Earth's

atmosphere
traps some of
the Sun's heat,
preventing it
from escaping
back into space
at night. Credit:
NASA/JPL-
Caltech

A greenhouse captures heat from the Sun during the day. Its
glass walls trap the Sun's heat, which keeps plants inside the
greenhouse warm — even on cold nights. Credit: NASA/JPL-
Caltech

Introduction to Climate Change

Elizabeth Borneman | May 6, 2014 | Physical Geography
Changes that are normally brought about by climatic variations have caused
major environmental concerns worldwide. These changes without doubt bring
about a crisis of huge proportions which affects the regulators of environment
economically, socially and even politically too. When the weather pattern shifts for
instance, this normally leads to a very big threat in the production of food owing to
the fact that the climatic conditions become relatively unpredictable. Flooding is
normally more prevalent in such cases because the reserves for freshwater
normally get contaminated when the sea levels rise uncontrollably. Diseases
spread more rapidly in such instances while pests also gain an added advantage
that they use for the destruction of the food crops.
Due to the changes in climate, the emphasis that is laid on going green has
become greater. It is relatively important for business to go green so that they
may be able to limit the amount of carbon that is emitted into the atmosphere. It is
very significant for all to ensure that they take the required steps that are
essential in limiting the factors that lead to climate changes in their areas. There
are several terms that are mostly used in climate change which every person
should be knowledgeable about for a deeper understanding of what is actually
involved here. The main ones are:

Global Warming

This diagram shows the Earth’s “greenhouse effect.” The Earth absorbs
some of the energy it receives from the sun and radiates the rest back
toward space. However, certain gases in the atmosphere, called
greenhouse gases, absorb some of the energy radiated from the Earth and
trap it in the atmosphere. These gases essentially act as a blanket, making
the Earth’s surface warmer than it otherwise would be. While this
greenhouse effect occurs naturally, making life as we know it possible,
human activities in the past century have substantially increased the
amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to
trap more heat and leading to changes in the Earth’s climate.
Source: EPA, public domain.

Reference:
UNEP Climate Change Factsheet- July 2010
– http://www.unep.org/climatechange/Introduction.aspx
“The Greenhouse Effect” in: “Introduction,” in: US EPA (December 2012), Climate
Change Indicators in the United States, 2nd edition, Washington, DC, USA: US
EPA, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/download.html,

Q: What causes global warming?

A: Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in
the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the
earth’s surface. Normally this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants,
which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the
planet to get hotter. These heat-trapping pollutants—specifically carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases—are known as
greenhouse gases, and their impact is called the greenhouse effect.

Though natural cycles and fluctuations have caused the earth’s climate to change
several times over the last 800,000 years, our current era of global warming is directly
attributable to human activity—specifically to our burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil,
gasoline, and natural gas, which results in the greenhouse effect. In the United States,
the largest source of greenhouse gases is transportation (29 percent), followed closely
by electricity production (28 percent) and industrial activity (22 percent).

Curbing dangerous climate change requires very deep cuts in emissions, as well as the

use of alternatives to fossil fuels worldwide. The good news is that countries around the
globe have formally committed—as part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement—to lower
their emissions by setting new standards and crafting new policies to meet or even
exceed those standards. The not-so-good news is that we’re not working fast enough.
To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, scientists tell us that we need to reduce
global carbon emissions by as much as 40 percent by 2030. For that to happen, the
global community must take immediate, concrete steps: to decarbonize electricity
generation by equitably transitioning from fossil fuel–based production to renewable
energy sources like wind and solar; to electrify our cars and trucks; and to maximize
energy efficiency in our buildings, appliances, and industries.

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 electromagnetic spectrum.
Terrestrial radiation, on the other hand, is often called “longwave”
radiation because the frequencies are relatively low and the
wavelengths relatively long—somewhere in the infrared part of the
spectrum. Downward-moving solar energy is typically measured
in watts per square metre. The energy of the total incoming solar
radiation at the top of Earth’s atmosphere (the so-called “solar
constant”) amounts roughly to 1,366 watts per square metre annually.
Adjusting for the fact that only one-half of the planet’s surface
receives solar radiation at any given time, the average surface
insolation is 342 watts per square metre annually.
The amount of solar radiation absorbed by Earth’s surface is only a
small fraction of the total solar radiation entering the atmosphere.
For every 100 units of incoming solar radiation, roughly 30 units are
reflected back to space by either clouds, the atmosphere, or reflective
regions of Earth’s surface. This reflective capacity is referred to as
Earth’s planetary albedo, and it need not remain fixed over time,
since the spatial extent and distribution of reflective formations, such
as clouds and ice cover, can change. The 70 units of solar radiation
that are not reflected may be absorbed by the atmosphere, clouds, or
the surface. In the absence of further complications, in order to
maintain thermodynamic equilibrium, Earth’s surface and
atmosphere must radiate these same 70 units back to space. Earth’s
surface temperature (and that of the lower layer of the atmosphere
essentially in contact with the surface) is tied to the magnitude of this
emission of outgoing radiation according to the Stefan-Boltzmann
law.
Earth’s energy budget is further complicated by the greenhouse effect.
Trace gases with certain chemical properties—the so-
called greenhouse gases, mainly carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)—absorb some
of the infrared radiation produced by Earth’s surface. Because of
this absorption, some fraction of the original 70 units does not
directly escape to space. Because greenhouse gases emit the same
amount of radiation they absorb and because this radiation is emitted
equally in all directions (that is, as much downward as upward), the
net effect of absorption by greenhouse gases is to increase the total
amount of radiation emitted downward toward Earth’s surface and
lower atmosphere. To maintain equilibrium, Earth’s surface and
lower atmosphere must emit more radiation than the original 70
units. Consequently, the surface temperature must be higher. This
process is not quite the same as that which governs a true
greenhouse, but the end effect is similar. The presence of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere leads to a warming of the surface and lower
part of the atmosphere (and a cooling higher up in the atmosphere)
relative to what would be expected in the absence of greenhouse
gases.
It is essential to distinguish the “natural,” or background, greenhouse
effect from the “enhanced” greenhouse effect associated with human
activity. The natural greenhouse effect is associated with surface
warming properties of natural constituents of Earth’s atmosphere,
especially water vapour, carbon dioxide, and methane. The existence
of this effect is accepted by all scientists. Indeed, in its absence,
Earth’s average temperature would be approximately 33 °C (59 °F)
colder than today, and Earth would be a frozen and likely
uninhabitable planet. What has been subject to controversy is the so-
called enhanced greenhouse effect, which is associated with increased
concentrations of greenhouse gases caused by human activity. In
particular, the burning of fossil fuels raises the concentrations of the
major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and these higher
concentrations have the potential to warm the atmosphere by several
degrees.

https://www.britannica.com/science/global-warming/Causes-of-global-warming

Impacts of Global Warming

Global warming is already underway with consequences that must be faced today as
well as tomorrow. Evidence of changes to the Earth's physical, chemical and biological
processes is now evident on every continent.
To fully appreciate the urgency of climate change, it's important to understand the ways it affects society and the
natural environment. Sea levels are rising and glaciers are shrinking; record high temperatures and severe rainstorms
and droughts are becoming increasingly common. Changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns alter plant and
animal behavior and have significant implications for humans. In this section, explore the connections between the
climate data and the changes happening around you—and those you can expect to see in the future—in all parts of
the globe, including your own backyard.
 Not only are global warming-induced changes currently underway, but scientists also expect additional effects on
human society and natural environments around the world. Some further warming is already unavoidable due to past
heat-trapping emissions; unless we aggressively reduce today's emissions, scientists project extra warming and thus
additional impacts.

The Climate Hot Map arranges current and future climate impacts into five main groupings:

 People

 Freshwater

 Oceans

 Ecosystems

 Temperature

Each of these major groupings, in turn, is divided into specific categories that describe more fully some of the
consequences we may face. Click on any of the categories listed on the left for more information.

Other effects could take place later this century, if warming continues.
These include:

 Sea levels are expected to rise between 10 and 32 inches (26 and 82

centimeters) or higher by the end of the century.
 Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Floods and
droughts will become more common. Large parts of the U.S., for
example, face a higher risk of decades-long "megadroughts" by 2100.
 Less freshwater will be available, since glaciers store about three-
quarters of the world's freshwater .
 Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne malaria (and the
2016 resurgence of the Zika virus).
 Ecosystems will continue to change: Some species will move farther
north or become more successful; others, such as polar bears, won’t be
able to adapt and could become extinct.

Steps taken to reduce gw

You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global
warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help
reduce the warming of our oceans and our planet. 
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buy products with
minimal packaging. Recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. By
recycling half of your household waste, you can save 1088kg of carbon dioxide every
year.
2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
Add insulation to your walls and attic, it can lower your heating costs more than 25
percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home. Turn
down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep
temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in
winter and higher in summer could save about 907kg of carbon dioxide each year.
3. Change your lightbulbs
Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs last 10 times
longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less
heat.
 4. Drive less and drive smarter
Go surfing with friends, Walk and ride your bike more and check out options for
carpooling to work or school. When you do drive, make sure your car is running
efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your petrol
mileage by more than 3 percent.
 5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products
When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good mileage. Home appliances
now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are
designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than
standard light bulbs.
Avoid products that come with excess packaging especially molded plastic and other
packaging that can't be recycled.
 6. Use Less Hot Water
Set your water heater at a lower tempreture to save energy and buy low-flow
showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash
your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy
required to produce it. 
7. Use the "Off" Switch
Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room,
and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television,
video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them. It's also a good idea to
turn off the water when you're not using it. While brushing your teeth, shampooing the
dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You'll
reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource.
8. Plant a Tree or two 
If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and
other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. A single tree will absorb
approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
9. Keep an eye on your local beach 
It’s your responsibility to look after your local spot. Keep an eye on changes, pick up
litter, use your local status to increase respect for the ocean environment. 
10. Encourage Others to Conserve 
Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors
and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish
programs and policies that are good for the environment.
These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your
monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that
create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming and the raising of
temperatures in our oceans.

Conclusion

However, 97 percent of climate scientists agree that humans have changed Earth's

atmosphere in dramatic ways over the past two centuries, resulting in global warming.
To understand global warming, it's first necessary to become familiar with the
greenhouse effect, though.