Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect

Carbon Dioxide is removed from the air and stored in various places:

CARBON is present in the atmosphere as CO2. Many processes lead to CO2 being released (burning FOSSIL FUELS) Too much CO2 in the atmosphere can lead to GLOBAL WARMING. CO2 can be 'sequested' in natural stores including: LAKES, RIVERS and OCEANS. GREEN PLANTS where it is stored for CARBON COMPOUNDS- green plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere during PHOTOSYNTHESIS. PEAT BOGS- Areas of land that are acidic and waterlogged. ^ REALLY IMPORTANT removes CO2 from the atmosphere.

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Global Warming

The earth is gradually heating up because of the increasing levels of GREENHOUSE GASES. GLOBAL WARMING is a type of CLIMATE CHANGE and causes other types of climate change (changing rainfall patterns).

CARBON DIOXIDE and METHANE TRAP HEAT from the SUN

The temperature of the earth is a BALANCE between the HEAT it gets from the SUN and the HEAT it radiates back out into space.

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There are several GREENHOUSE GASES in the atmosphere to keep the heat in, the main ones we worry about are CARBON DIOXIDE and METHANE because the levels are risng sharply.

Gases in the atmosphere naturally act like an INSULATING LAYER.

They absorb most of the heat that would normally be RADIATED out into space and RE-RADIATE it in all directions.- If this did not happen then at night there would be nothing to keep the heat in, and we would quickly get very cold.