Global warming

Introduction :-
Global warming has been a point of contention in our society for years, and the extreme
views from both sides of the argument have transformed the subject of global warm- ing from a
factual theory into a mythical idea. At one extreme, those who con- sider themselves “green”
bemoan the tragedy that man is causing our planet’s climate to heat up while the other side of the
debate refuses to believe any part of the global warming theory. Behind both opinions, there is
often confusion, misunderstanding, and a general lack of knowledge. The theory that global
warming has anthropogenic causes has existed for over a century, and scien- tists have collected
evidence on global warming for over fifty years. In spite of the evidence, the public generally
lives in the dark, constantly wonder- ing if global warming is fact or fiction. Global warming is
the increase in the Earth’s temperature caused by in- creased emission of greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere.

Scientific Evidence :-
The global warming contro- versy also exists within the scien-tific community. Scientists
agree that the theory makes sense: increased concentrations of greenhouse gases within the
atmosphere should cause temperatures to rise. However, they disagree about whether and how
global warming has occurred. Scientists have a wide array of evi- dence to support the theory
that man has caused global warming. Firstly, evidence from meteorological stations that record
the global mean tempera- ture supports the claim that global temperature has steadily risen since
1980. Scientists have also studied ice cores to measure the amount of carbon dioxide present in
the atmosphere dur- ing a given year. By plotting the tem- perature information with the mea-
surements of carbon dioxide, scientists have found that the two have a positive correlation. Both
temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmo- sphere have steadily increased since
1980, causing many scientists to agree that greater carbon dioxide emissions cause the
temperature to increase.

Water Vapor as a Greenhouse Gas :-

Carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas contributing to global warming; at high
altitudes, water va- por also acts as a greenhouse gas, trap- ping heat on the Earth’s surface.
Water vapor acts as positive feedback to the greenhouse gas phenomenon because it prevents
heat from leaving the Earth’s atmosphere, just like car- bon dioxide. Carbon dioxide causes the
greenhouse effect, but water vapor is a more serious problem because as the temperature rises
from the greenhouse effect, more water is able to stay in its gaseous form higher in the
atmosphere. On the other hand, water vapor also contributes the global cooling process as it
condenses and falls as rain when too much of it exists lower in the at- mosphere. Overall, water
vapor currently has a net effect of keeping the Earth cooler even though it acts as a greenhouse
gas.
Global Warming as a Boon and a Bane :-
With all the confusion surround- ing the global warming debate, much of the public only
takes from the me- dia that global warming will harm our world. However, global warming has
potential benefits as well as drawbacks. First of all, as the temperature increases, the Earth will
have a longer growing season in many areas. In gen- eral, there will be less freezing weather, and
the increased temperatures and carbon dioxide levels will allow more plant growth. With more
plant growth and a longer growing season, there will be more food for people and livestock. The
warmer weather will also positively affect transportation. Airplanes, trains, buses, and cars will
stop having cold weather-related delays for ice and snow. Thus, contrary to popular belief,
global warming can have some benefits. In the future, global warming could prove to be a boon
and a bane to the world, but it is impossible to esti- mate just how much of either it could be.

Conclusion :-
When trying to determine if global warming is fact or fiction, we must take into account
evidence from all sides. Plenty of evidence exists within the science community, including
skepti- cal opinions against global warming.While the evidence points to the ex- istence of
global warming, the cause is still widely disputed. However, armed with the proper knowledge,
we can each decide for ourselves where we stand in the global warming debate.