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Because approximately 200 years ago industrialization started.
Until 200 years ago, the earth was always able to cope with the natural greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (abbreviated as CO2) which is released from natural sources like soil, vegetation and oceans.
The system the earth uses to cope with its own CO2 is called the Carbon Cycle. These mentioned natural sources not only emit CO2 into the atmosphere, they also re-capture and store it. These are called natural Carbon Sinks. This way earth was always able to keep some sort of balance of the CO2 in the atmosphere.
But that all has changed since the beginning of industrialization approximately 200 years ago when we humans started to burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas adding additional amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. Contrary to the natural Carbon Cycle, we humans only add CO2, we do not remove any as the earth does.
A common argument among people who do not believe in Climate Change is that human CO2 contribution is just a tiny part. That is true, earth emits approximately 97% while we humans account for the remaining 3%. But our 3% is sufficient to disturb the Carbon Cycle's balance. And earth re-captures its CO2 and stores it while we only add to it.
Earth is however able to capture some of our CO2 emissions but that amount is limited, around 40% at present and only decreases as we continue to remove natural carbon sinks (ie, deforestation).
See CO2 Graphic link below which clearly indicates the rise in atmospheric CO2 since the beginning of industrialization.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, have always been present in the Earth's atmosphere. However, their levels were relatively stable until about 200 years ago when human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, started releasing significant amounts of these gases into the atmosphere. This increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, leading to the enhanced greenhouse effect and subsequent climate change.
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Can greenhouse gases be beneficial to life on earth?
Yes, greenhouse gases are part of the natural greenhouse effect. The gases absorb the heat coming off the surface of the earth and become warm. This warming has kept the earth warm enough for life for millions of years.
How do gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?
Green house gases can cause great pollution to the atmoshprere and that leads to global warming and that can make life on earth extremely hard.
How humans change the atmosphere of the planet in the past 200 years?
They have increased the levels of greenhouse gases.
What are the Benefits of Natural Greenhouse Gases?
one pro is that it helps regulate earths temperature, but with fossil fuals which emites greenhouse gases it makes earth get hotter. and that's how you get global warming.
Greenhouse gases- how do they affect us?
Greenhouse gases have been working with the heat from the sun to keep the earth comfortably warm for millions of years. The gases absorb some of the heat from the warmed earth and keep it from escaping into space. When greenhouse gas levels increase, as they are from recent human activity, they retain more heat and the earth warms up.
Can greenhouse gases be beneficial to life on earth?
Yes, greenhouse gases are part of the natural greenhouse effect. The gases absorb the heat coming off the surface of the earth and become warm. This warming has kept the earth warm enough for life for millions of years.
Why was the greenhouse effect not a problem in the fast?
Greenhouse gases have been a problem in the past, but he main reason why we're so concerned about them now is that humans are contributing to greenhouse gases more now than ever before. We are burning fuels for factories and cars, and all of human activities have had an increased use of energy as the years have gone by, what with new technology such as laptops, TVs, and so on... The population explosion and the increases in standard of living for nearly everybody creates an exponential increase in the use of resources not least of which are the fuels and other chemicals that are or turn into greenhouse gases.
How do gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?
Green house gases can cause great pollution to the atmoshprere and that leads to global warming and that can make life on earth extremely hard.
Are greenhouse gases just a theory?
Greenhouse gases do exist and are not just a theory. Scientists have known for hundreds of years that some atmospheric gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and others) absorb heat rising from the surface of the earth.
Do greenhouse gases stop the earth from freezing?
They do. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere retain heat rising from the surface of the earth and stop it escaping into space. This keeps the earth comfortably warm and has done for thousands of years.
How humans change the atmosphere of the planet in the past 200 years?
They have increased the levels of greenhouse gases.
How have humans changed the atmosphere of the plant in the past years?
They have increased the levels of the greenhouse gases.(Apex)
Why is an increase in greenhouse gases the main cause of global warming?
Greenhouse gases have kept the planet warm enough for life for millions of years.However, since the Industrial Revolution (250 years ago) we discovered that we could burn coal and oil to drive machinery and transport. Then we used it to generate electricity. Burning fossil fuels released carbon that had been hidden underground for millions of years. It is this extra carbon dioxide that is adding to the greenhouse gases, turning the greenhouse effect into an enhanced greenhouse effect. This is causing global warming.
What are the Benefits of Natural Greenhouse Gases?
one pro is that it helps regulate earths temperature, but with fossil fuals which emites greenhouse gases it makes earth get hotter. and that's how you get global warming.
Greenhouse gases- how do they affect us?
Greenhouse gases have been working with the heat from the sun to keep the earth comfortably warm for millions of years. The gases absorb some of the heat from the warmed earth and keep it from escaping into space. When greenhouse gas levels increase, as they are from recent human activity, they retain more heat and the earth warms up.
How have humans changed the atmosphere of the plants in the past 200 years?
They have increased the levels of the greenhouse gases.(Apex)
How have humans changed the atmosphere of the planted in the past 200 years?
They have increased the levels of the greenhouse gases.(Apex)
