Global Warming - Overview

Although scientists began to notice it quite some time ago, in recent years the worldwide average temperature has been ramping up. For most of the population, these changed have no really perceptible effect on daily life. However, scientists predict that what seems small now could become worse, and have hugely dire ramifications for the future. In some parts of the world, people and animals alike are feeling the difference, though. For example, in Antarctica ice shelves have been breaking away on its west side. The native penguins and seals have been hit hard by this and rising temperatures.

So global warming can cause problems all the way down to the South Pole. But what really is it? What happens, and why?
The principal factor behind global warming is the greenhouse effect. Essentially, the greenhouse effect is when the majority of incoming heat from the sun is trapped in the atmosphere and very little escapes back to space. A layer of gases called the greenhouse gases traps this heat in.

The greenhouse effect, to a lesser extent than observed today, has been going on for most of Earth’s existence. It is one of the main reasons our planet is inhabitable, because without it Earth’s temperatures would be around 60 degrees Fahrenheit colder!