Glossary
Atmosphere: a layer of gases which surrounds the Earth.
Fossil fuels: fuels formed over a long time from material containing carbon. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas.
Greenhouse effect: the Sun's radiation is trapped in the atmosphere and leads to a warming of the Earth.
Greenhouse gas: a gas in the atmosphere which can trap the heat escaping from Earth.
Global warming: a continued warming of the atmosphere as a result of mankind's activities.
Industrial Revolution: the rapid growth of industry which started in the late 18th century, made possible by the harnessing of energy from fuels such as coal.
Radiation: energy that passes from a warmer object to a cooler one.