Green House Effect Introduction The greenhouse effect is the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere. [1] [2] If a planet's atmosphere contains radiatively active gases (i.e., greenhouse gases ) they will radiate energy in all directions. Part of this radiation is directed towards the surface, warming it. [3] The intensity of the downward radiation – that is, the strength of the greenhouse effect – will depend on the atmosphere's temperature and on the amount of greenhouse gases that the atmosphere contains. Earth’s natural greenhouse effect is critical to supporting life. Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests, have intensified the natural greenhouse effect, causing global warming . [4] The mechanism is named after a faulty analogy with the effect of solar radiation passing through glass and warm...