Why does burning fossil fuels create a problem?
The sun radiates heat to earth, and as it is very hot this radiation contains high frequencies – visible light and ultra violet light. This high frequency light can pass right through the atmosphere, heating up the surface of the earth. As the surface warms up it will also radiate heat. The temperature of the warmed soil is considerably less that that of the sun, so this means the radiated heat is of a lower frequency. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide act like the glass in a greenhouse, capturing the lower frequency heat re-radiated from the earth s surface This causes heat to build up in certain areas, affecting the global climate. The greater the concentration of greenhouse gases, the greater the effect. The only thing we know for certain about climate change is that it is unpredictable. It alters the way our weather works, making it even less reliable, causing very serious problems in many areas of the world. Climate change is very unlikely to produce nice warm weather patter
