okay okay... please dont laugh @ me, but what exactly is global warming?

Question

i kinda know what it is, but not exactly... i feel like such a blonde (no offence to you ladies who are blonde) but i really want to know and im a little emberrassed to ask.

Answer 1

Don't worry, it isn't shameful to ask. It's good that you did ask, instead of just kinda knowing.

There's something called the greenhouse effect. This is when Earth's atmosphere (air) traps the sun's energy. It's a good thing--without it, then we would probably all be freezing; we actually might not even be alive. Some of the heat does actually get reflected into space, and some heat is let out.

However, when the atmosphere has too much of a greenhouse effect, almost no heat can get out. That's global warming, a result of the greenhouse effect and of an increase in gases like carbon dioxide that further the greenhouse effect.

Answer 2

The most important ways that the people can combat global warming is getting rid of their older model cars (1979 Buick) because, older cars emmitt more toxic fumes into the air. Its obvious that the more technological advanced a car is, the less harmful gases it emmitts. A car that was built 3 or 4 years ago will be more economy friendly than a car that was assembled 35 years ago. For high populated cities such as New York, Bus and Taxi companys should replace current vehicles with cars that are powered by hydrogen or electricity. Just think, if every major city used the Toyota Prius as taxi's, there would be a decreased level of pollution, and also taxi fares could be drastically lower as well.

Answer 3

It's generally agreed that CO2 levels in the atmosphere are now higher than they have been a century ago, because we have scientific records of it. The controversy over it falls into one of the following:

1) Whether the scientific measurements and records are accurate
2) Whether increased C02 can actually result in climatic changes
3) Whether man is responsible for it, or it's part of some natural cycle
4) Whether anything can be done about it
5) Whether anything SHOULD be done about it

The bulk of the scientific community says,

1) Yes
2) Yes, leading to melting of glaciers and polar ices
3) Man is responsible through burning of fossil fuels, the major cause
4) Getting harder all the time, but still possible
5) This part is left to public opinion, but Earth will eventually be a very different place, one that people may not like. For example, snow on the ground may become a rarity, and heat waves and violent storms more common.

Technically speaking, CO2 is not a "pollution", it's just something that we now have too much of in the atmosphere. CO2 is necessary for plant and tree life.

Answer 4

Some gases ("greenhouse gases") let sunlight in, which warms the Earth, and then block that heat from leaving. That's the "greenhouse effect", and it's a natural thing.

Man is making excessive amounts of greenhouse gases, mostly by burning fossil fuels. That causes the delicate natural balance to go out of whack and the Earth warms. That's global warming.

It won't be a Hollywood style disaster. Gradually coastal areas will flood and agriculture will be damaged. But it will be very bad. Rich countries will cope, but it will take huge amounts of money. In poor countries many people will die of starvation, but not all of them.

Most scientists say, in 20-50 years. But we need to start right now to fix it, fixing it will take even longer than that.

Answer 5

Basically global warming means that the average temperature of the atmosphere is rising a few degrees(might get worse), this has tremendous consequences in the way the weather reacts taking things to extremes.(bigger hurricanes, longer drought periods extreme snowfalls etc.
now what is causing it? the amount of pollution mankind is putting into the air but especially Cf's Chlorofluorocarbons(a gas used in refrigerators and spray cans among other things)these create a layer in the outer part of the atmosphere that allows certain rays of the sun to pass through because they break the natural layer (ozone layer)we have that protects us from these ultraviolet rays
also the excess of co2 (burnt gasoline or carbon) is basically keeping the earth warmer like a blanket when you sleep.

so start using your bike!

Answer 6

I don't work for Google, but when I need an answer I normally go check there first. They came up with this most interesting site in a hard to measure small amount of time when I asked for it:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=global+warming&btnG=Google+Search
After that you'll be overwelmed, stunned and in shock and awe by the obundance of information you'll encounter.
I hope not to have answered only 1 question.

Answer 7

It's a lot to read, but check out the wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

Also keep in mind that this is a hotbutton political issue and a lot of contraversy is involved. It's hard to separate fact from fiction because most of the scientific facts are filtered through the media. And even in science there is often a bias for one conclusion over another. Good luck, and I applaud your desire to learn more!

An interesting novel is "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton. It deals with a global warming "conspiracy", and presents it as a fictional story.

Answer 8

an increase in surface temperature due to trapped greenhouse gasses in the upper atmosphere. If you want to learn more just search global warming. If you want to be even more well informed make sure to read credible facts from both sides of the issue.

Answer 9

Too much pollution causes the heat to get trapped in our atmosphere which makes the earth warm up causing the polar ice caps to melt and over flow the oceans. watch Al Gore's film Inconvient Truth. pretty informative.

Answer 10

global warming is a consensus of scientist whom have only taken a 2 step approach to three step science,in otherwords assuming,that it is a man made calamity it.In reality there is a climate change due to cyclical cycles of the earth,the heat of the sun,lack of sunspots etc.Many believe the chicken little approach"that the sky is falling" but the consensus of global warming is a scare tactic.Example: during the centeries of the Vikings,the world had a hotter mean temperature,Crops were grown in Scotland,grapes in England.Today there are no crops grown in Scotland,and the grapes grown in England arent as abundant,the seas of that time made it safe for the Vikings to cross in thier small sea vessels,if they were to try that today with the technology of that time,they would have sank before their longboats even made it past greenland