Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

The Greenhouse Effect

skip through navigation (Access Key = S ) Jump to Accessibility Information (Access Key = 0 ) Jump to Home Page (Access Key = 1 ) Jump to News (Access Key = 2 ) Jump to Site Map (Access Key = 3 ) Jump to Search Box (Access Key = 4 ) Jump to Frequently Asked Questions (Access Key = 5 ) Jump to Help Page (Access Key = 6 ) Jump to Complaints (Access Key = 7 ) Jump to Terms and Conditions (Access Key = 8 ) Jump to Feedback Form (Access Key = 9 ) Jump to content (Access Key = N ) Jump to Business and Advice (Access Key = B ) Jump to Leisure and Culture (Access Key = C ) Jump to Council and Community Diary (Access Key = M ) Jump to Environment and Planning (Access Key = V ) Jump to Community and Learning (Access Key = G ) Jump to Do It Online (Access Key = O ) Jump to Children and Young People (Access Key = P ) Jump to A to Z Services (Access Key = T ) Jump to Your Council (Access Key = Y ) Jump to A too Z site Index (Access Key = Z ) jump to Read Speaker functionality (Access Key = L) Jump to Printer Friendly Version (Access Key = F) Jump to Text Only (Access Key = J) Jump to Graphical (Access Key = K)

Home Do it Online Your Council Leisure Environment and Planning Business and Advice Community and Learning

Building Control | Cemeteries | Environment | Hengrove FAQ's | Housing | Land drainage and flooding | Planning Policy and Implementation | Development Control | Parking | Local Development Framework (Spelthorne Development Plan) | Planning | Permitted Development Rights | Pollution | Rubbish, recycling, garden waste and street cleaning | Street scene | Transport and travel | Making an application | Climate Change | Energy efficiency |

What is climate change? | What it will mean | What you can do | What we are doing | For kids | Grants | FAQ | Links

The Greenhouse Effect | Facts and Figures

The greenhouse effect is the name given to the system that provides us with a relatively mild climate. Without the greenhouse effect, the changes in temperature between day and night would make the planet uninhabitable. The greenhouse effect works by retaining and dissipating energy from the sun, originally reflected from the Earth’s surface, back into the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is only a matter for concern when it is exaggerated by human activities. By adding greenhouse gases to the system, such as carbon dioxide and methane we are increasing the strength of the greenhouse effect. This ‘enhanced’ greenhouse effect is what causes the increases of temperature known as global warming and the resulting climate change. Greenhouse gases The term ‘greenhouse gases’ covers the trace gases in the atmosphere, which despite only accounting for 1% have a huge effect on the climate. The levels of these gases in the atmosphere stay reasonably constant due to the various cycles occurring all around us all the time. By burning fossil fuels we are adding extra carbon to the system, carbon that has been locked up for tens of thousands of years. This is more than the system can absorb and produces the increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. This causes the enhancement for the greenhouse effect. Additional to this, we are increasing the levels of methane and nitrous oxide through agriculture and changes in land use and ozone from sources such as vehicle exhaust.
Graphical Version l  Text Only 
Contact Us l  A-Z Index l  Site Map 

© Spelthorne Copyright 2003   l  Privacy Policy l  Terms & conditions l  Translate l  Accessibility