Justin DiBenedetto
9-25-14
Science
Intro
The “Greenhouse effect” refers to gasses like methane, carbon dioxide, by refracting sunlight like windows in a house. It keeps the heat inside. Holding this heat in the environment causes heat waves, droughts, and climate changes which could alter many things, as we know it. Without the greenhouse effect the average temperature on earth would be about -16 degrees Celsius. But with too much of the green house effect the gasses keep to much heat in causing a rise in the average temperature everywhere.

Methane is one of the gasses that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Methane can be used for heating or cooling in houses, cooking and many other things. Methane is just one carbon molecule surrounded by four hydrogen molecules. It is one of the most important gasses because it helps create natural gas through technological processes. It is a natural substance that is made just like a natural gas is made. Methane is created from biomass (standing vegetation aquatic crops, forestry and agricultural residues and animal waste and also can be created by humans. It can also be produced under ground and can stay there for hundreds and hundreds of years. It can get out through the ice crystals in the artic. Once out of the ground it will break down anywhere from 9-15 years. Once it is broken down it will completely break down into water vapor and carbon. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methane is more than 20 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, making it one of the most potent gasses contributing to the “greenhouse effect”. Last year alone it was responsible for 16 percent of greenhouse gas emissions created by humans. Methane though is a double-edged sword because it 20 times more effective at trapping heat but it produces less emission when burned then gas or oil. One way Methane is released into the earth is by escaping during the gas exploration process. The gas exploration process is the process of looking for oil/natural gas around the world. Other natural ways is grazing animals, volcanic eruptions, and some land plants. Unnatural ways it’s released into the environment is by gas burning, landfills, and many others. Landfill many people may not know but when the trash is breaking down it is releasing methane into the environment.
Carbon dioxide a colorless, odorless toxic flammable gas formed by incomplete combustion of carbon. Carbon dioxide is also called Co2. The biggest suppliers to the

CO2 increase are volcanic eruptions, respiration by living organisms, decay of organisms, and the farming of land. One of the biggest ways it is created is from the burning of fossil fuels. Per year we use about 82.4 million barrels per day. Carbon dioxide plays an important part in vital plant and animal process, such as photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis is the process in which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Without Photosynthesis the world could not function. Herbivores would not have any plants to eat and would end up dying. Carnivores and Omnivores would die because there is no meat to be eaten. So we cant eliminate CO2 it just can be over produce