Greenhouse effect

The rise in atmospheric temperature is caused by the concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which act like the glass of a greenhouse, allowing solar radiation to pass through while trapping some of the heat radiated by the Earth's surface. This is a natural phenomenon, without which life on Earth as we know it would not be possible; without it, the average surface temperature would be -18°C. Following the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels and emissions from certain industries have increased the amount of greenhouse gases, thus increasing the amount of heat retained and causing a rise in temperatures (global warming) that is at the root of climate change.