Top of PageWhat are greenhouse gases (GHGs)?
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) refer to gases in the atmosphere that absorb heat radiated from Earth. Together, GHGs act like a blanket reducing heat loss, similar to the way the glass of a greenhouse warms the air inside the greenhouse. This “greenhouse effect” is a natural phenomenon that creates warmer conditions on Earth and makes life, as we know it, possible. Concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere have grown significantly since pre-industrial times largely because of the burning of fossil fuels and permanent forest loss. The rise in greenhouse gas concentrations is amplifying the natural greenhouse effect and warming the planet ,affecting wind patterns, precipitation, and storm events.
