The world’s climate is changing, and the changes will have an enormous impact on our planet’s people, ecosystems, cities, and energy use. Now there is a difference between climate and weather. Climate describes the average or typical conditions of temperature, while weather describes the hourly or daily conditions that people experience each day. This is why it’s often said that “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” The United States Global Change Research Program (which includes the Department of Defense, NASA, National Science Foundation and other government agencies) has said that "global warming is unequivocal and primarily human-induced" and that "climate changes are underway in the United States and are projected to grow."
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Mainly, the gases come from burning fossil fuels in order to produce energy. These gasses have become almost like a blanket around the Earth. Basically, it is trapping energy in the atmosphere which causes it to become warm. This phenomenon is called The Greenhouse Effect. This happens naturally and some may argue that it is good and also bad in supporting life on Earth. When we burn fossil fuels, we tend to release additional carbon dioxide that builds up and traps heat that would usually escape out to space. This human caused “blanket effect” leads to warming of the Earth which in turn disrupts the atmospheric balance that keeps the climate stable. The buildup of these gases can cause greater climate change which in turn can negatively affect the human health and …show more content…
However, a warmer climate can bring changes that can affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the forest and even our own health. Water is one of the key reasons that life has thrived on Earth, but not on the other planets in our solar system. Our planet is neither too near to the sun, nor too far from it. We are in a zone that is considered habitable. Water, in its liquid form, is necessary for survival and its change to a gas (as water vapor) and a solid (as ice). Water molecules in the air heat the atmosphere by absorbing almost 70 percent of sunlight. Global warming has really taken a significant effect on the world over the past century. It is the rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels. This enhances the greenhouse gas production which builds up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Usually, the gases that have the most influence on our atmosphere are carbon dioxide, nitrogen-oxide, methane and water vapor. Approximately, 30 percent of sunlight is reflected back into space by bright surfaces like clouds and ice. The other 70 percent of sunlight is absorbed by the land and ocean and little by the atmosphere. The absorbed solar energy heats our planet and climate cools it down. This cycle is a necessity in sustaining life on
Mainly, the gases come from burning fossil fuels in order to produce energy. These gasses have become almost like a blanket around the Earth. Basically, it is trapping energy in the atmosphere which causes it to become warm. This phenomenon is called The Greenhouse Effect. This happens naturally and some may argue that it is good and also bad in supporting life on Earth. When we burn fossil fuels, we tend to release additional carbon dioxide that builds up and traps heat that would usually escape out to space. This human caused “blanket effect” leads to warming of the Earth which in turn disrupts the atmospheric balance that keeps the climate stable. The buildup of these gases can cause greater climate change which in turn can negatively affect the human health and …show more content…
However, a warmer climate can bring changes that can affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the forest and even our own health. Water is one of the key reasons that life has thrived on Earth, but not on the other planets in our solar system. Our planet is neither too near to the sun, nor too far from it. We are in a zone that is considered habitable. Water, in its liquid form, is necessary for survival and its change to a gas (as water vapor) and a solid (as ice). Water molecules in the air heat the atmosphere by absorbing almost 70 percent of sunlight. Global warming has really taken a significant effect on the world over the past century. It is the rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels. This enhances the greenhouse gas production which builds up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Usually, the gases that have the most influence on our atmosphere are carbon dioxide, nitrogen-oxide, methane and water vapor. Approximately, 30 percent of sunlight is reflected back into space by bright surfaces like clouds and ice. The other 70 percent of sunlight is absorbed by the land and ocean and little by the atmosphere. The absorbed solar energy heats our planet and climate cools it down. This cycle is a necessity in sustaining life on