Describe how global warming works

Summary:

(a) Earth absorbs most of the sunlight it receives;

(b) Earth then emits the absorbed light's energy as infrared light;

(c) greenhouse gases absorb a lot of the infrared light before it can leave our atmosphere;

(d) being absorbed slows the rate at which energy escapes to space; and

(e) the slower passage of energy heats up the atmosphere, water, and ground.

By increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, humans are increasing the atmosphere's absorption of infrared light, thereby warming Earth and disrupting global climate patterns.

From wikipedia by prof. Michael Ranney