Global Warming
Global Warming
Many researchers, scientists, and environmentalists are expressing concerns about changes in the overall climate of the earth. Some believe that a dramatically dangerous warming is taking place in the overall global climate, a problem that is referred to as "global warming". According to Benson (2012), Global Warming is a term used to refer to an increase in Earth’s average surface temperature. It is due mostly to the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere by human-fuelled activities such as increased fossil fuel consumption leading to the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), the increasing use of automobiles, the use of nitrogen based fertilizers, and rearing and breeding large methane-belching cattle. He also said that greenhouse gases occur naturally within the atmosphere at levels that are not detrimental to the environment. According to Shah (2013), many of these greenhouse gases are actually life-enabling, for without them, heat would escape back into space and the Earth’s average temperature would be a lot colder. However, if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, then more heat gets trapped than needed, and the Earth might become less habitable for humans, plants and animals (Shah, 2013). GHGs such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapors, chlorofluorocarbon, hydro fluorocarbon, methane and ozone have the ability to absorb infrared radiation from the Earth’s surface therefore shifts the heat balance of the Earth (Benson, 2012). According to Ketcham (2014), there are numerous causes of global warming, and scientists typically divide those causes into two primary groups: natural causes and man-made causes. “Causes of Global Warming” (n.d.), states that Scientists spent decades looking into natural cycles and events that are known to affect climate to figure out what is causing global warming. According to Ketcham (2014), natural causes have been contributing to global warming since
Many researchers, scientists, and environmentalists are expressing concerns about changes in the overall climate of the earth. Some believe that a dramatically dangerous warming is taking place in the overall global climate, a problem that is referred to as "global warming". According to Benson (2012), Global Warming is a term used to refer to an increase in Earth’s average surface temperature. It is due mostly to the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere by human-fuelled activities such as increased fossil fuel consumption leading to the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), the increasing use of automobiles, the use of nitrogen based fertilizers, and rearing and breeding large methane-belching cattle. He also said that greenhouse gases occur naturally within the atmosphere at levels that are not detrimental to the environment. According to Shah (2013), many of these greenhouse gases are actually life-enabling, for without them, heat would escape back into space and the Earth’s average temperature would be a lot colder. However, if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, then more heat gets trapped than needed, and the Earth might become less habitable for humans, plants and animals (Shah, 2013). GHGs such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapors, chlorofluorocarbon, hydro fluorocarbon, methane and ozone have the ability to absorb infrared radiation from the Earth’s surface therefore shifts the heat balance of the Earth (Benson, 2012). According to Ketcham (2014), there are numerous causes of global warming, and scientists typically divide those causes into two primary groups: natural causes and man-made causes. “Causes of Global Warming” (n.d.), states that Scientists spent decades looking into natural cycles and events that are known to affect climate to figure out what is causing global warming. According to Ketcham (2014), natural causes have been contributing to global warming since
References: Benson, N. (2012). Global warming. In George Philander (Ed.), Encyclopedia of global warming and climate change