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TILclimate
Wait, how do greenhouse gases actually warm the planet?
Oct 5, 2023
Desiree Plata, an associate professor at MIT, explains how greenhouse gases trap heat and why they are significant. She discusses the role of methane and compares it to CO2. The urgency to address methane emissions and reduce CO2 levels is emphasized.
14:35
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Quick takeaways
- Greenhouse gases act like a blanket, trapping heat and causing the greenhouse effect.
- CO2 remains the primary driver of climate change due to its long lifespan and large volume in the atmosphere, while methane has a greater warming potential but is short-lived.
Deep dives
The Greenhouse Effect: How Greenhouse Gases Keep Heat from Escaping
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, act like a blanket over the earth, trapping heat from escaping into space. When solar energy reaches the Earth, it is absorbed by land, oceans, and trees, which then emit warm infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and release this infrared energy, causing some of it to return to Earth. This process, known as the greenhouse effect, is responsible for almost twice as much heat as direct sunlight. The dance moves of atoms within the molecules of greenhouse gases, such as CO2 and methane, enable them to effectively capture and emit infrared radiation, making them potent contributors to climate change.
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