Greenhouse Gas
- Editorial Team | WIAN
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
/ ˈɡriːn.haʊs ɡæs / noun /
RE: CLIMATE, EMISSIONS, ENVIRONMENT, GLOBAL WARMING, POLLUTION
A greenhouse gas is a gas in the atmosphere that traps heat, making the Earth warmer. These gases are a major cause of climate change because they stop heat from escaping into space, similar to how the glass of a greenhouse holds in warmth.
The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). They come from everyday human activities. For example, petrol and diesel cars release CO₂ from burning fuel. The more cars on the road, the more emissions are added to the atmosphere. In farming, cows and sheep produce methane as part of their digestion, and large-scale livestock farming adds significantly to global methane levels.
Greenhouse gases also come from energy use in homes, deforestation, and some industrial processes. Reducing these emissions is key to slowing global warming, which is why they are a major focus of climate agreements like the Paris Agreement.
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