How do greenhouse gases work and what is the greenhouse effect?
When the sun’s energy enters the atmosphere, some of that energy warms up the Earth and atmosphere. Then the energy is re-radiated back into space in the form of infrared radiation. The greenhouse gases soak some of the infrared radiation, preventing it from escaping into space. In a pre-industrial world, just the right amount of the sun’s energy was soaked up by the greenhouse gases. This created a greenhouse effect, a wonderfully balanced system that kept the Earth from becoming too hot like Venus or too cold like Mars.
