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Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect refers to the way in which gases in the Earth’s atmosphere warm the Earth like the glass roof of a greenhouse—by letting sunlight in but keeping the reflected heat energy trapped inside. These naturally occurring gases, notably carbon dioxide and water vapour, are called greenhouse gases.
When sunlight reaches the Earth, most of it passes directly through the layer of greenhouse gases in the form of short-wave, or ultraviolet, radiation. The solar energy is absorbed by the Earth's surface, where it changes into heat energy, in the form of long-wave, or infrared, radiation. Some of this long-wave heat energy escapes back into space, but the greenhouse gases block much of it, reflecting it back to keep the surface of the Earth warm.

Under normal conditions, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere remains constant, and trees absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide that people produce. But in recent decades, our planet is supporting more people and fewer trees, leaving an excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels and using products that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) also increase the level of greenhouse gases, which then enhance the greenhouse effect by reflecting more heat energy back to the Earth. As a result of human activity, these gases may reflect enough radiation to raise the Earth's temperature. several degrees, which would cause flooding and dramatic changes in the world climate.