The greenhouse effect is a natural process in which greenhouse gases trap heat radiated from the earth’s surface and reradiate it back to the earth’s surface. The major green house gases are carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. The green house effect keeps the earth pleasantly warm. However, we are producing too many greenhouse gases that absorb more heat and warm the earth too much. Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas.
Due to excessive burning of fossil fuels and other carbon containing, fuels, and large scale deforestation, there has been an excessive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The increasing carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere has led to excessive heating of the earth’s surface. This phenomenon of increasing air temperatures near the earth’s surface is called global warming.