ABSTRACT
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon linked to the absorption of solar energy by the Earth’s atmosphere. Part of the long-wave infrared radiation emitted by the sun is not reflected back into space by the Earth’s surface but is absorbed by greenhouse gases naturally occurring in the atmosphere. This radiation is transformed into heat, resulting in a stable average temperature of 15°C in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, through the sustained release and accumulation in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution, human societies are affecting this natural balance, resulting in the disturbance of normal climatic cycles. Because of the long residence times of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, measured in centuries in the case of carbon dioxide, and the inertia of the climate system, climate change would still constitute a risk, as a result of past emissions, even if human induced emissions suddenly ceased.
