Question

What are the causes of global warming?

Answer 1

Global warming is a gradual increase in the earth’s temperature generally due to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, $CFCs$, and other pollutants.

Causes of Global warming:Following are the major causes of global warming:-
(a) Man-made Causes of Global Warming

1. Deforestation:- Plants are the main source of oxygen. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen thereby maintaining environmental balance. Forests are being depleted for many domestic and commercial purposes. This has led to an environmental imbalance, thereby giving rise to global warming.
2. Use of Vehicles:- The use of vehicles, even for a very short distance results in various gaseous emissions. Vehicles burn fossil fuels which emit a large amount of carbon dioxide and other toxins into the atmosphere resulting in a temperature increase.
3. Chlorofluorocarbon ($CFCs$):- With the excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators, humans have been adding $CFCs$ into the environment which affects the atmospheric ozone layer. The ozone layer protects the earth's surface from the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. The $CFCs$ have led to ozone layer depletion making way for the ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing the temperature of the earth.
4. Industrial development:- With the advent of industrialization, the temperature of the earth has been increasing rapidly. The harmful emissions from the factories add to the increasing temperature of the earth. In $2013$, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change reported that the increase in the global temperature between $1880$ and $2012$ has been $0.9°C$ . The increase is $1.1°C$when compared to the pre-industrial mean temperature.
5. Agriculture:- Various farming activities produce carbon dioxide and methane gas. These add to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and increase the temperature of the earth.
6. Overpopulation:- An increase in population means more people breathing. This leads to an increase in the level of carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, in the atmosphere.

(b) Natural Causes of Global Warming

1. Deforestation: It is the leading cause of global warming. Deforestation is the cutting down of trees and plants to make way for any development activity. Fuel used for wood and charcoal only adds to the polluted gases in the atmosphere.
2. Fossil fuels: Pollution whether it is vehicular, electrical, or industrial is the main contributor to global warming.
3. Landfills: When we throw garbage out of our house it goes to landfills. The burnt garbage releases toxic gases including methane into the atmosphere. These enormous amounts of toxic greenhouse gases when going into the atmosphere make global warming worse.
4. Overpopulation: Another cause of global warming is overpopulation. Since carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, the increase in population makes the problem worse because we breathe out more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
5. Mining: Oil and coal are two main culprits in producing greenhouse gases. Methane, like carbon dioxide, creates a thick shield over the atmosphere trapping the sun's rays. With the continued use of mining operations, these harmful gases will only increase.