Do you know that...

... throughout the history of Earth have occurred various processes of climate
change? What is different in the current process in relation to historical climate
change is that the rate at which they are occurring today is much higher and
unusual than in the past.

Do you know that...

... in 2011 the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas,

was 390.5 ppm (parts per million)? Paleoclimatic data (relating to the history of
the Earth) referring to the interglacial periods of the last 800 thousand years,
indicate that the minimum values of this gas were 180 ppm and the maximum
values were 300 ppm. Recently it was reported that the atmospheric
concentration of CO2 in the world exceeded 400 ppm.

Do you know that...

... can you get an idea of what the climate was like millions of years ago when
analyzing climate indicators such as rings of ancient trees, animal remains and
plants preserved in rocks or oceanic sediments?

Do you know that...

... the oceans absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide and that this
absorption has had a significant effect on their acidification? This phenomenon
has negative impacts on the marine ecosystems and gives the name of
acidification of the oceans.

Do you know that...

... the last time polar regions were significantly hotter than today, for a prolonged
period (about 125,000 years ago), the reduction in polar ice volume led to a rise
of 4 to 6 m average global sea level?

Do you know that...

... paleoclimatic studies (from the science that studies the history of the Earth)
support the interpretation that the global warming of this last half century is
unusual, comparing the last 1300 years?

Do you know that...

... the average global sea level has risen by an average of 1.8 [1.3 to 2.3] mm per
year from 1961 to 2003? During the 20th century, the estimated rise was 170
[120 to 220] mm.

Do you know that...

... is the continued emission of greenhouse gases intensifying global warming and
lasting changes in the climate system? These, in turn, are increasing the
likelihood of serious, widespread and irreversible impacts on people and
ecosystems, such as floods, heat waves, extinction, etc.

Do you know that...

... Did you know that the human influence on the climate system is unequivocal
and is mainly due to the unprecedented emission of greenhouse gases?

Figure: Global average concentrations of greenhouse gases. Atmospheric

concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2, green), methane (CH4, orange), and
nitrous oxide (N2O, red), determined from data obtained from ice cores (ice
samples) and direct atmospheric measurements (IPCC, 2014, p.3).

Do you know that...

... the increase in the overall average global surface temperature forecast for the
end of the 21st century, compared to the period 1986-2005, is 0.3 ° C (lower
limit of the scenario of lower greenhouse gas emissions) to 4.8 ° C (upper limit of
the highest emission scenario)?

Do you know that...

... the global average temperature of the surface (terrestrial and of the oceans)
has undergone a heating of 0.85 ° C (from 0.65 to 1.06 ° C) in the period from
1880 to 2012?

Figure: Anomalies of global mean surface temperature. For the production of this
graph, the mean anomalies of global surface and ocean surface temperatures
were calculated for each year, using the average for the period 1986 to 2005. The
different colors indicate different datasets (IPCC, 2014, p. 3).

Causes of climate Change in the World

Life on Earth is only possible because of the so-called greenhouse effect, a

natural phenomenon that is responsible for keeping temperatures on the
planet's surface propitious. When solar radiation reaches the Earth's
atmosphere, one part is reflected back into space and another part crosses it,
being absorbed by the surface of the planet, causing it to warm up. The heat thus
generated is emitted towards the outside, with one part escaping into space and
another part being absorbed by the gases present in the atmosphere, referred to
as 'greenhouse gases'. This phenomenon prevents all heat from flowing outward,
maintaining an average surface temperature of about + 15 ° C, instead of -19 ° C.

But apart from this natural greenhouse effect, there are a number of greenhouse
gases responsible for additional warming of the atmosphere, the origin of which
is due to a variety of human causes. Most of these gases come from the burning
of fossil fuels in vehicles, factories, and power plants. Of all the gases present in
the atmosphere, the main cause of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2).
However, other gases also contribute to the same phenomenon, such as methane
released from landfills and agricultural activity (in particular in the digestive
process of cattle), nitrous oxide released by fertilizers, and gases used in
industrial and refrigeration processes . Deforestation also has consequences, as
fewer trees are available to absorb CO2.

Effects of Climate Change in the World

If the planet continues to heat up, some of the following changes may occur:

 Sea level will rise, as water expands with rising temperatures, and oceans
absorb more heat than land.
 The same will happen due to the melting of the glaciers and the banquisas
(sea ice).
 Some coastal cities may be flooded.
 Some areas with heavy snowfall and rainfall may become warmer and
drier.
 The beds of some rivers and lakes may dry up.
 The number of droughts may increase, damaging crops.
 Reserves of drinking water for consumption, hygiene, agriculture and
food production may decline.
 The extinction of many animal and plant species may occur.
 Certain extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and other
storms, which are caused by changes in temperature and the evaporation
mechanism of water, may become more frequent.