{"id":23455,"date":"2025-12-15T16:07:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T16:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/greenhouse-gases\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T21:30:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:30:04","slug":"greenhouse-gases","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/greenhouse-gases\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Greenhouse Gases &#038; How are They Related to Global Warming?"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.chariot-article {\n  max-width: 800px;\n  margin: 0 auto;\n  padding: 40px;\n  font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;\n  font-size: 18px;\n  line-height: 1.8;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h1 {\n  font-size: 2.5em;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  line-height: 1.2;\n  margin: 0 0 30px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article h2 {\n  font-size: 1.8em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.3;\n  margin: 50px 0 20px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n  border-bottom: 2px solid #f7931e;\n  padding-bottom: 10px;\n}\n.chariot-article h3 {\n  font-size: 1.4em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.4;\n  margin: 40px 0 15px 0;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h4 {\n  font-size: 1.2em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  margin: 30px 0 10px 0;\n  color: #444;\n}\n.chariot-article p {\n  margin: 0 0 20px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article img {\n  max-width: 100%;\n  height: auto;\n  border-radius: 8px;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  display: block;\n}\n.chariot-article figure {\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article figcaption {\n  font-size: 0.9em;\n  color: #666;\n  text-align: center;\n  margin-top: 10px;\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article ul, .chariot-article ol {\n  margin: 20px 0 20px 30px;\n  padding: 0;\n}\n.chariot-article li {\n  margin-bottom: 12px;\n  line-height: 1.6;\n}\n.chariot-article a {\n  color: #f7931e;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;\n  transition: border-color 0.2s;\n}\n.chariot-article a:hover {\n  border-bottom-color: #f7931e;\n}\n.chariot-article blockquote {\n  border-left: 4px solid #f7931e;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  padding: 20px 30px;\n  background: #f9f9f9;\n  font-style: italic;\n  color: #555;\n}\n.chariot-article strong {\n  font-weight: 600;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article em {\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article hr {\n  border: none;\n  border-top: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n  margin: 40px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article table {\n  width: 100%;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article th, .chariot-article td {\n  padding: 12px 15px;\n  text-align: left;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n}\n.chariot-article th {\n  background: #f5f5f5;\n  font-weight: 600;\n}\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\n  .chariot-article {\n    padding: 20px;\n    font-size: 16px;\n  }\n  .chariot-article h1 { font-size: 2em; }\n  .chariot-article h2 { font-size: 1.5em; }\n  .chariot-article h3 { font-size: 1.25em; }\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"chariot-article\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"What are Greenhouse Gases? Chariot Energy\" class=\"wp-image-1479\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/pollution-cars-los-angeles-1.jpg\" width=\"1280\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>Anyone who aspires to be eco-friendly has heard of greenhouse gases. We\u2019re told that we need to change certain human activities so we can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere in order to slow down the effects of global warming. <\/p>\n<p>But while such sentiments are true, it\u2019s also true that not all greenhouse gases are bad for the environment. In fact, we rely on many of them to keep our planet warm. If certain greenhouse gases were absent, our planet would be too cold to sustain plant, animal, or human life as we know it. However, we are at the point where we have too much of a good thing.<\/p>\n<p>Since the earth is undoubtedly warming, we must understand what\u2019s happening in the atmosphere so we can change our habits and make a difference. In this article, we provide a primer on this subject and discuss a few ways you can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is There a Standard Greenhouse Gases Definition?<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the bonanza of options available at trustworthy (and disreputable) sources online, we are big believers that basic is better. That\u2019s why we like the definitions provided by NASA<sup>1<\/sup> and the EPA:<sup>2 <\/sup><\/p>\n<p>A g<em>reenhouse gas is any gaseous substance that traps heat in the atmosphere. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>If we use more qualifiers than that, the definition becomes more technical than we want, as it gets into how gas actually traps heat. While those details are essential for understanding why some greenhouse gases are bad and others are helpful, you don\u2019t actually need them to understand what they do. In fact, that shorter definition is helpful for setting up the rest of our discussion. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the Most Common Greenhouse Gases? <\/h2>\n<p>Next, let\u2019s examine the primary gases that fall under our simple definition. They will help us gain a deeper understanding of how greenhouse gases impact our atmosphere.<sup>3<\/sup> <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Water Vapor.<\/strong> The most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, it\u2019s mostly a neutral party in terms of warming, but it\u2019s also the most susceptible to long-term increases in carbon dioxide levels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Carbon Dioxide. <\/strong>The one that gets most of the attention, CO2  is both naturally occurring in nature and the product of human activity through the burning of fossil fuels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Methane. <\/strong>Another naturally occurring gas, it\u2019s released during the processing of fossil fuels. It\u2019s also the result of \u201ccow farts,\u201d which means there\u2019s a rather direct correlation between human consumption of beef and methane in the atmosphere.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ozone. <\/strong>We have an \u201cozone layer\u201d around our planet for a reason, in that it\u2019s what\u2019s helped warm the earth for millions of years. The permeability of this gas ring causes concern among environmentalists.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nitrous Oxide. <\/strong>A not-so-natural gas, this one is a direct byproduct of industrial and agricultural practices, including wastewater, solid waste, and fossil fuels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chlorofluorocarbons.<\/strong> Also known as fluorinated gases or CFCs, most people know them as the gas used in hairspray bottles. They come from a variety of industrial activities, and they\u2019re the most aggressive greenhouse gases in terms of negative impact on the environment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of these gases trap heat in the atmosphere, but not all of them are as effective or as detrimental as others. For example, carbon dioxide on its own isn\u2019t bad \u2013 humans naturally expel the gas when we breathe \u2013 but an excess of CO2 in proportion to human and plant life on our planet can have negative consequences. The same principle applies to methane: our atmosphere normally contains methane, but when the balance gets out of whack because of fossil fuel production and over-consumption of beef, that\u2019s when excess heat gets trapped and contributes to an overheating planet.<\/p>\n<p>Hence, for any individual gas, you must determine how much of it is in the atmosphere, how long it will last, and how effective it is at trapping heat. This is especially true for nitrous oxide and CFCs, as they can cause significantly more harm to the climate, even if there\u2019s technically less of it in the atmosphere than CO2. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Relationship Between Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming? <\/h2>\n<p>This brings us to the central issue up for debate concerning this topic \u2014 whether or not the environment is actually hurt by these emissions. At Chariot Energy, although we\u2019re not climate scientists, we are <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/what-is-solar-energy\/\">solar energy experts<\/a>. We choose to err on the side of caution when it comes to climate change because we believe global warming is happening \u2014 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880.<sup>4<\/sup> We want to do our part to help reduce the negative effects of this warming, even if it were discovered that somehow humans ultimately don\u2019t have anything to do with it.<\/p>\n<p>The consensus in the scientific community declares that greenhouse gases are the primary cause of global warming. Specifically, human activity is driving the increase in the percentage of the \u201cbad\u201d greenhouse gases that do the most harm to our environment. As in, yes, we\u2019ve always had methane and carbon dioxide in our world, but we\u2019re now injecting more and more of those gases into the atmosphere with each passing year to where those levels are out-of-whack with what they were for millennia.<\/p>\n<p>Climate scientists refer to this as the \u201cGreenhouse Effect.\u201d<sup>5<\/sup> The Earth operates like a normal greenhouse where a gardener grows plants. The overall ecology of the planet needs a certain amount of warmth, moisture, and sunlight for the various ecosystems that cover the globe. The atmosphere and ozone layer act as the exterior of the greenhouse \u2014 letting in, containing, and\/or releasing the right proportions of gases whereby plants, animals, and humans thrive. However, global warming causes those proportions to become severely off-kilter to the point that many species of life on this earth won\u2019t be able to exist because of the increased temperatures.<\/p>\n<p>In short, most of the leading science shows a direct correlation between the rise in the percentage of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the rise in the temperature of our planet. So, even if humans aren\u2019t doing anything to cause it, we can still look for ways we can help slow things down. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can I Reduce the Greenhouse Gases I Create?<\/h2>\n<p>To pick on just one greenhouse gas, the average resident of the United States creates 20 tons of CO<sub>2<\/sub> emissions each year, but the global average is barely 4 tons.<sup>6<\/sup> According to recommendations laid out in the 2015 Paris Accords from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Americans must reduce their annual carbon dioxide creation by at least 10 tons per person by 2050 if there is any hope of preventing temperature increases beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, the temperature at which scientists believe catastrophic and irreversible climate change will occur.<sup>7 <\/sup><\/p>\n<p>In other articles, we call this \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/carbon-footprint\/\">reducing your carbon footprint<\/a>.\u201d This is the central tenet for many contemporary environmental activists. The best way to have a positive impact on the planet is to reduce our influence on greenhouse gas emissions. The choices you make every day can make a difference \u2014 especially when you work with others to create collective change. <\/p>\n<p>Your ability to reduce the number of greenhouse gases you add to the atmosphere can be divided into two groups: <\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Direct Emissions. <\/strong>This is the stuff you personally control, such as how often drive a private car alone, how often you use public transportation, and how much electricity you use.<sup>8<\/sup><\/li>\n<li><strong>Indirect Emissions.<\/strong> These occur as a result of your choices: how products, services, and groceries get to you, plus how energy is generated before you use it.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>To be clear, we are not advocating for a return to some sort of pre-industrial society. We simply feel that you should be more aware of the impact of your choices. Hence, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/blog\/more-environmentally-friendly-lifestyle\/\">be more environmentally friendly<\/a> by taking some of the following steps:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Drive less<\/li>\n<li>Eat organic produce from local farms<\/li>\n<li>Use less electricity<\/li>\n<li>Purchase fewer consumer items<\/li>\n<li>Stop using single-use plastics and other disposable goods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Greenhouse gases are real, and they have a real environmental impact.<sup>10<\/sup> This means you owe it to yourself, your fellow humans, and the future to do what you can to reduce your contribution to climate change. In other words: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/blog\/reduce-reuse-recycle-repurpose\/\">Reduce. Reuse. Recycle, Repurpose<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n<p><strong>Sources<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/climatekids.nasa.gov\/greenhouse-cards\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/climatekids.nasa.gov\/greenhouse-cards\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/ghgemissions\/overview-greenhouse-gases\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/ghgemissions\/overview-greenhouse-gases<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/davidsuzuki.org\/what-you-can-do\/greenhouse-gases\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/davidsuzuki.org\/what-you-can-do\/greenhouse-gases\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/svs.gsfc.nasa.gov\/20114\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/svs.gsfc.nasa.gov\/20114<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/ourworld.unu.edu\/en\/uncovering-the-carbon-footprint-of-everything\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/ourworld.unu.edu\/en\/uncovering-the-carbon-footprint-of-everything<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/site\/assets\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/02\/SR15_Chapter2_Low_Res.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/site\/assets\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/02\/SR15_Chapter2_Low_Res.pdf<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/blog\/2010\/jun\/04\/carbon-footprint-definition\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/blog\/2010\/jun\/04\/carbon-footprint-definition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/guides\/year-of-living-better\/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/guides\/year-of-living-better\/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about greenhouse gases so you can more effectively learn how to combat them, lower your carbon footprint, and stop global warming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":23578,"parent":627,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23455","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23455\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}