Global Warming Causes, Effects & Solutions

The polar ice caps are among the habitats threatened by global warming.

Man-made global warming is the widely accepted theory that human industrial and commercial activity is quickly heating up the Earth. Many scientists believe this rise in temperature could render large parts of the planet uninhabitable.

Cause

Climatologists, who predict short and long-term climate trends, believe carbon dioxide and other emissions, mainly from industrial and commercial activity over the last two centuries, have altered the Earth's atmosphere. This change has caused a "greenhouse effect" which is rapidly warming the planet.

Effects

The predicted effects of global warming include the melting of polar ice caps; a significant rise in sea levels; more extreme weather events; a reduction in agricultural land; water shortages; food shortages; loss of rain forests; and more species becoming extinct.

Solutions

Scientists believe all nations must take immediate and urgent action to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Technological solutions have been proposed, ranging from "carbon scrubbers" that remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gases to placing giant mirrors in space to reflect enough sunlight to cool down the planet.

Controversy

Although an overwhelming majority of scientists accept the man-made global warming theory, a minority have questioned this consensus. They suggest that man's impact on the climate is negligible and that global warming is wholly the result of natural cycles.

References

• National Geographic: Global Warming Facts
• National Geographic: What's Going To Happen
• The Guardian: "CO2 Catchers"
• Science Daily: Global Warming Controversy

Resources

• Global Warming Info: Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming