Memory Greenhouse GasesVersión en línea Overall, greenhouse gases are a good thing. Without them, our planet would be too cold, and life as we know it would not exist. But there can be too much of a good thing. Scientists are worried that human activities are adding too much of these gases to the atmosphere. So, what are these gases all about? Match the pairs: the positive aspects of a greenhouse with its good super-hero version. For each gas, there are two different sides: the positive and the negative. Enjoy! por Thays Farias Galvao O3 Up in the atmosphere where the planes fly, the ozone layer blocks the sun’s radiation, which helps protect us from the powerful rays. O3 Close to the ground, ozone acts as a greenhouse gas and can be formed by burning gas in cars and factories. H2O This water in gas form, like steam above a boiling pot or water evaporating off a lake. It forms clouds and rains back on Earth. This can cause a cooling effect. N2O Nitrous oxide is a natural part of the nitrogen cycle. Bacteria in soil and the ocean make it. N2O Nitrous oxide is released by some types of factories, power plants, and plant fertilizer. It damages the protective ozone layer and is a powerful greenhouse gas. H2O Water vapour blocks heat from escaping, so it gets warmer. That makes even more water evaporate. Once this process happens, it can happen again more easily. CO2 CO2 is released when burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. It’s the most important contributor to human-caused global warning. CH4 Methane, made of carbon and hydrogen, is a normal gas released from wetlands, growing rice, raising cattle, using natural gas, and mining coal. CH4 It traps a lot of heat. Scientists consider it the second most important contributor to human-caused global warming of all the greenhouse gases. CO2 Made up of carbon and oxygen, CO2 is all around us naturally. It comes from decaying and living organisms, and from volcanos. CFCs You probably shouldn’t have created me. CFCs Fluorinated gases are not created in nature. They damage the protective ozone layer and are powerful greenhouse gases.