Global warming refers to the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system, which has been proven by scientific societies to be caused primarily by human activities like burning fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The effects of global warming include rising sea levels, melting polar ice caps, mass species extinction, changes in agricultural yields, depletion of the ozone layer, and more frequent extreme weather events. While global warming cannot be stopped immediately due to human routines, it can be controlled over time by contributing to solutions like recycling, limiting fossil fuel use, and reducing water pollution.