Understanding Global Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect

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Understanding Global Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect

What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?

  • Weather is the current condition of the atmosphere—temperature, rain, wind, and so on—right now.

  • Climate refers to long-term patterns and averages of weather in a region—over decades or centuries.

In short, weather is what’s happening today, climate is the big picture over time.

The Greenhouse Effect: Nature's Thermal Blanket

Our Earth is wrapped in an atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen and oxygen, but a small group of gases called greenhouse gases play an outsized role in maintaining Earth’s temperature.

Here’s what happens:

  1. Solar radiation from the Sun enters Earth's atmosphere.

  2. Some of it is absorbed by the Earth’s surface, warming the planet.

  3. Some of the heat is reflected back toward space.

  4. Greenhouse gases trap some of this outgoing heat—just like a greenhouse traps warmth inside.

That’s the greenhouse effect—and it's crucial. Without it, Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it.

So Why Is Global Climate Change a Problem?

The issue isn’t the greenhouse effect itself—it's how human activities have supercharged it.

When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and natural gas) or engage in large-scale farming, we release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That traps more heat than normal, leading to:

  • Rising global temperatures

  • More extreme weather events

  • Disrupted ecosystems

  • Melting ice caps and rising sea levels

Major Greenhouse Gases You Should Know

  • Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

    • Released by burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and respiration.

  • Methane (CH₄)

    • Comes from agriculture (cow farts), landfills, and natural gas.

These gases aren’t bad in themselves—but in excess, they throw off Earth’s natural balance.

Why Some Places Change Temperatures

Climate change doesn’t hit everywhere the same. Some regions experience rising heatwaves, while others get colder or wetter.

That’s why we call it climate change and not just global warming.

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