HOW DOES GLOBAL WARMING AFFECTS THE

ENVIRONMENT

I. INTRODUCTION

What is Global Warming? Explains what greenhouse gases and how

they act to keep the Earth warm. Measurements of greenhouse gases in
ice cores from Antartica and Greenland have allowed scientists to link
high levels of carbon dioxide and methane gases in the atmosphere to
global warming. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change was created to produce the first international agreement on
reducing global man-made greenhouse gas emissions from energy
production, industry, transport, and land-use changes. The Kyoto
Protocol, theoretical models of climate change, and the ways that the
different parts of the climate change system interact are discussed to
show how future climate change might be predicted.
 II. CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING
❖ The Greenhouse Effect

The average surface temperature of Earth is maintained by a balance of

various forms of solar and terrestrial radiation. Solar Radiation is often
called “shortwave radiation” because the frequencies of the radiation are
relatively high and the wavelengths relatively short close to the visible
portion of the electomagnetic spectrum.

❖ Greenhouse Gases

As discussed above, Greenhouse Gases warm Earth’s surface by

increasing the net downward longwave radiation reaching the surface.
The relationship between atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases
and the assiociated positive and radiative forcing of the surface is
different for each gas.

❖ Water Vapor

Water vapor is the most potent of the greenhouse gases in Earth

Atmosphere, but its behaviour is fundamentally different from that of the
other greenhouse gases. The primary role of water vapor is not as a
direct agent of radiative forcing but rather as a climate feedback. The
warmer the surface, the greater the evaporation rate of water from the
surface.
 III. POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

The path of future climate change will depend on what courses of action
are taken by society in particular the emission of greenhouse gases from
the burning of fossil fuels. A range of alternative emission scenarios has
been proposed by the IPPC since the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5),
which was published in 2014, to examine potential future climate
changes.

IV. GLOBAL WARMING AND PUBLIC POLICY

Since the 19th century, many researchers working across a wide range of
academic disciplines have contributed to an enchanced understanding of
the atmosphere and the global climate system. Concern among
prominent climate scientists about global warming and human-induced
(or “anthropogenic”) climate change arose in the mid 20 th century, but
most scientific and political debate over the issue did not begin until the
1980’s.
V. THE PARIS AGREEMENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE
CHANGE POLICY

Countries differ in opinion on how to proceed with international policy

with respect to climate agreements. Long term goals formulated in
Europe and the United States seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by up to 80% by the middle of the 21st century. Related to these efforts,
EU set a goal of limiting temperature rises to a maximum of 2° Celsius
(3.6 ° Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.