Carbon is a type of greenhouse gas (GHG) that is emitted into the atmosphere through activities like driving a car, heating water, or even yawning. Carbon and other GHGs absorb infrared radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface and radiate it back, creating what we know as the greenhouse effect, where heat is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. As more GHGs accumulate in the atmosphere, the average annual temperature rises, a phenomenon known as global warming.