What is Global Warming

The term Global warming refers to the gradual rise in the earth’s temperature. Global warming has been an environmental issue that has plagued the entire globe for a few years now and researchers have said that the global warming will cause a complete change on the planet, with the same catastrophic effects as the ice age. Small effects can be seen already in the North and South Poles, where the ice bergs are beginning to melt. There is also evidence of the sea levels rising in certain areas. 

Global warming has been directly attributed to the hole in the ozone layer which is causing the heating up of the earth’s atmosphere from the sun. This is commonly referred to as the greenhouse effect. It is said that if the hole in the ozone layer continues to grow, global warming could accelerate quite dramatically. This is why many countries have come together and signed agreements to cut down on fuel emissions into the atmosphere and use various other forms of energy that are safe for the ozone layer.

Other causes that are considered to be contributing factors to the increase in the temperatures of the atmosphere are volcano eruptions since the mid 20th century and solar variations. Global warming will have other effects on  the world as we know it, and as one part of the climate changes, so other changes will occur. The average temperature of the earth has increased dramatically in the last decade or so, and as the temperatures get warmer, so the sea level will rise causing a difference in the amounts of precipitation that occur. This could mean that extreme weather conditions will develop like excessive storms with heavier rainfall and others. There is also expected to be slower summer stream flow, a difference in agricultural growth and harvest, as well as certain extinction of animal and plant species.

Most of the major scientific institutions blame the greenhouse effect and the greenhouse gases for the increase in global warming. The main greenhouse gases are methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. While water vapor and methane are not present for very long in the earth’s atmosphere, carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for many years and when combined with the water vapor can escalate the rate at which global warming takes place. What happens is that the carbon dioxide increases the potency of the short term water vapor that is evaporated, which in turn causes more warming, and the cycle continues. This is the feedback effect and the only way to stop global warming is to remove the carbon dioxide that is present in the atmosphere already and definitely not add more to it.

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