0
Anthropogenic means caused by humans.
- Humans have destroyed the great forests of the world that used to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
- Humans have discovered and burnt fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity. This adds CO2 to the atmosphere.
Both these things are responsible for global warming.
What else can I help you with?
How does clean air prevent global warming?
Clean air does not prevent global warming. In fact, dirty polluted air in the mid-20th century actually slowed global warming a little as it reflected solar radiation away from the earth. Various Clean Air Acts around the world stopped this global cooling, and the warming continued.
What role does Polar ice do for the earth?
It provides a habitat for polar bears, an iconic creature for global warming. The ice also acts as a serious reflector of solar radiation (the albedo effect), slowing the speed of global warming.
How might snowier winters slow global warming?
Snow acts as a reflector (albedo) so more of the sun's radiation will be reflected back into space instead of warming the earth.This will make a tiny difference to the speed of global warming.
What is the earth's temperature with carbon dioxide?
The presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat and leading to an increase in the Earth's temperature. This phenomenon is known as global warming and is contributing to climate change by causing shifts in weather patterns and rising sea levels.
Can an increase in carbon dioxide might cause global warming because more carbon dioxide would be able to trap more heat?
An increase in carbon dioxide worldwide than yes it would cause global warming based on the greenhouse effect, as more carbon dioxide would build up in our atmosphere trapping more heat, raising the earth's temperature and therefore causing global warming.
How does desertification affect global warming?
Areas turning into desert means there is no vegetation there. Vegetation acts to cool the local area, as well as absorbing carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases. So large areas becoming desert is likely to increase global warming by heating the planet.
What is the relationship between ozone layer and global warming?
The ozone layer acts as a protective barrier in the Earth's atmosphere by absorbing harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. However, certain human activities, such as the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), can deplete the ozone layer, causing holes and thinning. This depletion can indirectly contribute to global warming by allowing more UV radiation to penetrate the atmosphere and warm the Earth's surface.
Does a natural disaster count as an act of God or is it down to global warming caused by humans?
Not all natural disasters are related to global warming. The recent volcanic eruption in Iceland, or the earthquake in Haiti, have nothing to do with global warming. Also bear in mind that "act of God" is a legal term rather than a theological term. Anything for which no human being is responsible can be legally categorized as an act of God, which for atheists is just a way of saying that no one is responsible. That said, there is still the question of whether disasters that are caused by global warming will still qualify as acts of God. I believe that they will. Global warming, to the extent that it is caused by human beings (and that too is still being debated, at least by some people) is not caused by any specific person or by any specific group of people, because every person on Earth has some carbon footprint; everyone has contributed to rising carbon dioxide levels to some degree, and even earlier generations have done so for the past several centuries. If the entire human race is responsible for something then the legal effect is that there is no one to sue. It is the equivalent of an act of God.
What are the natural sources of methane and how do they contribute to the Earth's atmosphere?
Methane is naturally produced by sources like wetlands, oceans, and animals. These sources release methane into the atmosphere, where it acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat and contributing to global warming.
What is the importance of the atmosphere to the environment?
The atmoshphere contains the oxygen needed to maintain life in any environment. It also acts as a boundary for the sun's harmful rays that would burn the planet up. (hency why global warming and the loss of the ozone is such a problem)
Do energy resources contribute to global cooling?
Not any more. There was a time in the mid-20th century when burning fossil fuel, particularly coal, put so much dust and particulate matter into the atmosphere that it reflected some of the heat from the sun, reducing the effects of global warming. Clean Air acts later made the atmosphere clean again and global cooling disappeared.
How does carbon impact the regulation of mean global temperature?
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat and contributing to the greenhouse effect. Increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to more heat being trapped, resulting in a warming of Earth's surface, which can impact the regulation of mean global temperature by causing it to rise.
