The Solar Trap or Greenhouse Earth

by Roger Lovejoy

The atmosphere of the earth absorbs more heat when denser, as with increased CO₂. The denser atmosphere is also acting as a heavier duty blanket, keeping more heat in.

Even without human intervention the Earth will go through cycles where heat is absorbed in the land and seas, and re-radiation of solar energy gets trapped in the atmosphere further warming the surface.

With a healthy bio-sphere, if the air contains more CO₂, then plants may grow better and absorb much of the CO₂ as well as direct solar energy. Although plants create water vapour, a greenhouse gas, the creation of more clouds causes cooling due to more Earth-bound solar energy being reflected off the clouds.

The fear is that in burning coal and 'natural gas' we are increasing CO₂ at an alarming rate, with little hope of reducing it before Global Warming heralds in a time of unprecedented strife. Not only are there insufficient plants to absorb the extra CO₂ produced from buring fosil fuels, we are destroying vast areas of forest to entertain bio-fuels, the meat and diary industry, and a plethora of other luxuries such as sugar, tea and coffee.

How exactly does heat get  trapped ?

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