Global warming effects outcome and what we can do about it

Essay by dyer1High School, 10th gradeA+, April 2007

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Global warming what is it?Global Warming is the term used for the heating of the earth. It is also known as the greenhouse effect. These terms are commonly confused with climate change which is a more descriptive term. Climate change refers to the buildup of man-made gases in the atmosphere that trap the radiated heat from the earth, causing changes in weather patterns on a global scale. (The greenhouse gases of most concern are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), and nitrous oxides.) The recent effect that climate change has had is the equivalent of a 1 watt light bulb burning over every square meter of the earth.

A common misconception of global warming is that it is mans fault. Strictly speaking this is not entirely true. The effects of Global Warming are completely natural yet there is no denying that we are contributing to these effects and making them stronger and more rapid.

For several years believers and skeptics have argued about the causes of Global Warming. Reduction of the rainforests, continued growth in hydrocarbon industries, increases in livestock, and depletion of the ozone are all considered factors in the debate. Skeptics maintain that the climate change is a natural phenomenon, that man's effect on nature is largely overrated. Over the past Century the earth's temperature has been rising. It has not been a noticeable increase to us but for example, it can easily be seen in the Antarctic where bigger and bigger pieces of ice are breaking away and melting.

Evidence of Climate changeOne of the most important sources of evidence for climatic change can be found in the Antarctic where ice has preserved a 400,000-year record of levels of CO2, CH4 and temperature levels in the atmosphere. Scientists study the gas bubbles in the ice using ice cores...