Global Warming is caused by the entrapment of heat through "greenhouse gases". Greenhouse gases are gases that keep heat that enters the atmospheres from returning, therefore creating a buildup of heat. The sun can penetrate theses gases, but unfortunately cannot escape them so easily. The sun's rays initially is absorbed by atmosphere molecules, and then are detained by the gases. Without these gases, the world would be seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit cooler, too cold to support life. In the long run, if the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases, the earth will eventually become too hot for habitation.
Greenhouse gases are gases such as Carbon dioxide, Methane, and Nitrogen oxides. There are a total of about thirty greenhouse gases, but forty percent of global warming is caused by carbon dioxide alone. Many of these gases enter the atmosphere when fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are burned. Deforestation contributes to the build up of Carbon dioxide, since the trees are being cut down and are not there to "eat and digest" the carbon dioxide. The amounts of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year is astounding. Each year we release about six billion tons of carbon dioxide alone into the atmosphere. The amounts found in the atmosphere are correspondingly rising. In 1880, there were 280 parts per million(ppm) of Carbon Dioxide found in the atmosphere. In 1958, 333ppm, and in 1980, 370 ppm.
As the heat builds up in the atmosphere, so does water vapor. It is a viscous cycle. Higher temperatures evaporate more water, and water vapor traps heat in the atmosphere even better than Carbon dioxide. So you can see, the greenhouse gases that we breath in everyday are causing our planet to get a tan, and in the future it could become a burn. Read on to learn the devastating effects of global warming!
Click Here For A Picture Of A Carbon Dioxide Concentration Chart From 1890 to 1990
Click here for a Picture demonstration of how Global Warming Works
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