The greenhouse effect is the natural warming of the Earth that results when gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun that would otherwise escape into space. The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor. Synthetic fluorinated gases also function as greenhouse gases. Different greenhouse gases have different chemical properties and are removed from the atmosphere, over time, by various processes. Human activities are changing Earths natural greenhouse effect by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, amplifying the planet’s natural greenhouse effect and turning up the dial on global warming. Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil puts more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which traps extra heat near Earths surface, causing temperatures to rise. Cutting down forests and farming livestock also add enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to those naturally occurring in the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming. To reduce the greenhouse effect, we can temper its contributions to our changing climate by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and changing farming practices.