# How the greenhouse effect warms the planet

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv21no7c000rl206gixiewbq
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 14 steps across 2 layers
- Persona: The Sun, Atmosphere, Earth surface, People

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Burning coal, oil and gas adds more CO2** (How the greenhouse effect warms the planet; critical): CO2 stays in the air for centuries

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How the greenhouse effect warms the planet

Lanes:
- The Sun: person / role (id `sun`)
- Atmosphere: person / role (id `air`)
- Earth surface: person / role (id `ground`)
- People: person / role (id `people`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Sunlight reaches Earth** [subprocess; The Sun; id `g1`], links to the published process "Sunlight to muscle: how energy flows through life" (https://forks.world/p/cmv0ie421001sjw06scjh03u2; full text at https://forks.world/api/public/cmv0ie421001sjw06scjh03u2/export)
   - then The ground absorbs it and warms up
2. **The ground absorbs it and warms up** [task; Earth surface; id `g2`]
   - then It sends the energy back out as heat
3. **It sends the energy back out as heat** [task; Earth surface; id `g3`]
   - then Do greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane trap some of it?
4. **Do greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane trap some of it?** [decision; Atmosphere; id `g4`]
   - if "Yes" go to Heat bounces back down, so the planet stays warmer than space; if "No" go to Heat escapes to space and the planet would be about 33 degrees colder
5. **Heat bounces back down, so the planet stays warmer than space** [task; Atmosphere; id `g5`]
   - then Burning coal, oil and gas adds more CO2
6. **Burning coal, oil and gas adds more CO2** [subprocess; People; id `g7`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (critical): CO2 stays in the air for centuries, opens the detail layer "Where the extra CO2 comes from"
   - then More heat is trapped, so global temperature rises
7. **More heat is trapped, so global temperature rises** [task; Atmosphere; id `g8`]
   - then Oceans warm and ice melts
8. **Oceans warm and ice melts** [subprocess; Atmosphere; id `g9`], links to the published process "The water cycle: the same water for 4 billion years" (https://forks.world/p/cmv0idy750009jw06828pjkbz; full text at https://forks.world/api/public/cmv0idy750009jw06828pjkbz/export)
   - then Heavier storms, heat waves and rising seas
9. **Heavier storms, heat waves and rising seas** [subprocess; Atmosphere; id `g10`], links to the published process "Anatomy of a thunderstorm" (https://forks.world/p/cmv0ie4z40022jw06mcnbctv9; full text at https://forks.world/api/public/cmv0ie4z40022jw06mcnbctv9/export)
   - (no next step recorded)
10. **Heat escapes to space and the planet would be about 33 degrees colder** [end; Atmosphere; id `g6`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_sun["The Sun"]
    n_g1[["Sunlight reaches Earth"]]
  end
  subgraph l_air["Atmosphere"]
    n_g4{"Do greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane trap some of it?"}
    n_g5["Heat bounces back down, so the planet stays warmer than space"]
    n_g6(["Heat escapes to space and the planet would be about 33 degrees colder"])
    n_g8["More heat is trapped, so global temperature rises"]
    n_g9[["Oceans warm and ice melts"]]
    n_g10[["Heavier storms, heat waves and rising seas"]]
  end
  subgraph l_ground["Earth surface"]
    n_g2["The ground absorbs it and warms up"]
    n_g3["It sends the energy back out as heat"]
  end
  subgraph l_people["People"]
    n_g7[["Burning coal, oil and gas adds more CO2"]]
  end
  n_g1 --> n_g2
  n_g2 --> n_g3
  n_g3 --> n_g4
  n_g4 -->|"Yes"| n_g5
  n_g4 -->|"No"| n_g6
  n_g5 --> n_g7
  n_g7 --> n_g8
  n_g8 --> n_g9
  n_g9 --> n_g10
```

### Where the extra CO2 comes from (detail of step "Burning coal, oil and gas adds more CO2")

Lanes:
- People: person / role (id `people`)
- Atmosphere: person / role (id `air`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Power plants, cars and factories burn fossil fuels** [start; People; id `c1`]
   - then CO2 enters the air
2. **CO2 enters the air** [task; Atmosphere; id `c2`]
   - then Oceans and forests absorb about half
3. **Oceans and forests absorb about half** [task; Atmosphere; id `c3`]
   - then The rest stays in the atmosphere
4. **The rest stays in the atmosphere** [end; Atmosphere; id `c4`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_people["People"]
    n_c1(["Power plants, cars and factories burn fossil fuels"])
  end
  subgraph l_air["Atmosphere"]
    n_c2["CO2 enters the air"]
    n_c3["Oceans and forests absorb about half"]
    n_c4(["The rest stays in the atmosphere"])
  end
  n_c1 --> n_c2
  n_c2 --> n_c3
  n_c3 --> n_c4
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How the greenhouse effect warms the planet",
  "maps": {
    "m_burn": {
      "id": "m_burn",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "people",
          "name": "People",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "air",
          "name": "Atmosphere",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "c1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "people",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "c2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Power plants, cars and factories burn fossil fuels"
        },
        {
          "id": "c2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "c3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "CO2 enters the air"
        },
        {
          "id": "c3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "c4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Oceans and forests absorb about half"
        },
        {
          "id": "c4",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The rest stays in the atmosphere"
        }
      ],
      "title": "Where the extra CO2 comes from",
      "parent": {
        "map": "m_root",
        "step": "g7"
      }
    },
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "sun",
          "name": "The Sun",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "air",
          "name": "Atmosphere",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "ground",
          "name": "Earth surface",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "people",
          "name": "People",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "g1",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "sun",
          "link": {
            "id": "cmv0ie421001sjw06scjh03u2",
            "scope": "public",
            "title": "Sunlight to muscle: how energy flows through life"
          },
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Sunlight reaches Earth"
        },
        {
          "id": "g2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "ground",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The ground absorbs it and warms up"
        },
        {
          "id": "g3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "ground",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It sends the energy back out as heat"
        },
        {
          "id": "g4",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g5",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "g6",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Do greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane trap some of it?"
        },
        {
          "id": "g5",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Heat bounces back down, so the planet stays warmer than space"
        },
        {
          "id": "g6",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Heat escapes to space and the planet would be about 33 degrees colder"
        },
        {
          "id": "g7",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "people",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g8"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "CO2 stays in the air for centuries",
            "level": 3
          },
          "uses": [],
          "child": "m_burn",
          "label": "Burning coal, oil and gas adds more CO2"
        },
        {
          "id": "g8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "air",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g9"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "More heat is trapped, so global temperature rises"
        },
        {
          "id": "g9",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "air",
          "link": {
            "id": "cmv0idy750009jw06828pjkbz",
            "scope": "public",
            "title": "The water cycle: the same water for 4 billion years"
          },
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "g10"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Oceans warm and ice melts"
        },
        {
          "id": "g10",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "air",
          "link": {
            "id": "cmv0ie4z40022jw06mcnbctv9",
            "scope": "public",
            "title": "Anatomy of a thunderstorm"
          },
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Heavier storms, heat waves and rising seas"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How the greenhouse effect warms the planet",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```