[fella]

"The mechanisms that allow heat in the atmosphere to be radiated back into space are at the heart of the global warming debate."

If the atmosphere did not retain heat at night we would all freeze to death at sunset. Not to mention fry during the day.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

If the atmosphere did not retain heat at night we would all freeze to death at sunset.

A statement which is not in anyway in conflict with my post. The global warming debate is about the mean equilibrium temperature, and the mechanism that maintain it.