How much is "too much"?
Once a global warming cycle starts, it takes about 800 years for the carbon dioxide levels to start rising. Increasing CO2 nourishes plant life that nourishes animal life. As the Earth warms and the glaciers retreat, it becomes a lush "Greenhouse" with flourishing jungles and tremendous animal diversity.
Our current warming cycle started about 12,000 years ago. This time around, however, humans are destroying the plant life, disrupting the natural cycle. The results may be different because we are not allowing the natural plant growth.
The warming cycles seem to be primarily driven by changing solar output and the Earth's position in the galaxy.
2007-01-25 12:27:12
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answer #1
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answered by speakeasy 6
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Carbon dioxide is a "greenhouse" gas that contributes to the "greenhouse effect". The greenhouse effect is the process in which infrared radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere; thus, warming it.
This differs from actual greenhouses where the sun's visible rays heats various surfaces such as soil in the greenhouse. The heated soil then heats the air above it. The greenhouse structure then slows the rate at which heat is escaping, allowing the temperature inside to rise.
With the atmosphere and CO2, CO2 allows for the atmosphere (air) itself to absorb the infrared radiation in larger quantities, and therefore warms it.
If too much CO2 is in the air, then the atmosphere's temperature will rise to uncomfortable levels, water ocean levels will rise due to melting polar ice caps, less snow on top of mountains, more evaporation of water to form water vapor (which is also a greenhouse gas, much stronger than CO2).
(Luckily, even though water vapor is a stronger greenhouse gas than CO2, water vapor doesn't stay in the atmosphere for too long. It condenses to form clouds. Then it falls back to the surface as rain. CO2 can stay in the atmosphere for years before being absorbed by plant life, for instance.)
Moreover, since the atmosphere is absorbing more energy than before, the increase energy will also make storms more violent, more powerful. This is an application of basic laws of physics -- law of conservation of energy. Since the atmosphere has more energy, it will use it. The atmosphere will not simply absorb more energy forever. Think stronger hurricanes. More hurricanes as an example. Stronger thunderstorms. More windy days, Etc.
Venus is a fine example of what happens if the "greenhouse effect" goes too far. Venus is covered in clouds. We should expect Earth to do the same, especially with all that water vapor. (Water vapor is also a greenhouse gas.) The clouds will block the sunlight (visible rays) but it can't block the infrared radiation. With Venus' high concentration of 'greenhouse' gases, it absorbs infrared radiation quite well, making the planet very hot. The winds on the planet are constantly super hurricane strength.
2007-01-25 13:50:04
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answer #2
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answered by Zombies R Us 3
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global warming it could eventually pollute the water though it depends and how many plants are present in the water and if they can remove the excess
2007-01-25 12:26:29
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answer #3
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answered by ErinMarie 2
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Carbon dioxide is a mild greenhouse gas. It absorbs heat from the sun (where else?), so it heats the atmosphere a little.
2007-01-25 12:28:24
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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the ozone layer is perforated and will have holes in it,and therefore we will fry. also, there will also be acid rain
2007-01-25 12:42:07
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answer #5
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answered by Tatiana_100 1
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