Global warming is an increase in the Earth's average temperature caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat. These gases are emitted primarily by burning fossil fuels for energy and transportation. While the Earth has warmed about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, leading climate scientists attribute much of this increase to human activities like reliance on coal and oil that produce air pollutants in addition to greenhouse gases. These emissions are changing the climate and environment in ways that impact human health and society.
2. ¿What is Global Warming and What Causes Is? Global warming is literally an increase in the Earth's average temperature. Global warming is brought about by the accumulation of greenhouse gases, or gases that allow sunlight to enter the Earth but prevent heat from escaping it.
3. The process by which these gases accumulate is known as the 'Greenhouse Effect.' A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.
4. Earth has warmed by about 1ºF over the past 100 years. But why? And how? Well, scientists are not exactly sure. The Earth could be getting warmer on its own, but many of the world's leading climate scientists think that things people do are helping to make the Earth warmer.
5. The greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming are produced through the burning of fossil fuels, like coal and oil, which are significant sources of the energy we use in everyday activities. The burning of fossil fuels, for example, helps produce the electricity needed for our homes to function.
6. Unfortunately, the power plants that burn fossil fuels provide such a tremendous source of energy that they are also the largest source of greenhouse gases. In the U.S., the second largest source of greenhouse gases is automobiles.
7. Greenhouse gases are harmful to our environment not only because they increase the temperature of our planet, but because they are also a major source of air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels produces Carbon Dioxide, the major greenhouse gas, as well as other highly toxic pollutants such as Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, and particulate matter.
8. These gases cause very serious health hazards such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, heart diseases, among others. Sadly, in the last ten years, we have experienced the largest accumulation of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere since the first measurements were taken in 1960.
9. According to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the evidence that connects greenhouse gas emissions substantiates global warming. More importantly, this is part of the larger environmental cycle that accelerates climate change.
