The document discusses global warming, highlighting the scientific consensus that it is primarily human-induced and poses a significant threat to ecosystems and the planet. It explains how the burning of fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and rising temperatures. The author emphasizes that while recent warming is concerning, a sudden natural cooling could be more damaging overall.

1. Essay about Global Warming
Global Warming
The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now overwhelming scientific
consensus that it is happening, and human–induced. With global warming on the increase and
species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing.
Many are agreed that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent
years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and increasing extremities in weather
patterns. Research has shown that air pollutants from fossil fuel use make clouds reflect more of
the sun's rays back into space. This leads to an effect known as global dimming whereby less heat
and energy reaches the earth. At first, it sounds like...show more content...
We are fortunate that our modern societies have developed during the last 10,000 years of
benignly warm, interglacial climate. But for more than 90 percent of the last two million years,
the climate has been colder, and generally much colder, than today. The reality of the climate
record is that a sudden natural cooling is far more to be feared, and will do infinitely more social
and economic damage, than the late 20th century phase of gentle warming. The single human
activity that is most likely to have a large impact on the climate is the burning of "fossil fuels" such
as coal, oil and gas. These fuels contain carbon. Burning them makes carbon dioxide gas. Since the
early 1800s, when people began burning large amounts of coal and oil, the amount of carbon dioxide
in the earth's atmosphere has increased by nearly 30%, and average global temperature appears to
have risen between 1В° and 2В°F.Carbon dioxide gas traps solar heat in the atmosphere, partly in
the same way as glass traps solar heat in a sunroom or a greenhouse. For this reason, carbon dioxide
is sometimes called a "greenhouse gas." As more carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere, solar
heat has more trouble getting out. The result is that, if everything else stayed unchanged, the average
temperature of the atmosphere would increase. As people burn more fossil fuel for energy they add
more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. If this
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