what is global warming?

Question

im just confuced why sientist say the earth is having global warming

Answer 1

its another green tax that we will have to pay! global warming is a myth!

Answer 2

There are two types of global warming....

NATURAL GLOBAL WARMING
The climate of the planet is dynamic and is either warming or cooling of it's own accord. For the least 18,000 years Earth has been in a warming phase and it's this warming that brought about the most recent glacial retreat. The longer term trend, which has been ongoing for a little over 50 million years, is one of cooling.

The primary factors that affect natural warming are the cycles that both the Sun and Earth go through and over long periods of time these cycles dramatically affect the climate. So much so that they cause ice ages to come and go, in the past there have been times when temperatures have been about 20°C warmer than they are now and 10°C colder.

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have an unusual physical property in that they're able to retain heat within Earth's atmosphere and as levels of these gases fluctuate it can lead to either warming or cooling. If there were no such gases our planet would be some 33°C colder than it is and life would never have evolved. In this respect the greenhouse gases play an essential role in moderating the climate on Earth.

MANMADE OR ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING
Since the onset of industrialisation some 200 years ago the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been rising considerably and this inevitably leads to the planet warming up.

Greenhouse gases are a by-product of our modern society. Amongst others they're produced in industrial processes, manufacturing, power generation, petrochemical industries, agriculture, cement production and the burning coal, gas and oil.

Nature can handle a certain amount of excess greenhouse gases but in the last few decades we've overloaded the natural cycles causing a build up of greenhouse gases in the atmopshere. As more and more gases accumulate there is increased warming, the consequence of which is climate change. The consequences of climate change are wide ranging and not all of them are bad, overall the effects are detrimental and can lead to famine, flood, drought, crop failure, desertification, rising sea levels etc. Not on the scale depicted in some Hollywood movies but as a long and gradual process.

Answer 3

Global warming is when the earth heats up the cause is the increase of "green house gases" the most common known green house gas is CO2 it comes from factories, cars ect ect mostly all types of transport its just this big thing that earth is having the cause "humans" But scientist say that this is just a pattern through time it becomes hot then cold (globl warming, ice age and so on)
this is just what i heard but u cant belive everything u hear can u??

Answer 4

Basically, the Earth has incoming energy and outgoing energy that equals the incoming in a balance. The incoming energy is solar radiation. There is a whole cycle of things that efect what happens to this energy, and where it goes. You have clouds, and aerosols in the atmosphere that reflect radiation back in to space. The amount of solar radiation that is abosrbed, or reflected by earth's surface depends on its composition. An icy surface reflects about 85% of the radiation, while water absorbs 85%. So if one thing hapens it leads to others. This is when temperature increases which leads to that ice melts and stops reflecting back solar radiation back to space adding to the heating further. GHG's (green house gases) act as a lid and stops outgoing radiation form leaving Earth. The solar radiation (short wave length) reaches Earth and is absorbed by the surface. It is then re-emitted as long wave radiation that the GHG's can absorb. The GHGs then sends this radiation of in all directions. About 50% of it reaches Earth and heats it a second time. It is this that offsets the balance and causes the Earth to heat. Solar radiation variations also play a part.

Answer 5

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, mostly caused by water vapor.

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.

More information here:

http://profend.com/global-warming/

Lots of numerical scientific data proving it real here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Climate_Change_Attribution.png
http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

Answer 6

Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.

Global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the past century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations,"[1] which leads to warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by increasing the greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes have probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950, but a small cooling effect since 1950.[2][3] These basic conclusions have been endorsed by at least 30 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists is the only scientific society that rejects these conclusions.[4][5] A few individual scientists disagree with some of the main conclusions of the IPCC.[6]

Climate models referenced by the IPCC project that global surface temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) between 1990 and 2100.[1] The range of values reflects the use of differing scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions and results of models with differences in climate sensitivity. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming and sea level rise are expected to continue for more than a millennium even if greenhouse gas levels are stabilized.[1] This reflects the large heat capacity of the oceans.

An increase in global temperatures is expected to cause other changes, including sea level rise, increased intensity of extreme weather events, and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation possibly resulting in more frequent floods and drought. Other effects include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

Remaining scientific uncertainties include the exact degree of climate change expected in the future, and how changes will vary from region to region around the globe. There is ongoing political and public debate on a world scale regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Answer 7

Some say that it is caused by God. The theory is that he is sitting upon the planet earth like it is a giant chicken egg, waiting for it to hatch.

Answer 8

i aint really got a clue all i know is to cut my usage of electricty around the home gas fire usage and smoking etc ,, but if it is very true what they are saying esp after recent events acroos england and the globe i can honestly they right on the issue this time its coming and its coming quicker then they think,:( good luck

Answer 9

I have the answers to this and many other questions concerning our environment and humanity:

I have lots of info that I think you will find quite helpful and enlightening:

http://360.yahoo.com/blorm_multaeeneea_lavacom (For tons of inspirational info)

http://ecowellness.multiply.com/ (For all the environmental info)

Let us all strive for a greener/brighter future by helping to create a solid foundation for future generations to build upon, so we can hand them a beautiful world, filled with never ending awe and wonders!!

Where peoples differences and uniqueness are accepted, where we all live as one, helping one another so that we can all play our own mysteriously beautiful melodies in the never ending, awe inspiring, song of life :-)

I truly have faith in humanity and believe that someday our lives and the world in which we live will truly be transformed for the better.

Answer 10

Global warming is when the temputure goes up