The greenhouse effect by definition, is the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere, due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to the visible radiation form the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface. The natural greenhouse effect keeps the Earth warm and habitable but the burning of fossil fuels is enhancing the natural greenhouse effect and warming the earth too much. Carbon dioxide is a natural gas in the atmosphere that acts like the glass of a
greenhouse. It lets short wavelength energy
emitted from the sun through to warm the
Earth but cannot let the longer temperature
for life. Humans are increasing the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by
burning fuel for transportation, clearing land
for agriculture and landfills and using
refrigerators and air conditioners.

What Is The Greenhouse Effect?