The+Chemistry+of+the+Greenhouse+Effect+3.

=**__Chemistry of the Greenhouse Effect 3__**= media type="custom" key="3001528"

__**THE PROCESS**__
Greenhouse gases, which include water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane, warm the atmosphere by efficiently absorbing thermal infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, by the atmosphere itself, and by clouds. As a result of its warmth, the atmosphere also radiates thermal infrared in all directions, including downward to the Earth’s surface. Thus, greenhouse gases trap heat within the surface-troposphere system. Fossil fuels also contribute to the Greenhouse Effect, as they help mask the atmosphere, causing the infrared radiation to stay trapped and warm the Earth.

__**THE IMPORTANCE**__
Although the greenhouse effect causes global warming, and is turning into a major problem, it is what keeps the Earth at a regulated, controlled temperature. This planet would be significantly colder if greenhouse gasses were not trapped in the atmosphere. All thermal infrared radiation not absorbed by the Earth would pass through the atmosphere, leaving the Earth about 33°C cooler than the current average. This would mean the highest expected temperature would be just over freezing. Also, it would make the atmosphere non-life-supporting without the greenhouse gasses.

**__THE CHEMISTRY__**
The chemistry of the greenhouse effect is as follows: The radiation from the sun travels to Earth in order to heat the planet. Normally, the radiation radiates off of the Earth once it has reached it, heating the atmosphere and dissipating back into space. However, due to greenhouse gases and smog, the radiation is blocked from dissipating into space and instead reflects back onto the Earth, thus heating the planet further. The chemicals in the gases and smog act like a seal to the radiation because they cannot react with one another to pass through, meaning the radiation cannot pass through those chemicals like it can with most normal chemicals in the Earth's atmosphere.

Here is a list of some of the more important chemicals in the greenhouse effect process:

Carbon dioxide - This is the most important chemical. This is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect because not only does it resist the radiation, but it also is one of the main chemicals being actively burned into the atmosphere by humans.

Methane - Methane is the second most important. Like carbon dioxide, it is actively being expelled into the atmosphere by humans, and it also blocks the radiation's escape back into space.

Nitrous oxide - Nitrous oxide is a recent discovery in terms of the greenhouse effect. It is actively being expelled into the atmosphere, but there is not a lot of it accumulated at this time. Left unchecked, it could become a potential threat like Carbon dioxide or Methane.

Chlorofluorocarbon - Very similar to Nitrous oxide due to the fact that there is not a great accumulation of it yet. This is the main chemical that is eating away at the ozone leyer. It is the strongest by far of any greenhouse gas, but there is not enough of it at the moment to pose a volatile threat.

__VIDEOS ON GLOBAL WARMING AND THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT__
media type="youtube" key="mF_anaVcCXg" height="344" width="425" __**How It All Ends**__ Greg Craven, a science teacher from Corvallis, Oregon, talks about the end of the world due to global warming, and how to decide if you're an activist or a skepticist on the subject.

media type="youtube" key="S_DxOJPLWgo" height="344" width="425" __**Greenhouse Olympics Ski**__ A Ski Slalom race gone horribly wrong courtesy of the greenhouse effect. This shows a side-effect of what could happen if the world heats up too much to the point where it interferes with the Winter Olympics.

media type="youtube" key="p7psh4uhs7o" height="344" width="425" A small snippet from Al Gore's "An Inconvienient Truth" using an educational cartoon from Matt Groening's "Futurama". This illustrates the point we are trying to make in the fact that the greenhouse effect and global warming are problems that need to be solved out thoroughly.
 * __Global Warming or: NONE LIKE IT HOT!__**

media type="youtube" key="98VT44zaCJg" height="344" width="425" A small promotional ad for Al Gore's "An Inconvienient Truth".
 * __An Inconvienient Truth Promo, Featuring Al Gore and Bender__**