In fact, greenhouse gases prevent the Earth from turning into a planet covered in ice by trapping some of the infrared radiation coming from the sun within the atmosphere.

However, due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale, these gases trap much more solar radiation compared to the past. As a result, the Earth’s surface is warming more and more, leading to disruptions in natural balances. This warming caused by greenhouse gases is called the “greenhouse effect”.

The most common greenhouse gases released by human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases (F-gases), and water vapor, which has a strong heat-trapping ability.

The effects of greenhouse gases need to be examined from three perspectives: their concentration in the atmosphere, their lifetimes in the atmosphere, and their global warming potential.

The most common greenhouse gases, their sources and their effects

Carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, comes mainly from transportation (especially aviation), energy production, and industry.

The concentration of methane in the atmosphere is lower and its lifetime shorter than that of carbon dioxide, but it is about 25 times more effective at trapping heat. The main sources of methane emissions are livestock, energy and industry, as well as household and business waste.

Nitrous oxide is found in the atmosphere in smaller amounts; however, it is about 300 times more effective than carbon dioxide, making it a dangerous gas. Its main sources include synthetic fertilizers used in agriculture, chemicals such as pesticides, and livestock.