Greenhouse effect
Normally, the rays of sun coming down to earth are reflected back to outer space by the surface of the earth. Some of these reflected rays are trapped within the atmosphere surrounding earth by gases that make up earth’s atmosphere. This is known as greenhouse effect and is considered to be a natural and healthy phenomenon. The existence of this greenhouse effect is vital for maintaining life forms on earth. Had there been no greenhouse effect, earth would have become too cold to have any life.
Though greenhouse effect is vitally important for us, too much of it can be harmful for us. This is because an enhanced greenhouse effect means higher average temperatures of the surface of earth which is not good for our ecosystem. There is a very thin and delicate balance that needs to be maintained as neither the absence nor too much of greenhouse effect is good for life on earth.
Global warming
The average rise in temperature of earth’s surface over the last 50 years is termed as global warming. Now this global warming is a cumulative effect of many factors such as deforestation, pollution, burning of fossil fuels, and of course greenhouse effect that has been under the scrutiny of the entire world, especially the western world that has been blaming poor countries for higher emission levels of carbon dioxide and methane gases.
Global warming is not a natural phenomenon and has to do with the activities of mankind. This is why there have been so many conferences and summits between nations to come to terms with this problem. Industrialization process inevitably leads to global warming as to meet the growing energy demands of developing nations.
If we talk about differences between these two closely related concepts, it is clear that one leads to another though there are other many reasons for global warming. However, in comparison to other reasons, it is greenhouse effect that has hogged the limelight in recent years.
