Greenhouse Effect: Understanding the Impact of Human Activities

How do human activities affect the greenhouse effect?

A. create the greenhouse effect

B. eliminate the greenhouse effect

C. exacerbate the natural greenhouse effect

D. diminish the greenhouse effect

Answer:

A. create the greenhouse effect

Explanation:

Greenhouse effect is the warming of the planet due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trapping infrared radiation reflecting from the earth's surface.

Explanation:

The earth has a natural greenhouse effect that comes from natural events like volcanoes that spew gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Even wildlife and bacteria produce carbon dioxide and methane from respiration. These greenhouse gases maintain a relatively safe greenhouse effect that keeps the planet warm. Without the greenhouse effect, the earth's average temperatures would be -18 degrees centigrade. The greenhouse gases are regulated by uptake by carbon sinks like forests.

However, humans have exacerbated this greenhouse effect by spewing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (more than it is taken up by processes like photosynthesis) hence increasing the greenhouse effect responsible for increasing global temperatures.