What do increasing levels of carbon dioxide have to do with global warming?

Answer 1

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb infrared radiation. By absorbing this type of light, they trap heat in the earth's atmosphere. They absorb the infrared radiation and release that energy in the form of heat. This heat warms the atmosphere and ends up increasing the overall temperature of the planet. Other greenhouse gases are water, methane, SF6, CFC's, and oxides of nitrogen, and others.

There are many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at high levels (such as water), and it is in fact these gases that make life on earth possible! Otherwise the temperature of the earth would be about 40 °C colder than it is!

However, the problem is that humans are rapidly adding large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere due to the use of fossil fuels (the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas all forms CO2 gas as a product). This addition of CO2 is disrupting the natural balance that the earth has been in for millions of years. Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have not been as high as they are today for over one million years, and we are currently on a course to more than double the current level. It is the extremely rapid increase in levels of CO2 due to human use of fossil fuels that is causing serious concern among scientists.

Answer 2

Greenhouse gases are extremely harmful to our atmosphere. What they do is trap the sun's heat in the atmosphere. More and more gases build up creating global warming.

A:Certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, retain heat -- that is, when the reflected heat of the sun passes through the gases, these gases hold onto the heat instead of letting it radiate back out into space. This is the greenhouse effect -- the presence of these gases in the atmosphere means the atmosphere will heat more and cool off less, gradually heating more and more, especially as the greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere is increased (that is, there's more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere).

Answer 3

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide that was laid down millions of years ago, when the coal and oil used to be dinosaurs and vegetation. The carbon cycle which keeps the greenhouse effect going can't cope with all the additional CO2. Carbon dioxide is extremely important for the planet's warmth, but too much of it captures more and more of the sun's heat and is causing global warming!

Answer 4

A:Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases allow the sun's energy to reach the earth's surface, but trap some of the heat from leaving the earth, maintaining the earth at a warmer temperature than it otherwise would be. This is a natural condition as long as the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases remains relatively constant. However, burning fossil fuels does add new carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, and has increased its concentration by more than 35 per cent since the Industrial Revolution, from the long term range of 260-280 parts per million (ppm) to the present value of over 380 ppm. This higher atmospheric concentration inevitably leads to global warming.

Answer 5

Fossil fuels are generally mixtures of Carbon based compounds. When these compounds undergo a Stoichiometric combustion process, this yields CO2 and water H2O. It's this CO2, that is of the greatest concern, with Global Warming.

Answer 6

The greenhouse effect is what has kept the planet warm for millions of years. Naturally carbon dioxide and other gases are released through the normal activity of animals and plants. This creates a blanket over the earth. Essentially without this earth would be too cold to sustain life. This movement of carbon known as the carbon cycle.

It is the enhanced (or accelerated) greenhouse effect that causes global warming. Additional greenhouse gases, released by man's burning of fossil fuels over the past 200 years are putting all this extra carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere.

It is the extra CO2 that is the problem. Ten of the hottest years on record have occurred since 1995.

A:Carbon is what supports all life on earth and is emitted during decomposition, and later drawn in by plants. This is called the carbon cycle. Temperature fluctuation and climate change are both natural anomalies that have occurred before in a climate cycle that has been found through research in ICE CORE SAMPLES.

Methane and other gasses however are undoubtedly, gasses which are responsible for the greenhouse effect (GHE) and enhanced GHE.

Answer 7

Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas that helps maintain the world's temperature at a pleasant level suitable for human existence.

Carbon dioxide levels have increased by around 35 per cent since the beginning of the Industrial Age, from the long-term range of 260-280 parts per million (ppm) to about 380 ppm. This change is a major cause of the global warming that climate scientists have recorded. The level of carbon dioxide is predicted to continue to rise in the absence of urgent and decisive action, causing temperatures to rise at an exponential rate.

A:Carbon Dioxide causes greenhouse gases, which we need so the Earth won't freeze. Lately this gases have been getting stronger, and the Earth gets hotter.

Answer 8

When there is to much greenhouse gases in the atmosphere the radiation from the sun, that is bounced back can not pass back through the earths atmosphere so that it is trapped and heating up the earth.

Answer 9

No, it's the other way round. Global warming is a result of the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In ages past CO2 level rise sometimes trailed rising temperature, but at the present time our increase of atmospheric CO2 from 300 parts per million to nearly 400 ppm is causing the temperature to rise.

Answer 10

Yes, increasing the atmospheric concentration of any greenhouse gas will lead to global warming. In fact, the main reason for the present rapid rise in average global temperatures is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as a result of human activities since the Industrial Revolution.