Excerpt from the Southwest Climate Change Network, written by Zack Guido, University of Arizona
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor are naturally part of the Earth’s atmosphere. These gases act as powerful amplifiers of temperature, helping elevate the average temperature in the lower atmosphere to a comfortable 60° Fahrenheit. Without greenhouse gases, the average near-surface conditions would be cold enough to freeze water, at approximately 0°F.
The greenhouse gas effect functions by trapping in the …