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The earth is surrounded by an atmosphere of air, made up of a number of gases. These greenhouse gases prevent some of the sun's heat (infrared radiation) from reflecting back into space. If this greenhouse blanket was not there the surface of the earth would be about minus 18 degrees C (0ºF), instead of its present average temperature of 15 degrees C (59ºF). So this natural greenhouse effect is very useful.

One of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2).

About 200 years ago humans started pumping extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when the first factories began. Today the concentration of carbon dioxide is 35 per cent greater that it was in the 18th century. We have increased other greenhouse gases too, like methane, nitrous oxide and ozone.

These increased amounts of greenhouse gases trap more infrared radiation and the earth's lower atmosphere is warming up. This is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect and is causing global warming, which, in turn, is causing climate change. This is made worse by deforestation because plants take in CO2 and without them, less carbon dioxide is taken in, which in turn traps more heat.

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