File:Emissions can warm and cool the atmosphere.png

English: Humans emit many types of gases and particles in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide from vehicles and methane from agriculture. They often have negative consequences for human health and the potential to change the temperature of the surface of Earth. Depending on their respective radiative properties, they can either absorb and transmit more heat from the sun, causing warming of the atmosphere, or reflect heat, causing cooling. The lifetimes of the molecules determine the effect that the gas or aerosol has in the future. Carbon dioxide, which makes up the bulk of emissions and has a ~100 year lifetime, ultimately overpowers the effects of other emissions and causes long-term warming.