What are Greenhouse Gases?

Greenhouse gases help to make the earth's atmosphere act like a greenhouse - a greenhouse (or glasshouse) is good for growing plants because it traps heat inside and stays hotter than the atmosphere around it.

Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, help to trap some of the warmth from the sun in our atmosphere. This is called the 'greenhouse effect'. Without it, Earth would be far too cold to support the diverse life that it does.

As you have seen from the crime scene, greenhouse gases come from both natural and man-made sources. Because of the fuels we burn, the energy that we use, and the pollution that we release into the atmosphere, we are now contributing to the warming of the earth, which affects the climate.

Test your knowledge on climate change with the quiz!