"Greenhouse Effect: Giver and Taker of Life"

Without the presence of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, ozone and other gases in the atmosphere, our planet would be perpetually and completely frozen over. The greenhouse effect sustains life. Indeed, in Earth's early geologic past when the sun's output was much fainter, temperatures were much higher due to much higher levels of methane. Nowadays, the sun is much brighter while greenhouse gases are fortunately much lower. Unfortunately however, mankind is disrupting this balance by artificially unsequestering large amounts of carbon. This is causing temperatures to rise and to release ever increasing amounts of methane via melting permafrost and methane hydrate degasification. The ocean's ability to absorb excess carbon dioxide is decreasing and ocean acidification is increasing. The greenhouse effect, instead of being a giver of life, will increasingly become a taker.