Science Common Sense

884 - What is the greenhouse effect, and how does it relate to climate change?

The greenhouse effect is like a big hug for the Earth. When the sun's rays heat the Earth, some of that heat escapes back into space. But certain gases in the air, like carbon dioxide and methane, trap some of the heat, keeping the Earth warm enough for us to live.

Imagine you're in a car on a sunny day. If you roll up the windows, the car gets hotter because the heat is trapped inside. That's kind of like what these greenhouse gases do to the Earth.

Now, climate change happens when there's too much of these greenhouse gases in the air, trapping too much heat. This causes the Earth to get warmer and warmer, leading to problems like super-strong storms, melting ice caps, and really hot summers.

Think of it like this: the greenhouse effect is natural and helps the Earth stay warm. But climate change is when the greenhouse effect gets out of balance because of things people have done, like burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees.