How Does Global Warming Happen?

Global warming is a phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the

earth’s surface. The gradual increase of the earth’s surface over a long period of time
could cause a number of environmental problems, including the melting of the polar
ice ,resulting of ocean levels to rise and flooding coastal areas. Then how does this
threatening phenomenon happen you might wonder?

Well then im here to explain that.The Earth is naturally surrounded by a warming

blanket of air, called atmosphere, which helps maintain earth temperatures so it’s
suitable for life. Without it, the Earth would be frozen and too cold for living organisms to
survive. The atmosphere contains small amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, and other gases, which are known as Greenhouse Gases.

These gases help retain heat to a vital, natural process known as the Greenhouse
Effect. This process happens when sunlight passes through the atmosphere and
reaches the earth, some of the light is reflected by the Earth’s atmosphere, but most of
light is absorbed which is the one who warms the Earth’s surface.

Due to human activities in burning of large amount of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and
natural gas for transportation, electricity generation, and industry, the amount of
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has dramatically increased over the last three
hundred year. For example, levels of carbon dioxide have risen by 35 percent since the
year 1750. With more greenhouse gases in the mix, the atmosphere acts like a
thickening blanket and traps more heat.

Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air as part of their natural processes and give
oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Photosynthetic planktons in the sea do the
same. But as forests are harvested and oceans become polluted, the plants and
planktons, as well as their ability to restore the air to normal.

As the concentration of carbon dioxide increase in the air, the earth’s natural
greenhouse effect is enhanced. Most gases in the air do not slow the emissions of heat
back into space from the earth. However, carbon dioxide in the air holds some of these
heats near the earth surface. As carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere, its ability
to retain heat also increases, resulting in an increase in the world’s surface temperature,
known as Global Warming.