This topic takes on average 30 minutes to read.
There are a number of interactive features in this resource:
The diagram on the right displays the greenhouse effect.
Though the greenhouse effect is required to make sure that the Earth stays warm enough for life, global warming means that it is amplified, and the Earth is getting too hot.
Usually, energy from the Sun returns to space as infrared radiation. However, greenhouse gases can absorb the infrared radiation and re-radiate it back towards the Earth. This prevents the Earth from cooling down.