Managing Our Environment

Question 1

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 1

Natural process where heat from Sun is trapped in our atmosphere by greenhouse gases, e.g. carbon dioxide and methane.
Keeps Earth warm enough for us to live on it.
Without greenhouse effect, planet would be freezing and nothing could survive.

Question 2

What is the process of the greenhouse effect?

Answer 2

1. Sun’s heat passes directly through greenhouse gases.
2. Earth is warmed.
3. Some heat is trapped by greenhouse gases.
4. Some heat escapes into space.
5. Increase in greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests.
6. Less heat can escape into space.
7. More heat is trapped. The Earth is warmed up more and faster.

Question 3

What is a carbon footprint?

Answer 3

Measure to of amount of greenhouse gases produced by person, organisation or activity in given time such as a year.
All gases are converted into equivalent weight of carbon dioxide to make it simpler to compare how harmful different activities are.