About global warming

What is global warming?

Global warming is an increase in the avarage temperature of Earth's surface. Many experts estimate that the avarage temperature will raise by 2100 2,5 to 10,4 degrees (1,4 to 5,8 degrees C). The thing scientists worry most about is whether human societies and natural ecosystems will be able to adapt to rapid climate changes.

What causes global warming?

A majority of climatologists have concluded that human activities are responsible for most of the warming. The main human activities that contribute to global warming are the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and the clearing of land. The burning of fossil fuels creates carbon dioxide, whose chemical formula is CO2. CO2 is greenhouse gas that slows the escape of heat into space. Trees and other plants remove CO2 from the air during photosyntesis, the process they use to produce food. Deforestation is another significant source of greenhouse gases, because fewer trees means less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen.

During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 31 percent. Over the same period, the level of atmospheric methane has risen by 151 percent, mostly from agricultural activities such as raising cattle and growing rice.

As the concentration of greenhouse gases grows, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere and less escapes back into space. This changes the climate and alters weather patterns.