Climate Questions: How does carbon dioxide trap heat?

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

Just how does climate change work? It’s something scientists have known about for more than 150 years. The physics and chemistry is simple enough you can replicate it at home. The way carbon molecules vibrate, their shape and everything blocks infrared radiation — heat — from escaping Earth. It fills holes in the light spectrum, blocking heat’s escape path. Think of it like a blanket or a giant greenhouse. The effect makes Earth a habitable planet, but Venus next door shows there can be too much of a good thing and that’s why scientists are worried about climate change.