Global warming is caused by increased fossil fuel use:
Since the industrial revolution, people have needed more energy for work and in the home – this has come from burning more fossil fuels, particularly coal and oil.
This burning releases more carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere – these cause what’s known as the “Greenhouse Effect”.
The Green House Effect
The Green house effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because some gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane trap energy from the sun. These gases are known as the green house gasses, and these gasses keep the Earth warm if these gasses were not present the polar ice caps would melt and the sea level will rise causing major floods. But then again the green house effect is very important, without the green house effect the Earth would not be warm enough for humans to live on.
The Earth is warmed during the day by incoming rays from the sun. The Earth loses heat at night through out going infrared radiation. On cloudy nights temperatures do not drop as low on clear nights. This is because the clouds act as a blanket and trap some heat.
The green house gasses also act as a blanket, as they prevent the heat to leave at night in to the solar system. This blanket allows heat to enter but only allows a little bit to leave. This layer of gasses is known as the o-zone layer.
Causes of Global Warming The key contributors to global warming are carbon dioxide and other pollutants released in to the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is the main pollutant released into the atmosphere it comes from road vehicles and by burning fossil fuels in power stations, in factories and in the home.
CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) from aerosols, air-conditioners, foam packaging and refrigerators. These are the most damaging of the green house gasses.
Methane is released from decaying organic matter such as peat bogs, swamps and waste dumps.
Nitrous oxide is given out from car exhausts, power stations and agricultural fertilisers.
When do you send green house gasses in to the air?
Earth is like a giant greenhouse:
Energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere as light and warms it up. When it reflects off the Earths surface as heat, it is trapped by the atmosphere and cant get back into space – this is how a greenhouse keeps the heat inside, and it means that the Earth gets hotter.
Greenhouse gases need to be reduced:
Britain and Europe want to reduce gas emissions – they are big users of fossil fuels.
India and other LEDCs don’t want to, because their rate of development will slow down.
Oil states in the Gulf don’t want to because their revenues from oil sales will go down.
The USA doesn’t want to because it doesn’t want a fall in living standards.
Global warming causes sea levels to rise:
Ice sheets and glaciers are beginning to melt.
Sea levels have risen by 0.25m in the last 100 years.
In 100 years, the seas levels will probably rise another 0.5m.
Low-lying areas of the world are under threat of flooding – e.g. parts of Southeast England, the Nile and Ganges deltas and most major world cities.
The world’s climates are also changing:
Droughts, floods and storms could become more severe, widespread and more common.
The Northern Hemisphere wheat belt could become more arid and less productive.
The Tundra could become warmer and support crop growth.
The Sahara could spread north into Southern Europe.
The North Atlantic Drift could be altered, and Britain could become much colder.
What can happen?
Climate change may affect people’s health. For example, heat stress and other heat related problems are caused by high temperatures and high humidity. Heat stress can be a very serious problem.
Climate change may adjust the world’s habitats and ecosystems. Animals may not be able to live in extremely hot temperatures all the time and habitats may be lost to the animals that do not live in the sea but live near the beach.
Global warming may make the sea level to rise. This is because warmer weather makes snow caps melt in the Polar Regions, and if these melt they would add more water to the sea. Warmer temperatures make water expand.
One thing that is good that the colder parts of the world may now be able to crow crops as before it was to cold and the climate was not right for the crop to be grown.
What we should do in the future?
Save electricity, when we use electricity we help put green house gasses in to the air by turning of lights and televisions off after use would be a great help.
You can save energy by sometimes walking, riding a bike or taking the bus.
If we plant more trees and cut down less would be help. This is because trees absorb carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide is the main green house gas.
