How Do Greenhouse Gases Work in Growing Plants

There’s a good chance you’ve probably already heard about greenhouse gases or the greenhouse effect, but you might not really know what they are.

We all know that these gases are probably responsible for the increase in the earth’s temperature since the advent of industrialization. However, we might not know how they work.

Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Greenhouse gases are made up of a number of different elements and compounds.

  • Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and fluorocarbons and methane are the principle gases.
  • They’re trapped in our atmosphere, and naturally blanket the earth.
  • The presence of these gases is something we can naturally expect, and it actually helps life on earth.

You see, these gases help trap the heat of the sun, keeping the earth about thirty-three degrees (Celsius) warmer than it would be without them.

  • That’s the difference between freezing temperatures and a blisteringly hot summer day!
  • Without the greenhouse effect, our planet would be a lot colder and a lot less effective at supporting life.

These gases work in a way that’s a lot like the way a greenhouse work.

  • The trapped air and water inside a greenhouse heat up, as the sun shines through the glass or plastic that the greenhouse is made of.
  • Since the air can’t escape, it can’t transfer that heat out into the colder air outside.
  • A little heat is transferred out through the walls, but not all of it. This is why a greenhouse is warm enough to grow plants inside.

Scientists Study Greenhouse Gas

Unfortunately, the concentration of greenhouse gases has been increasing over the past century or more.

  • This is in part because of human activity, which releases a lot more methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases into the air.
  • These rise, and stay in the atmosphere, trapping even more of the sun’s heat and causing the planet to warm up.
  • Overall, the temperature of the earth has increased about a half degree over the past century.

That might not sound like much, until you consider the effects of that half degree.

  • A day that’s just a little warmer than it would have been otherwise could keep snow from falling and melt ice.
  • When you add in the fact that this warming isn’t spread out evenly – some areas have increased by several degrees on average, while some have stayed the same – you have major changes in the weather, the overall temperature, and the climate.
  • Some areas receive far more rain than they should, and flood, while others develop droughts.

This means that we may need to make major changes to our lifestyles.

  • We can’t reverse the accumulation of greenhouse gases that has already occurred, and it seems unlikely that we’ll be able to slow human emissions to the point where no more accumulate.
  • However, changes to accommodate for the differences in the climate and the increase in problems will need to happen, and individuals can try to reduce their contribution to the problem.

Greenhouse Global Warming
Greenhouse gases work just like a greenhouse, but instead of making an environment that’s great for plants, they can cause some real problems.

  • It’s time to start taking a look at your life and seeing what differences you can make that will reduce your personal emissions.

Also, greenhouses produce faster plant growth because these use two pollination methods – natural and artificial.

  • You will see bumblebees and honey bees as the pollinators of choice alongside artificial methods like manual transfer of pollen from stamens to stigmas.
  • As common sense will tell you, said combination results in faster growth, all other things being equal.

After all, we need to produce as much food as we possibly can to feed the hungry masses the whole year-round and greenhouses allow for this feat, all without placing too much pressure on the Earth’s resources.

  • You can find one of the world’s biggest greenhouse structure complexes in Almeria, Spain that cover almost 50,000 acres, which feeds countless number of people in the surrounding areas.
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  1. Melyssa Walsh says

    This is a great article that describes in great details the harmful effects of pollution on the entire planet. I believe that we can still make a change for the better, while it’s not too late!

  2. Stella Burch says

    Melyssa, you should also notice the effect of the greenhouse gases on the plants! Greenhouses can actually help us improve the composition of the atmosphere, while also allowing the plants to grow a lot faster than the usual!


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