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The Climate Change Story: PART I

co2 emissions

What is Climate Change?
“Climate change” means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. According to NSC, this term is commonly used interchangeably with “global warming” and “the greenhouse effect,” but is a more descriptive term. Climate change refers to the buildup of man-made gases in the atmosphere that trap the suns heat, causing changes in weather patterns on a global scale. The term “climate change” is sometimes used to refer to all forms of climatic inconsistency, but because the Earth’s climate is never static, the term is more properly used to imply a significant change from one climatic condition to another. In some cases, climate change has been used synonymously with the term, global warming; scientists however, tend to use the term in the wider sense to also include natural changes in climate.

What is Driving Climate Change?
Blame Methane for Climate Change
Scientists say that methane’s impacts on climate change may be twice that of what has been previously estimated. The new interpretations reveal methane emissions may account for a whopping third of the climate warming from well-mixed greenhouse gases between the 1750s and today. The IPCC report states that methane increases in our atmosphere account for only about one sixth of the total effect of well-mixed greenhouse gases on warming.

Carbon Dioxide is a Major FactorObserving temperatures at the Earth’s surface, scientists know that the planet is warming. There are factors that drive this warming. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases temperatures by absorbing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, radiation that would otherwise escape to space!

Blame Human Activities
Most of the warming over the last 50 years is likely to have been due to man-made activities. Human activities are increasing significantly the concentrations of some gases in the atmosphere, such as greenhouse gases (mainly CO2), which tend to warm the earth surface. Learn more from here. Is man really responsible for the Earth’s changing climate? The debate is still ongoing on this issue. Can natural variations too, be responsible for it? There are believed to be four main processes that can affect the Earth’s climate. The Earth’s average global temperature has increased by 0.6 Kelvin in the past 100 years.

What Are the Effects of Climate Change Today?How the World’s Climate May Change in the Future?
Find the reply to these two queries next day…

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