What is the primary difference between the greenhouse effect and global warming?

• A. The greenhouse effect is a natural process; global warming is the increase in Earth's temperature due to enhanced greenhouse gases.
• B. Global warming is caused by ozone depletion.
• C. The greenhouse effect reduces surface temperatures.
• D. Global warming is a natural cycle; the greenhouse effect is human-caused.

Answer: (A)

Think of the atmosphere as a blanket. The natural greenhouse effect is the ordinary warming that happens when certain gases trap some of the heat near the surface, keeping Earth warmer than it would be otherwise. Global warming is the observed increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over recent decades, driven mainly by humans adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. So the key distinction is natural warming from the atmospheric blanket versus additional warming caused by human activities intensifying that blanket. The statement that best fits this idea is that the greenhouse effect is natural, and global warming is the temperature rise due to enhanced greenhouse gases. Ozone depletion isn’t the primary driver of current warming, the greenhouse effect itself warms the surface rather than cools it, and global warming is not just a natural cycle—it is strongly influenced by human emissions.