Think about a time when your car was parked on the side of the street all day. Then you decide to run to the store and buy some things for dinner. As soon as you open the car door, you feel streams of hot air rush past you, and when you sit down, it feels like your car is radiating heat! This is a tiny, but real, example of the process called the greenhouse effect. This effect includes a form of material that absorbs heat or radiation from the sun. What happened in the car is that the glass helps absorb the heat and traps it inside, containing it. Likewise, Earth's atmosphere contains gases called greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor, which absorb the rays we receive from the sun and trap the heat inside . Our atmosphere, which contains greenhouse gases, acts like a blanket; absorb the heat of the sun and prevent it from moving away from the earth's surface. The more heat is trapped due to increased greenhouse gases, the more the temperature rises, causing global warming. Global warming is “an increase in Earth's atmospheric and ocean temperatures, widely predicted to result from an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting in particular from pollution” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). The two main causes of global warming are the greenhouse effect and solar variations. The greenhouse effect “refers to the process by which the absorption and emission of atmospheric gases of infrared radiation (primarily greenhouse gases such as CO, NO and carbon monoxide) warm the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Solar variations are "changes in the amount of radiant energy emitted by the Sun", (Wikipedia). So what happens when the temperature...... in the middle of paper... in the process of brushing your teeth, washing your car or shampooing the dog turn off the water until until you need it for rinsing. By doing so, you will both reduce your water bill and help conserve water, a vital resource. Ultimately, the best way to help is to raise awareness. Help spread the word by talking to everyone you know about the greenhouse effect and global warming. By making them aware of the issues, and asking them to help save our planet. Encourage others to save and share information about recycling and energy conservation with colleagues, friends, neighbors and family. To summarize what can be done, we should all get out there and plant trees and plants to help reduce greenhouse gases. Reduce emissions from household products by turning them off. Above all, don't forget to spread the message and respect the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle.!