How does the greenhouse effect affect weather and living things on Earth?
The greenhouse effect is caused by various compounds in the air (including water vapor and carbon dioxide) that absorb infrared radiation emanating from the earth after solar rays hit the surface (they lose energy when they hit and come off at lower energy, which usually comes off as infrared). If there were no infrared-absorbing compounds in the atmosphere, the average temperature on the Earth’s surface would be about -60 degrees Fahrenheit, even though 99% of the Earth’s atmosphere does not absorb infrared radiation (the three major components, N2, O2, and Ar are molecules which do not have dipole moments and cannot absorb infrared radiation). As such, the greenhouse effect allows Earth to be warmer on average than it would normally, given the distance from the Sun, etc. The problem lies in the increase in carbon dioxide due to the burning of fossil fuels, etc. and the decrease in plant life which cannot help to convert the CO2 into O2 via photosynthesis. Increased CO2 in the atmosph
