Hassan Chamseddine
Global Warming
It’s becoming clear that most of the past century’s warming had been caused by humans, by releasing greenhouse gases during our modern lives. According to National Geographic, the amount of greenhouse gases released today is the biggest compared to the past 650,000 years. National Geographic studies have shown that “as the Earth spins each day, the new heat swirls with it, picking up moisture over the oceans, rising here, settling there and changing the rhythms of climate that all living things have come to rely upon.” We call the result Global Warming. Global warming has causes, dangers and effects, yet it also has solutions!
Scientists have learned that the main cause of Global Warming is greenhouse gases. The combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production are where greenhouse gases come from. According to scientists, the gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, also called CO2. Another cause of Global Warming is deforestation. All plants take in carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. This process is called photosynthesis. All the carbon stored in trees and vegetation is converted back into carbon dioxide when trees and vegetation are removed or burnt. Studies have shown that before European settlement in 1788, forest and woodlands covered 54% of Australia which has now been reduced to 42%, mainly through deforestation.
