Can somebody explain global warming to me please?

Question

I just don't get the whole fuss about global warming. I need someone to tell me what happens if global warming DOES take place and what effects we can expect to happen. What causes global warming anyway?

Answer 1

Gradually coastal areas will flood, first in storms then all the time. Changing patterns of precipitation and temperature will severely damage agriculture. Vermont's maple syrup industry is already being affected.

http://www.nasw.org/users/nbazilchuk/Articles/gwmaples.htm

Rich countries can cope, but it will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and lower the standard of living. Poor countries already struggling to feed themselves will have bad problems and many (not all) people will die of starvation.

Some gases in the atmosphere are transparent to visible light, but block heat. They let sunlight in and block the resulting heat. That's the greenhouse effect. It's like how the glass in a greenhouse keeps plants warm in winter. It's largely natural, desirable, and caused by water vapor.

Global warming is excess greenhouse effect caused by man, chiefly through burning fossil fuels and making carbon dioxide.

Much more here:

http://www.realclimate.org/

http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

Answer 2

Earth's 4.5 billion year history is one long story of climate change. This fact is pretty much accepted by those who think global warming is a natural process, and those who think it's caused by man.

In more recent history there has been: a mini ice age in the seventeenth century when the Thames froze so solidly that fairs could regularly be held on the ice; a Medieval Warm Period, even balmier than today; and sunnier still was the so-called Holocene Maximum, which was the warmest period in the last 10,000 years.

Those who think global warming is a natural process point to the fact that in the last 10,000 years, the warmest periods have happened well before humans started to produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.

A detailed look at recent climate change reveals that the temperature rose prior to 1940 but unexpectedly dropped in the post-war economic boom, when carbon dioxide emissions rose dramatically.

There is some evidence to suggest that the rise in carbon dioxide lags behind the temperature rise by 800 years and therefore can't be the cause of it.

In the greenhouse model of global warming, heat from the sun's rays is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If it weren't for these gases, Earth would be too cold for life.

Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun within the earth's atmosphere. This is the greenhouse effect. Traditional models predict that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases lead to runaway heating.

If greenhouse warming were happening, then scientists predict that the troposphere (the layer of the earth's atmosphere roughly 10-15km above us) should heat up faster than the surface of the planet, but data collected from satellites and weather balloons doesn't seem to support this.

Those who think global warming is a natural process say that the troposphere is not heating up because man-made greenhouse gases are not causing the planet to heat up.

For some people, the final nail in the coffin of human-produced greenhouse gas theories is the fact that carbon dioxide is produced in far larger quantities by many natural means: human emissions are miniscule in comparison. Volcanic emissions and carbon dioxide from animals, bacteria, decaying vegetation and the ocean outweigh our own production several times over.

Others would argue that carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas and that human emissions could tip up a finely balanced system.

New evidence shows that that as the radiation coming from the sun varies (and sun-spot activity is one way of monitoring this) the earth seems to heat up or cool down. Solar activity very precisely matches the plot of temperature change over the last 100 years. It correlates well with the anomalous post-war temperature dip, when global carbon dioxide levels were rising.

In fact, what is known of solar activity over the last several hundred years correlates very well with temperature. This is what some scientists are beginning to believe causes climate change. Others feel that solar activity only explains the fine details of temperature change.

So how does the sun affect the earth's temperature? The process scientists suggest is that as earth moves through space, the atmosphere is constantly bombarded by ever-present cosmic rays. As these particles hit water vapour evaporating from the oceans, clouds form in the atmosphere. Clouds shield Earth from some of the sun's radiation and have a cooling effect

When solar activity is high, there is an increase in solar wind and this has the effect of reducing the amount of cosmic radiation which reaches Earth.

When less cosmic radiation reaches Earth, fewer clouds form and the full effects of the sun's radiation heats the planet.

Answer 3

Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change.

Because of the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and other green house gases in the atmosphere, the heat from the sunlight rays that travel to earth are unable to escape. Heat rises. The gases prevent the heat from escaping the atmosphere.



In the near future, if we don't realize the extent of damage we cause from global warming, most of the coast will be underwater. Florida, califronia, hawaii, basically all of the cool metropolitan cities will be under water.

Answer 4

Hi yes, i have some knowledge. CO2 as a molecule has designated thermal homes, just like a wool jumper - it's competent to retailer warmness good. I do not realise this well, however when you search these phrases you will find that you're going to be equipped to discover more about this. Or simply ask a physicist/chemist. Other gases have thermal houses too (to support you have an understanding of that CO2, together with all other gases, has thermal homes) we're growing the amount of carbon dioxide and different greenhouse gases, like methane (CH4), in the surroundings by way of burning saved oil, coal and so forth and allowing this saved carbon from particularly historical ecosystems to come into our surroundings, (when it is burnt with oxygen it turns into CO2) - like striking on extra jumpers. Our 'carbon cycle' is fitting unbalanced in that our oceans and different ecosystems are not competent to preserve storing this extra carbon (thats the 'C' in CO2). Our oceans at the moment are absorbing about half what they used to ( photosynthetic creatures within the ocean aren't as healthy as they was once) and soils in England as an instance are expelling increasingly CO2 as they heat (biomass in the soil is lowering - this means that fungi, bacteria etc are death off and breaking down into CO2 and many others) To comprehend the carbon cycle you to have got to comprehend the idea of photosynthesis - the place sunlight and CO2 and water are was sugar and oxygen (O2). Please see Wikipedia for this. Anyway, I believe like i have never answered your question all that good - please e-mail me and we are able to talk about extra if you want. _____ by the way - some gases surely have a cooling outcome. Also some particles within the atmosphere can have a cooling effect

Answer 5

first of all global warming is a FAKE. it is liberal bullst to try to bankrupt america and take away money from the iraq war. you have a better chance of all the nuclear bombs going off at the same time than having global warming happen. its all political bs.

Answer 6

in a nutshell:
two things cause the earths temperature to rise:
1. we know that humans have an effect on this because we use massive amounts of fossil fuels ,have poor farming techniques etc.. our footprint is proven...
2. we know that the earth does go through natural cycles of heating and cooling.

What we do not know is how the two interact with each other, we do not know how much of the issue is human related and how much is just a natural cycle

Answer 7

hi confident, I truly have some information. CO2 as a molecule has specific thermal residences, equivalent to a wool jumper - that's able to shop warmth properly. i do no longer comprehend this properly, yet once you seek those words you will discover which you might have the ability to be sure greater approximately this. or in simple terms ask a physicist/chemist. different gases have thermal residences too (that can assist you comprehend that CO2, alongside with all different gases, has thermal residences) we are increasing the quantity of carbon dioxide and different greenhouse gases, like methane (CH4), contained in the ambience by utilising burning stored oil, coal etc and allowing this stored carbon from truly historic ecosystems to return into our environment, (while that's burnt with oxygen it turns into CO2) - like putting on greater jumpers. Our 'carbon cycle' is turning out to be to be unbalanced in that our oceans and different ecosystems are unable to maintain storing this extra carbon (thats the 'C' in CO2). Our oceans are actually soaking up some million/2 what they used to ( photosynthetic creatures contained in the sea are actually not as healthful as they was once) and soils in England as an occasion are expelling further and extra CO2 as they heat (biomass contained in the soil is lowering - this means that fungi, micro organism etc are demise off and breaking down into CO2 etc) to comprehend the carbon cycle you to ought to comprehend the theory-approximately photosynthesis - the place sunlight and CO2 and water are became into sugar and oxygen (O2). Please see Wikipedia for this. besides, i've got self assurance like i haven't replied your question all that properly - please e mail me and we can communicate greater in case you desire. _____ by utilising the way - some gases actually have a cooling result. additionally some debris contained in the ambience could have a cooling result

Answer 8

It is happening on Mars, too, but does Al Gore care? No, because Martians tend to vote more conservative. That is why it is known as the Red Planet.

Answer 9

Global Warming IS A FARSE!

Global means = WORLD WIDE!

Where are the GLOBAL Monitoring Sites? NOT!

The earth is covered by 75% water, how can there be Global Warming when it takes = 1Btu to increase 1CC of water 1Degree = AND THERE ARE GAZILLION "C'S" of water, World Wide!

You remember those that Preached, = THE FLAT EARTH THEORY? ? ?

Thanks, RR

Answer 10

It's a make believe thing made up by Al Gore and other stupid people. Read this: http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm