The earth’s surface temperature has risen about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century and increased warming during the past two decades. Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface and in turn the earth radiates energy back into space. Greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases, trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat. Without this natural greenhouse effect temperatures would be much lower than they are now. This is how problems arise when greenhouse gases increases.

The basic idea of global warming can be explained by “considering the radiation energy from th

The second largest source of global warming pollution is automobiles. There are many technological advances in the automobile industry that can help the environment. Gas-electric engines can cut global warming or creating more fuel efficient SUV’s, trucks, and minivans could decrease the carbon dioxide pollution being transmitted to the atmosphere.

So what can we do about climate change? The good news is that the solutions to this problem are clear. For starters, we can meet our energy needs without all this pollution. “Power plants are the largest source of global warming, producing 2.5 billion tons of heat trapping pollution every year” (qtd. in Houghton: 195). Because most of our electric comes from these old power plants we should replace with cleaner plants.

There are always studies and projects about this environmental issue being done, but it is in our best interest that the human population takes control of this issue and makes the environment better. It is as easy as making our homes and offices more energy efficient. By using fluorescent light bulbs over incandescent bulbs you are not only saving yourself money, but you are keeping half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Since the last 19th century, “temperatures have increases 0.5-1.0 degrees in Fahrenheit” (qtd. in Reid: 131). In the last fifteen years, we have had the ten warmest years in record. Of these, 1998 was the warmest year on record. See diagram 2. Some argue that global warming and the greenhouse effect actually helps the environment because the Earth’s temperature would be a lot lower than the 60 degree average. Unfortunately for those who think global warming helps the environment that is the only fact that they have to argue against. Due to the harmful greenhouse gases being placed in the atmosphere, instead of the temperature staying at a constant it is slowly rising.

The greenhouse effect is much to blame for global warming. Heat from the sun passes through the atmosphere and it warms up the surface of the Earth. As the surface warms up, it emi

Some topics in this essay:
CFC’s Carbon, Barry Chlorley, , Earth Gases, global warming, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, greenhouse effect, climate change, earth’s surface, qtd houghton, sea level, human health, level rise, sea level rise, amount carbon dioxide, source global warming, largest source global, global warming pollution,