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Not solely. There is a natural greenhouse effect that is supported by the earth's carbon and water cycles. This has kept the earth warm enough for life for millions of years.

However, humans have been burning fossil fuels since the beginning of the Industrial Age (1750s). This releases long-held carbon dioxide that has been sequestered away for 300 thousand years. This extra greenhouse gas is changing the greenhouse effect into an enhanced greenhouse effect, which is causing global warming and climate change.

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Q: Is the greenhouse effect caused solely by human activity?
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How could increased carbon dioxide be linked to global warming?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a powerful greenhouse gas. In the atmosphere it captures the sun's heat and warms the planet. This is part of the natural carbon cycle. Additional carbon dioxidecomes from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). This CO2 has been hidden underground for millions of years so its presence is an extra burden that the carbon cycle cannot manage.A:Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas. In previous concentrations, it helped maintain global temperatures at a level that is comfortable for humans and other animals that have adapted to the present climate. Increases in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are resulting in global warming, by trapping more heat. The planet Venus offers an extreme example - although its orbit is close to that of the Earth, Venus has a surface temperature that would melt lead, because its atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide. In the very long term, concentrations have fallen below these levels, but always coinciding with Ice Ages. A very good demonstration of this come from an ice core two kilometres long and equivalent to 150,000-year record of warmth, cold and warmth, that a French-Soviet drilling team at Vostok Station in central Antarctica produced in 1985, a complete ice age cycle. They found that the level of atmospheric CO2 had gone up and down in remarkably close step with temperature throughout the length of the core.The CO2 levels in the Vostok Station record got as low as 180 parts per million (ppm) in the cold periods and reached 280 in the warm periods, but never higher. But in the atmosphere over the ice, the level of the gas had already reached 350, far above anything seen in this geological era, and is now around 380 ppm.From the time of the Industrial Revolution, things began to change, slowly at first, then gradually more quickly, especially after 1970. Using isotope comparisons for C12, C13 and C14 ratios, scientists have proven that the increase from 260-280 ppm to the present 390 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide is entirely due to human activities.A:Global warming is a slow but steady rise in earth's temperatures and is caused, largely, by increase in greenhouse gases, of which the major human contribution is carbon dioxide. The greenhouse effect warms the atmosphere and is caused by atmospheric carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide tending to counteract greenhouse effect.A:The Earth is much like a greenhouse where the gasses produced by the plants will stay in the greenhouse to create a much more moist and humid atmosphere. Heat from the sun comes in as visible light.Heat escapes as infra-red radiation (invisible light)If they balance, THEN the temperature of the Earth stays constant.Carbon dioxide tends to block the infra-red radiation, less heat escapes, and so the planet gets warmer.A:One of the more interesting issues that is often ignored in most discussions is the saturation issue of carbon dioxide. The first 20 ppm in our atmosphere make up most of the induced warming from carbon dioxide. After the first 150 ppm or so, the ability of carbon dioxide to increase temperature by itself become almost nill. (see Lindzen-Choi graph in related link). The doubling of CO2 from the 190 to 380 ppm has followed this trend and seen less then a degree (C) of overall warmth. Doubling again, using this graph, will see almost no additional heating of the planet according to this concept.


What is an environmental trait?

In genetics, an attribute which is solely influenced by an individual's environment. Just like there are very few genes which are the only influence to some behavior or another, there are very few solely environmental traits. One example is mother tongue, however, no human baby can learn one language better than another, its just whatever language they are exposed to first that they pick up.


If a sodium ion is isoelectronic with neon why is it still considered sodium?

The characterization of element for an atom or ion is determined solely by the number of protons in its nucleus, which remains the same in neutral atoms and in all ions of the element.


What atom has 23 protons and 29 nuetrons?

If it has 23 protons it has to be Vanadium no matter the number of neutrons. Deciding what element an atom is depends solely on the number of protons. However, the neutrons tell you which isotope of vanadium it is.


Give a chemical compound for carbon and bromine only?

A compound that consists solely of carbon and bromine is CBr4. This compound goes by several names. These names include carbon tetrabromide and tetrabromomethane, which are the most commonly used.

Related questions

Is the greenhouse effect caused solely by humans?

No, there is a natural greenhouse effect which has kept the earth warm for millions of years. By burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity, humans are causing the enhanced (or accelerated) greenhouse effect which is causing global warming.


Participant's illness changes solely from the participants belief that the treatment will be effective exhibiting a?

placebo effect


Who should be responsible for my friend's injury?

Whoever caused the injury should be held liable for it. If your friend did something reckless, which caused the injury, then your friend is solely responsible.


Can insufficient protein in the diet cause lack in energy and fatigue?

Yes, and no it contributes but dosent solely effect you.


How does chance affect gene combinations?

genetic drift is the change in genes due solely to chance.bottleneck effect and founder's effect are both examples of how chance effects the genes.


How does chance affect combinations of genes?

genetic drift is the change in genes due solely to chance.bottleneck effect and founder's effect are both examples of how chance effects the genes.


What is the effect of background color on the of a chameleon?

There isn't one, the colour change on a chameleon is solely based on it's mood


What is a physical activity that a short explosive and depends solely on the energy that is stored in a muscle and not on oxygen intake?

Anaerobic exercise depends on the energy that is stored in a muscle.


What is the physical activity that is short explosive and depends solely on the energy that is stored in a muscle and not on oxygen intake?

Anaerobic exercise depends on the energy that is stored in a muscle.


What is a physical activity that is short explosive and depends solely on the energy that is stored in a muscle and not on energy intake?

Anaerobic exercise depends on the energy that is stored in a muscle.


What is a physical activity that is short explosive and depends solely on the energy that is stored in a muscle and not in oxygen intake?

Anaerobic exercise depends on the energy that is stored in a muscle.


What is a physical activity that is short explosive and depends solely on the energy that is stored in a muscle and not on oxygen intake?

Anaerobic exercise depends on the energy that is stored in a muscle.