What is Carbon dioxide (CO2)?
Carbon dioxide is a significant part of the atmosphere and is vital to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect occurs when certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere, including CO2, trap heat from the sun and prevent it from escaping into space. This trapped heat regulates the Earth's surface temperature, making it habitable for life. However, human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have significantly increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. This has increased the greenhouse effect, raising the Earth's temperature and changing the climate.