Question

Explain the causes of global warming. Why is it a warning to mankind?

Answer 1

Global warming is a long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system, an aspect of climate change shown by temperature measurements and by multiple effects of the warming. The term commonly refers to the mainly human-caused observed warming since pre-industrial times and its projected continuation, though there were also much earlier periods of global warming. The causes of global warming are:

• Deforestation: Burning forestland is hugely harmful to the atmosphere. When vegetation is removed or burnt, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere as CO2, contributing to global warming. Up to one-fifth of global greenhouse gas pollution comes from deforestation and forest degradation
• Vehicle use: Just like power plants, vehicles burn fossil fuels. In doing so, they release carbon and other toxins into the atmosphere, both causing an overall warming effect and dirtying our air and water. While cars are the vehicle most often pointed to, any that uses gas or diesel is also responsible: trains, buses, boats and planes.
• Greenhouse effect: 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.
• Radiative forcing: The temperature of Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere may be modified in three ways: (1) through a net increase in the solar radiation entering at the top of Earth’s atmosphere, (2) through a change in the fraction of the radiation reaching the surface, and (3) through a change in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In each case the changes can be thought of in terms of “radiative forcing.”

Global warming is considered as a warning to mankind as humans are not prepared or practiced to adapt to the different climatic conditions arising. These conditions can cause serious damage to mankind, thereby becoming extinct.