What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the temperature near the
earth’s surface. This phenomenon has been observed over the past one or two centuries.
This change has disturbed the climatic pattern of the earth. However, the concept of
global warming is quite controversial but the scientists have provided relevant data in
support of the fact that the temperature of the earth is rising constantly.

There are several causes of global warming, which have a negative effect on humans,
plants and animals. These causes may be natural or might be the outcome of human
activities. In order to curb the issues, it is very important to understand the negative
impacts of global warming.

G ………………………………………Global warming is a controversial phenomenon marked by a

gradual increase in the earth's surface temperature, disrupting climate patterns. Its
causes, including natural occurrences and human activities, have detrimental effects on
humans, plants, and animals, emphasizing the need to understand and address its
impacts..--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Causes of Global Warming

Following are the major causes of global warming:

Man-made Causes of Global Warming

Deforestation

Plants are the main source of oxygen. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen
thereby maintaining environmental balance. Forests are being depleted for many
domestic and commercial purposes. This has led to an environmental imbalance,
thereby giving rise to global warming.

G-------------------------------------- Deforestation for various purposes disrupts the

environmental balance, leading to global warming and threatening the main oxygen
source provided by plants.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use of Vehicles

The use of vehicles, even for a very short distance results in various gaseous emissions.
Vehicles burn fossil fuels which emit a large amount of carbon dioxide and other toxins
into the atmosphere resulting in a temperature increase.

G------------------------------------ Vehicle emissions from burning fossil fuels contribute

to gaseous emissions, including carbon dioxide and toxins, causing temperature increase
and environmental
concerns.---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chlorofluorocarbon

With the excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators, humans have been adding
CFCs into the environment which affects the atmospheric ozone layer. The ozone layer
protects the earth surface from the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. The
CFCs have led to ozone layer depletion making way for the ultraviolet rays, thereby
increasing the temperature of the earth.

G------------------------------------------Human use of air conditioners and refrigerators

releases CFCs, depleting the ozone layer and allowing harmful ultraviolet rays to reach
the earth's surface, resulting in increased
temperatures.---------------------------------------------------------------------

Industrial Development

With the advent of industrialization, the temperature of the earth has been increasing
rapidly. The harmful emissions from the factories add to the increasing temperature of
the earth.

In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change reported that the increase in
the global temperature between 1880 and 2012 has been 0.9 degrees Celsius. The
increase is 1.1 degrees Celsius when compared to the pre-industrial mean temperature.

G----------------------------------------- Industrialization has led to a rapid increase in the

earth's temperature due to harmful factory emissions, with the global temperature rising
compared to the pre-industrial
era.----------------------------------------------------------------------

Agriculture

Various farming activities produce carbon dioxide and methane gas. These add to the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and increase the temperature of the earth.
G-------------------------------- Farming activities contribute gas emissions, such as carbon
dioxide and methane, intensifying the earth's temperature
increase.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overpopulation

An increase in population means more people breathing. This leads to an increase in the
level of carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, in the atmosphere.

G----------------------------- Rising population levels result in increased carbon dioxide

levels as more people contribute to global warming through
respiration.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Natural Causes of Global Warming

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are one of the largest natural contributors to global warming. The ash and
smoke emitted during volcanic eruptions goes out into the atmosphere and affects the
climate.

G------------------------------- Volcanic eruptions release ash and, contributing to global

warming and climate
impact.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Water Vapour

Water vapour is a kind of greenhouse gas. Due to the increase in the earth’s
temperature, more water gets evaporated from the water bodies and stays in the
atmosphere adding to global warming.

G--------------------------------- Increased evaporation due to rising temperatures amplifies

water vapor as a greenhouse gas, intensifying global
warming.------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Permafrost

Permafrost is frozen soil that has environmental gases trapped in it for several years and
is present below Earth’s surface. It is present in glaciers. As the permafrost melts, it
releases the gases back into the atmosphere, increasing Earth’s temperature.
G------------------------------------- Melting permafrost releases long-trapped
environmental gases, contributing to Earth's temperature rise and climate
impact.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forest Blazes

Forest blazes or forest fires emit a large amount of carbon-containing smoke. These
gases are released into the atmosphere and increase the earth’s temperature resulting in
global warming.

G-------------------------------------- Forest fires release carbon-containing smoke,

elevating atmospheric gases and contributing to global
warming.-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effects of Global Warming

Following are the major effects of global warming:

Rise in Temperature

Global warming has led to an incredible increase in earth’s temperature. Since 1880, the
earth’s temperature has increased by ~1 degrees. This has resulted in an increase in the
melting of glaciers, which have led to an increase in the sea level. This could have
devastating effects on coastal regions.

G-------------------------------------Global warming has caused significant temperature

rise, leading to accelerated glacier melting and subsequent sea level rise, posing severe
threats to coastal regions.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Threats to the Ecosystem

Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to the loss of plant and animal
lives. Increase in global temperatures has made the fragility of coral reefs even worse.

G------------------------------------ On coral reefs resulting in the loss of plant and animal

species, further exacerbating the vulnerability of these
ecosystems.---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Climate Change

Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. There are droughts at some
places and floods at some. This climatic imbalance is the result of global warming.

G------------------------------------- Global warming manifested in droughts and floods,

highlighting the profound impacts of climate
change.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spread of Diseases

Global warming leads to a change in the patterns of heat and humidity. This has led to
the movement of mosquitoes that carry and spread diseases.

G-------------------------------- Global warming alters heat and humidity patterns, causing

the displacement of disease-carrying mosquitoes, amplifying the risks of disease
transmission.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

High Mortality Rates

Due to an increase in floods, tsunamis and other natural calamities, the average death
toll usually increases. Also, such events can bring about the spread of diseases that can
hamper human life.

G-------------------------- The global warming results in higher average death tolls and an
increased risk of disease outbreaks, posing threats to human
life-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loss of Natural Habitat

A global shift in the climate leads to the loss of habitats of several plants and animals. In
this case, the animals need to migrate from their natural habitat and many of them even
become extinct. This is yet another major impact of global warming on biodiversity.
G----------------------------------- The global climate shift caused by global warming
disrupts habitats, forcing plants and animals to migrate and leading to species
extinction.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably but have
distinct meanings. Similarly, the terms "weather" and "climate" are sometimes
confused, though they refer to events with broadly different spatial- and timescales.

G-----------------------------------This terms are distinct but often confused, just as

"weather" and "climate" represent spatial and temporal scales despite occasional
confusion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weather vs. Climate

“If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.”
- Mark Twain

Weather refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time—
from minutes to hours or days. Familiar examples include rain, snow, clouds, winds,
floods, or thunderstorms.

Climate, on the other hand, refers to the long-term (usually at least 30 years) regional or
even global average of temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns over seasons, years,
or decades.

G-------------------------------------- Weather represents short-term atmospheric

conditions, and rainfall over extended periods, differentiating the two
concepts.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Is Global Warming?

This graph illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-
1980 average temperatures, with the year 2020 statistically tying with 2016 for hottest
on record (Source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies). Learn more about
global surface temperature here. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s surface observed since the pre-
industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel
burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.
This term is not interchangeable with the term "climate change."

Since the pre-industrial period, human activities are estimated to have increased Earth’s
global average temperature by about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), a
number that is currently increasing by more than 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.36 degrees
Fahrenheit) per decade. The current warming trend is unequivocally the result of human
activity since the 1950s and is proceeding at an unprecedented rate over millennia.

G----------------------------------- Human-induced global warming, primarily caused by

fossil fuel burning, has led to a long-term heating of Earth's surface since the pre-
industrial period, highlighting the significant impact of human activities on increasing
greenhouse gas levels and global
temperatures.----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Is Climate Change?

Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to
define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of
observed effects that are synonymous with the term.
Changes observed in Earth’s climate since the mid-20th century are driven by human
activities, particularly fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas
levels in Earth’s atmosphere, raising Earth’s average surface temperature. Natural
processes, which have been overwhelmed by human activities, can also contribute to
climate change, including internal variability (e.g., cyclical ocean patterns like El Niño,
La Niña and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation) and external forcings (e.g., volcanic
activity, changes in the Sun’s energy output, variations in Earth’s orbit).
Scientists use observations from the ground, air, and space, along
with computer models, to monitor and study past, present, and future climate change.
Climate data records provide evidence of climate change key indicators, such as global
land and ocean temperature increases; rising sea levels; ice loss at Earth’s poles and in
mountain glaciers; frequency and severity changes in extreme weather such as
hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, floods, and precipitation; and cloud and
vegetation cover changes.
G----------------------------------- Climate change, driven by human activities and natural
processes, manifests through a broad range of observed effects, including temperature
rise, sea level increase, ice loss, extreme weather events, and alterations in cloud cover
and vegetation, as monitored through ground, aerial, and space-based observations and
supported by climate data records and computer
models.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTOGRAPH

On Thin Ice
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have become a symbol of global warming, because the
Arctic landscape is one of the first to absorb the impact of rising temperatures. Warming
temperatures melt polar ice and force animals like the polar bear to move farther south
in search of food and other resources.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BJORN ANDERS NYMOEN, MYSHOT

G------------------------------- Polar bears symbolize the impact of global warming as

rising temperatures lead to the melting of Arctic ice, pushing these animals to migrate
southward in search of
resources.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Global warming describes the current rise in the average temperature of Earth’s air and
oceans. Global warming is often described as the most recent example of climate
change.
Earth’s climate has changed many times. Our planet has gone through multiple ice ages,
in which ice sheets and glaciers covered large portions of Earth. It has also gone through
warm periods when temperatures were higher than they are today.

Past changes in Earth’s temperature happened very slowly, over hundreds of thousands
of years. However, the recent warming trend is happening much faster than it ever has.
Natural cycles of warming and cooling are not enough to explain the amount of
warming we have experienced in such a short time—only human activities can account
for it. Scientists worry that the climate is changing faster than some living things
can adapt to it.

In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment

Programme established a committee of climatologists, meteorologists, geographers, and
other scientists from around the world. This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) includes thousands of scientists who review the most up-to-
date research available related to global warming and climate change. The
IPCC evaluates the risk of climate change caused by human activities.

According to the IPCC’s most recent report (in 2007), Earth’s average surface
temperatures have risen about 0.74 degrees Celsius (1.33 degrees Fahrenheit) during the
past 100 years. The increase is greater in northern latitudes. The IPCC also found that
land regions are warming faster than oceans. The IPCC states that most of the
temperature increase since the mid-20th century is likely due to human activities.

G------------------------------------ Global warming, the current rise in Earth's average

temperature, is a phenomenon that has occurred much faster than past climate changes,
primarily attributed to human activities, as evaluated by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC).---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Greenhouse Effect
Human activities contribute to global warming by increasing the greenhouse effect. The
greenhouse effect happens when certain gases—known as greenhouse gases—collect in
Earth’s atmosphere. These gases, which occur naturally in the atmosphere,
include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide, and fluorinated gases sometimes
known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Greenhouse gases let the sun’s light shine onto Earth’s surface, but they trap the heat
that reflects back up into the atmosphere. In this way, they act like the insulating glass
walls of a greenhouse. The greenhouse effect keeps Earth’s climate comfortable.
Without it, surface temperatures would be cooler by about 33 degrees Celsius (60
degrees Fahrenheit), and many life forms would freeze.

Since the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s and early 1800s, people have been
releasing large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That amount
has skyrocketed in the past century. Greenhouse gas emissions increased 70 percent
between 1970 and 2004. Emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse
gas, rose by about 80 percent during that time. The amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere today far exceeds the natural range seen over the last 650,000 years.

Most of the carbon dioxide that people put into the atmosphere comes from
burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Cars, trucks, trains, and planes all
burn fossil fuels. Many electric power plants also burn fossil fuels.

Another way people release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is by cutting
down forests. This happens for two reasons. Decaying plant material, including trees,
releases tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Living trees absorb carbon dioxide.
By diminishing the number of trees to absorb carbon dioxide, the gas remains in the
atmosphere.

Most methane in the atmosphere comes from livestock farming, landfills, and fossil fuel

production such as coal mining and natural gas processing. Nitrous oxide comes
from agricultural technology and fossil fuel burning.

Fluorinated gases include chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and

hydrofluorocarbons. These greenhouse gases are used in aerosol cans and refrigeration.

All of these human activities add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, trapping more
heat than usual and contributing to global warming.

G------------------------------------ Human activities release greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere, contributing to global warming by intensifying the greenhouse effect,
which in turn traps heat and alters Earth's
climate.---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effects of Global Warming

Even slight rises in average global temperatures can have huge effects. Perhaps the
biggest, most obvious effect is that glaciers and ice caps melt faster than usual.
The meltwater drains into the oceans, causing sea levels to rise and oceans to become
less salty.

Ice sheets and glaciers advance and retreat naturally. As Earth’s temperature has
changed, the ice sheets have grown and shrunk, and sea levels have fallen and
risen. Ancient corals found on land in Florida, Bermuda, and the Bahamas show that the
sea level must have been five to six meters (16-20 feet) higher 130,000 years ago than it
is today. Earth doesn’t need to become oven-hot to melt the glaciers. Northern summers
were just three to five degrees Celsius (five to nine degrees Fahrenheit) warmer during
the time of those ancient fossils than they are today.

However, the speed at which global warming is taking place is unprecedented. The
effects are unknown.

Glaciers and ice caps cover about 10 percent of the world’s landmass today. They hold
about 75 percent of the world’s fresh water. If all of this ice melted, sea levels would
rise by about 70 meters (230 feet). The IPCC reported that the global sea level rose
about 1.8 millimeters (0.07 inches) per year from 1961 to 1993, and 3.1 millimeters
(0.12 inches) per year since 1993.

Rising sea levels could flood coastal communities, displacing millions of people in

areas such as Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and the U.S. state of Florida.
Forced migration would impact not only those areas, but the regions to which the
“climate refugees” flee. Millions more people in countries like Bolivia, Peru, and India
depend on glacial meltwater for drinking, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. Rapid
loss of these glaciers would devastate those countries.

Glacial melt has already raised the global sea level slightly. However, scientists are
discovering ways the sea level could increase even faster. For example, the melting of
the Chacaltaya Glacier in Bolivia has exposed dark rocks beneath it. The rocks absorb
heat from the sun, speeding up the melting process.

Many scientists use the term “climate change” instead of “global warming.” This is
because greenhouse gas emissions affect more than just temperature. Another effect
involves changes in precipitation like rain and snow. Patterns in precipitation may
change or become more extreme. Over the course of the 20th century, precipitation
increased in eastern parts of North and South America, northern Europe, and northern
and central Asia. However, it has decreased in parts of Africa, the Mediterranean, and
parts of southern Asia.

G------------------------------- Even slight rises in average global temperatures can lead to

significant impacts such as accelerated melting of glaciers and ice caps, causing rising
sea levels and less salty oceans, which could result in flooding and displacement of
coastal communities, as well as affect regions dependent on glacial meltwater.
Additionally, climate change encompasses more than just temperature, including
changes in precipitation patterns, which have exhibited both increases and decreases in
various parts of the
world.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Future Changes
Nobody can look into a crystal ball and predict the future with certainty. However,
scientists can make estimates about future population growth, greenhouse gas
emissions, and other factors that affect climate. They can enter those estimates into
computer models to find out the most likely effects of global warming.

The IPCC predicts that greenhouse gas emissions will continue to increase over the next
few decades. As a result, they predict the average global temperature will increase by
about 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade. Even if we reduce
greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions to their 2000 levels, we can still expect a
warming of about 0.1 degree Celsius (0.18 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade.

The panel also predicts global warming will contribute to some serious changes in water
supplies around the world. By the middle of the 21st century, the IPCC predicts,
river runoff and water availability will most likely increase at high latitudes and in
some tropical areas. However, many dry regions in the mid-latitudes and tropics will
experience a decrease in water resources.

As a result, millions of people may be exposed to water shortages. Water shortages

decrease the amount of water available for drinking, electricity, and hygiene. Shortages
also reduce water used for irrigation. Agricultural output would slow and food prices
would climb. Consistent years of drought in the Great Plains of the United States and
Canada would have this effect.

IPCC data also suggest that the frequency of heat waves and extreme precipitation will
increase. Weather patterns such as storms and tropical cyclones will become more
intense. Storms themselves may be stronger, more frequent, and longer-lasting. They
would be followed by stronger storm surges, the immediate rise in sea level following
storms. Storm surges are particularly damaging to coastal areas because their effects
(flooding, erosion, damage to buildings and crops) are lasting.

G------------------------------------- Scientific estimates and computer models indicate that

greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise, leading to an average global temperature
increase and significant changes in water supplies, including increased availability in
certain regions and decreased resources in many dry areas. These changes can result in
water shortages, reduced agricultural output, and increased food prices, as well as an
increase in heat waves, extreme precipitation, and intensified storms and tropical
cyclones with lasting impacts on coastal
areas.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

What We Can Do
Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is a critical step in slowing the global warming
trend. Many governments around the world are working toward this goal.

The biggest effort so far has been the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997 and
went into effect in 2005. By the end of 2009, 187 countries had signed and ratified the
agreement. Under the protocol, 37 industrialized countries and the European
Union have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

There are several ways that governments, industries, and individuals can reduce
greenhouse gases. We can improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses. We can
improve the fuel efficiency of cars and other vehicles. We can also support development
of alternative energy sources, such as solar power and biofuels, that don’t involve
burning fossil fuels.

Some scientists are working to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground, rather
than let it go into the atmosphere. This process is called carbon sequestration.

Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. Protecting existing forests
and planting new ones can help balance greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Changes in farming practices could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example,
farms use large amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizers, which increase nitrogen oxide
emissions from the soil. Reducing the use of these fertilizers would reduce the amount
of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

The way farmers handle animal manure can also have an effect on global warming.
When manure is stored as liquid or slurry in ponds or tanks, it releases methane. When
it dries as a solid, however, it does not.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is vitally important. However, the global

temperature has already changed and will most likely continue to change for years to
come. The IPCC suggests that people explore ways to adapt to global warming as well
as try to slow or stop it. Some of the suggestions for adapting include:

 Expanding water supplies through rain catchment, conservation, reuse,

and desalination.
 Adjusting crop locations, variety, and planting dates.
 Building seawalls and storm surge barriers and
creating marshes and wetlands as buffers against rising sea levels.
 Creating heat-health action plans, boosting emergency medical services, and
improving disease surveillance and control.
 Diversifying tourism attractions, because existing attractions like ski
resorts and coral reefs may disappear.
 Planning for roads and rail lines to cope with warming and/or flooding.
 Strengthening energy infrastructure, improving energy efficiency, and reducing
dependence on single sources of energy.

G------------------------------------- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to slow

global warming, and governments worldwide are actively engaged in this effort,
employing measures such as improving energy efficiency, enhancing vehicle fuel
efficiency, promoting alternative energy sources, carbon sequestration, forest
conservation, and sustainable farming practices. Additionally, adapting to the changing
climate through strategies like water management, crop adjustments, infrastructure
planning, and strengthening energy systems is recommended by the IPCC to address the
ongoing and anticipated impacts of global
warming.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAST FACT

Barking up the Wrong Tree

Spruce bark beetles in the U.S. state of Alaska have had a population boom thanks to 20
years of warmer-than-average summers. The insects have managed to chew their way
through 1.6 million hectares (four million acres) of spruce trees.

G--------------------------------------- Warmer summers in Alaska over the past two

decades have led to a population surge of spruce bark beetles, resulting in extensive
damage of 1.6 million hectares (four million acres) of spruce
trees.------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAST FACT

Disappearing Penguins
Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) made a showbiz splash in the 2005 film March
of the Penguins. Sadly, their encore might include a disappearing act. In the 1970s, an
abnormally long warm spell caused these Antarctic birds' population to drop by 50
percent. Some scientists worry that continued global warming will push the creatures to
extinction by changing their habitat and food supply.
G------------------------------------- Emperor penguins, face the threat of extinction due to
past population declines caused by a prolonged warm spell in the 1970s and the
potential impacts of ongoing global warming on their habitat and food
sources.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAST FACT

Shell Shock
A sudden increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere does more than
change Earth's temperature. A lot of the carbon dioxide in the air dissolves into
seawater. There, it forms carbonic acid in a process called ocean acidification. Ocean
acidification is making it hard for some sea creatures to build shells and skeletal
structures. This could alter the ecological balance in the oceans and cause problems for
fishing and tourism industries.

G---------------------------------------- Rapid rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to

ocean acidification, affecting marine life's ability to form shells and skeletons,
potentially disrupting ocean ecosystems and impacting fishing and tourism
sectors.-----------------------------------------------------------------------