Global warming can also be called the greenhouse effect, which is a natural occurrence that maintains Earth's average temperature at approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The greenhouse effect is a necessary phenomenon that keeps all Earth's heat from escaping to the outer atmosphere. If we didn’t have the greenhouse effect temperatures on Earth would be much lower than they are now, and the existence of life on this planet would not be possible. The global average temperature would drop precipitously 33 degrees from its current 15° to -18°C. The Earth would become an ice planet. However, too many greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere could increase the greenhouse effect. This could result in an increase in mean global temperatures as well as changes in precipitation patterns. The Earth's atmosphere, a thin blanket of gases, protects the planet from the harshest of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. The atmosphere, by trapping the Earth's warmth, keeps rivers and oceans from freezing. Carbon dioxide and water vapour are the most important gases in creating the insulating or "greenhouse effect" of the atmosphere. There are many different causes of global warming but it is mainly caused by cars, power plants and other industrial sources that burn gasoline, coal and other fossil fuels giving of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollution which collect’s like a blanket in the atmosphere. As a result, the planet is getting warmer. In fact, 2002 was the second warmest year on record.
Although earth temperatures fluctuate naturally, warming over the past 50 years is the fastest in history. And experts think the trend is accelerating. Scientists say that unless global warming emissions are reduced, average temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.
It's not just warm weather, Global warming means more air pollution and problems with water supplies as precipitation patterns change, as well as huge threats to ecosystems from the Everglades to the glaciers. There will be hotter, longer heat waves and more intense storm systems. Forests, farms and cities will face troublesome new pests and more mosquito-borne diseases.
Changing regional climate could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies. It could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems.
Around the world, ice sheets and glaciers are melting at a rate unprecedented since record keeping began. Changes in the area and volume of the two polar ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland are intricately linked to changes in global climate and could result in sea-level changes that would severely affect the densely populated coastal regions on Earth.
For fifty years Antarctica's polar ice cap has been receding at an alarming rate of four feet a day. This phenomenon raises some difficult questions for geologists, environmentalists and ultimately, for the future of the entire Earth. Scientists are divided when it comes to explaining the ice shelf's rapid disintegration. Research has shown that it is not the first time Antarctica's ice has melted, it happened 3 million years ago. In spite of this, we still do not know whether it is happening naturally as it once did, or if this is a product of man-made global warming. In addition, we don't know when it will stop or what will be the consequences this time. Environmentalists are advising that unique ecosystems around the world are suffering from the aftermath of climate changes. If the western Antarctic ice continues to melt, sea levels could rise 5 to 20 meters, putting major American cities such as New York and Miami as well as several Pacific islands and much of the Netherlands under water.
There are many ways to reduce global warming, which include relying more on renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar power and hydrogen fuel cells, which would dramatically reduce global warming pollution. We could also make our homes, offices and industries much more energy-efficient, which would cut pollution and save money. For example using a compact fluorescent light bulb over an incandescent bulb, you'll lower your energy bill and keep half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air. We could also replace the old power plants with new, cleaner power plants.
The best way to reduce global warming would be to make more energy efficient cars, which don’t give out as much CO2 and only use them when necessary.
