What Is Global Warming And What Causes Is?

Global warming is literally an increase in the Earth's average temperature. Global warming is brought about by the accumulation of greenhouse gases, or gases that allow sunlight to enter the Earth but prevent heat from escaping it. The process by which these gases accumulate is known as the 'Greenhouse Effect.'

The greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming are produced through the burning of fossil fuels, like coal and oil, which are significant sources of the energy we use in everyday activities. The burning of fossil fuels, for example, helps produce the electricity needed for our homes to function. Unfortunately, the power plants that burn fossil fuels provide such a tremendous source of energy that they are also the largest source of greenhouse gases. In the U.S., the second largest source of greenhouse gases is automobiles.

Greenhouse gases are harmful to our environment not only because they increase the temperature of our planet, but because they are also a major source of air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels produces Carbon Dioxide, the major greenhouse gas, as well as other highly toxic pollutants such as Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, and particulate matter. These gases cause very serious health hazards such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, heart diseases, among others. Sadly, in the last ten years, we have experienced the largest accumulation of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere since the first measurements were taken in 1960.

According to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the evidence that connects greenhouse gas emissions substantiates global warming. More importantly, this is part of the larger environmental cycle that accelerates climate change.