November 18, 2009
Scientists are not all agreed about how quickly our planet Earth is warming up. But scientists agree that Earth IS warming up and that it’s happening more quickly than in any other recorded time that we know of. Scientists think that much of the warming is caused by the "greenhouse effect." That’s when Earth’s atmosphere acts like a huge greenhouse, letting in rays from the sun but trapping heat from escaping into space. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are given off by burning fossil fuels like oil and coal. The more we use fossil fuels, the more greenhouse gases are going into Earth’s atmosphere.The more we conserve and burn less fuel, the less the amount of greenhouse gases. Another cause of warming is deforestation, cutting down and burning huge numbers of trees. Trees take in carbon dioxide from the air and that alone lessens the greenhouse effect.
You may hear the term "Climate Change" sometimes being used instead of "Global Warming." Climate change is a more general term and refers to long-term shifts in the weather and climate and includes precipitation, such as rain and snow, as well as temperature.
What will happen if Global Warming continues? We’ll talk about that next time.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
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Labels: Global Warming, Climate Change, Weather, Earth Science Books
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