Global warming
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Global Warming refers to average increase in the earth’s temperature due to increase in pollution which results in greenhouse effect which in turn leads to climate change. Global warming may lead to rise in the sea level due to melting of glaciers, shrinkage of forests, changes in the rainfall pattern and wide range of impacts on plants and humans.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of over 2,500 scientists from countries across the world have determined that a number of human activities are contributing towards the growth of global warming by releasing excessive amount of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
These greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide accumulate into the atmosphere and trap heat that would normally would exit into the outer space. Over the last few decades cars, industries and power plants have released tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and this has caused the temperature of the earth to rise from .6 degree Celsius between 1901 and 2000. If nothing is done to stop global warming now then it could prove to be a big disaster for the human kind.
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Gases called carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour and other gases have heat trapping capacity and are needed to create greenhouse effect that keeps the earth warm which is required to support plants, animals and humans. Some of these greenhouse gases occur naturally while other are released in tons of capacity every year all over the world by us.
These gases are released when we drive cars, burn wood or coal, large power plants. Deforestation(cutting down of forests) is also a reason for the greenhouse gases because fewer trees means less carbon di oxide converted to oxygen. Now, when accumulation of these greenhouse gases grows, more heat gets trapped into the atmosphere and as a result few heat escapes backs into the space and it heat ups the earth surface.
See also What are Various Global Warming Solutions?
Future Of Global Warming
As we are going to more fossil fuels the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the earth atmosphere is going to rise and rise. And these greenhouse gases will raise the earth’s surface temperature with them. According to IPCC, the temperature of the earth will rise from 2 degree Celsius to 6 degree Celsius by the end of 21st century. With the rise in such temperature the glaciers and ice shelves around the world will start melting. Scientists project rising sea levels will increase between 7 and 22 inches by 2100. When the sea level will rise combined with the rise in the temperature of the sea, tropical storms such as tsunami could increase.
