Why is the earth hotter than it has been in 400 years?

Answer 1

Record numbers of politicians talking; all that hot air has to go somewhere.

So, yeah, we really need election reform or it's Hurricane time.

Answer 2

1500 a.d. was a mini-ice age. That coincided with the end of the Dark Ages, the Medieval period you studied in school (or did you?). Anyway, the earth has natural warming and cooling periods.

The problem now is that we are probably adding to that natural warming cycle by emitting carbon into the atmosphere through the burning of hydrocarbons (oil-based products) as a primary energy source. No one knows for sure how much of an effect man-kind is having, but it seems reasonable to assume it is not negligible. Since we cannot predict what will happen if the earth gets too warm, a lot of people are starting to think of ways to reduce carbon emissions. At least in this way we will have done what we can until the earth begins a cooling cycle again.

Answer 3

No, it's not because of global warming induced by humans. Rather, it's because we're JUST NOW emerging from the last ice age, and it's warming back up to where it was before. People seem to be quick to blame humans and carbon dioxide emissions as the chief source of Earth's heating up, but they're forgetting the chief greenhouse gas in our atmosphere -

Water vapor.

If we increase the water vapor present in the atmosphere by ONLY 1%, we run the risk of elevating the global average temperature by over four degrees celsius. As the temperature increases from our exit of the prior ice age, the water vapor content of our atmosphere increases due an increase in evaporation, the atmospheric content of water vapor increases, and the cycle perpetuates.

However, this is merely my theory, and only a theory. I'm no climatologist, and it could turn out that we're *all* wrong about this whole thing. I've included an article from PhysOrg about a Russian scientist who thinks that the Tunguska event of 1908 is at the root of our greenhouse effect dilemma.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

It is a combination of things. We are entering a phase that is warmer which is natural and based upon the earth's closeness to the sun, water vapour in the air, natural explosions, etc.
And ... we humans have been compounding this situation with our pollution. But it is not all our fault. One big volcanic blast like Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Pinnotubo (sp?) has more effect on the weather than decades of human pollution. Lets hope we dont have a comet hit the earth ... that is what caused the last ice age and killed the dinosaurs. Or were the dinosaurs just polluting too much? lol

Answer 5

Global warming is causing a hole in our ozone layer which is already the size of North America. The hole in the ozone allows more of the suns rays to come in. The purpose of the ozone was to block out sun rays but now that there's the hole in the ozone, the earth is heating up causing more chances of cancer and melting of the polar ice caps which will eventually cause another ice age...

Answer 6

The Greenhouse Effect. Humans are filling the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and cutting down trees which convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. The net result is more greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere which causes more heat to be trapped. Thus the planet warms.

Answer 7

Global Warming...

Answer 8

Global warming is starting to affect our lives, expect it to keep getting worse than better in the years to come.

Answer 9

My bf wasn't alive 400 years ago.

Answer 10

Human Negligence...