how should we convince everyone to live a healthy living for our planet, and, our future generations? Perhaps we could find the answer if we try to see and understand the actual effects of too careless a living. The Greenhouse Effect.

This is how the greenhouse effect works on our planet. Basically, greenhouse gases such as methane, ozone O3, water vapor, and carbon dioxide abound and poison the atmosphere of our planet.

Because we do not eliminate these gases through environmentally safe practices, these greenhouse gases continue to absorb infrared radiation coming in from the heat of the sun. Instead of bouncing back the radiation away from our planet, it becomes trapped by the greenhouse gases. Hence, our planet becomes hotter more and more than usual. Global Warming (and more occurrences of more ‘acidic' acid rains).

The greenhouse effect phenomenon is called such because the effect is similar to the workings of a greenhouse, wherein heat is absorbed by the glass and so keeps the air warm for the plants inside the greenhouse.

On the contrary, our planet as a greenhouse is hazardous for us humans. It has been contended that in a total of a hundred percent of solar radiation coming in to our planet, only 30 percent is reflected back into outer space, while the remaining 70 percent becomes trapped in our planet because of the presence of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

With these information, everyone could take a step back before increasing industrial activities, fossil fuel burning, cement production, destruction of our flora, and such un-healthy planet practices.

We need to significantly reduce the greenhouse gases concentration present in our atmosphere. What do you think will happen to us if we don't?