The
Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Most of these changes are
caused by vagaries in its orbit that affect the amount of solar energy Earth
gets. However, the current warming trend is singular because it is caused by
human actions and is extremely rapid. Increased levels of greenhouse gases warm
the Earth; ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain
glaciers show that the Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas
levels.
On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the atmosphere and produces as a byproduct carbon dioxide.
Global climate change has already observably impacted the environment, such as a loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and longer, more intense heat waves. What's more, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change wrote, "taken as a whole, the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time."
On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the atmosphere and produces as a byproduct carbon dioxide.
(Source: XKCD)
Global climate change has already observably impacted the environment, such as a loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and longer, more intense heat waves. What's more, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change wrote, "taken as a whole, the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time."
No comments:
Post a Comment