The Causes Of Global Warming And The Greenhouse Effect

The planet earth has been around for over four and a half billion years. Humans, arguably the most intelligent life form on the planet, have only existed for 200,000 years. Recent studies have identified that humans are accelerating a scientific phenomenon known as global warming. Global warming as a whole is completely altering a multitude of facets on the planet earth. Average air and sea temperatures across the globe in all climates are steadily rising. Storms are becoming increasingly frequent and severe in climates like the tropics. Animals are being forced to migrate to new lands to inhabit because of climate change. The climate of the planet on a global scale is being thrown into a gradual chaos all because of global warming.

Humans do things that create carbon dioxide which is one of the greenhouse gases that cause the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when gases like carbon dioxide become trapped in the atmosphere and trap incoming solar energy. That solar energy is then redirected in all directions thus, warming the entire planet and causing what we know as global warming. Global warming is a heating up all parts of the planet causing global climate changes. “A major international assessment of climate change…provides conclusive new scientific evidence that human activities are causing unprecedented changes in the Earth’s climate.” (IPCC Confirms, 2013). “…Greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates would induce changes in the oceans, ice caps, glaciers, the biosphere, and other components of the climate system.” (IPCC Confirms, 2013). Additionally, WMO Secretary-General Michael Jarraud said that, “Multiple lines of evidence confirm that extra heat being trapped by greenhouse gases is warming the Earth’s surface to record levels, heating the oceans, raising sea levels, melting ice caps and glaciers, and changing weather patterns and extremes.” (IPCC Confirms,

(Jones, 2012). Between 2005 and 2011, research found that despite unusually low solar activity, the earth still absorbed more energy that it returned to space. The study shows that the earth is emitting more energy from other sources than the sun, such as greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. (Jones, 2012). Additionally, “The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states: it is a greater than a 90 percent certainty that emissions of heat-trapping gases from human activities have caused most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century.” (How Do We Know, 2015). Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide is a common element produced by humans through various everyday activities. Normally, humans naturally emit carbon dioxide by simply breathing. However, plants and trees absorb that carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and create a cycle that is balanced. Carbon dioxide created through other human activity sources is what is causing carbon dioxide to linger and create the greenhouse