What is global warming?What is global warming?

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e-martin's profile pic


Posted on

Climate change is the more general term describing alterations in the earth's temperature and climate. Global warming is a term coined in 1979 according to NASA, a scientific group that prefers the term "climate change" to "global warming". One reason NASA holds to this preference relates to the predicted impacts of a changing climate:


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pohnpei397 | College Teacher | (Level 3) Distinguished Educator

Posted on

Global warming is the overall increase in temperatures around the globe.  This does not mean that all temperatures will be higher than usual at every moment and in every place.  Instead, it means that the overall average of temperatures across times and places is rising.  The kind of global warming that we particularly worry about is called "anthropogenic."  This is a kind of global warming that is caused by the activities of human beings.  We worry about this more because it is unnatural and because we feel that we ought to do something to stop it before it changes our climate dramatically.

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litteacher8 | High School Teacher | (Level 3) Distinguished Educator

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Global warming is controversial. The term is actually not precisely accurate anymore. Now we call it climate change. It is difficult to accept that extreme blizzards are the result of global warming, so it's easier to use the term climate change. Climate change has been happening on earth since humans were here. The controversy is whether or not it is caused by humans.
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besure77 | Middle School Teacher | (Level 1) Senior Educator

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Global warming is literally the temperature here on Earth rising. It is occurring but scientists disagree on why the Earth is warming up. Some scientists say that it is happening because it is a naturally occurring event. Other scientists will argue and say that humans are causing global warming. For example, it is true that ice caps are melting and as this happens the sea levels will rise. There are many things that we can do to help the environment and hopefully decrease the rate of global warming.

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paepin | College Teacher | (Level 2) Assistant Educator

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This isn't exactly right. Global warming is a term that describes the increase in Earth's average global temperature over time. Scientists are not currently debating whether this is a "natural" or an anthropogenic phenomenon - in fact, approximately 98% of climate scientists agree that the globe is warming a result of anthropogenic activity. It's not accurate to present global warming as a 50-50 debate because that's not what it is.

Check out the latest IPCC report to learn more about our current state of knowledge regarding climate change and global warming (link below).

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alohaspirit | Middle School Teacher | (Level 2) Assistant Educator

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Global warming is part natural climate change process of Earth's evolution, but it is speeding up because of the pollution we have created.  Global warming has increased at a very rapid rate due to carbon emissions that are put into our atmosphere and help to trap in sunrays instead of those sun rays being expelled back onto space.  So when this happens our Earth is basically being cooked, and its causing distratous effects worldwide such as ice caps melting which directly is effecting polar bears right now.  Also small islands, especially in the Pacific are already seeing signs of global warming by many of their crops being destroyed by salt water.  Many of the atoll islands in the Pacific will be under water in just a few decades, and at this rate it could happen in one decade.

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dneshan | High School Teacher | (Level 3) Associate Educator

Posted on

In general, global warming is the idea that the excessive burning of fossil fuels will lead to warmer global temperatures, and will, in turn, have a major impact on the Earth's systems.  Enotes has extensive information on this topic .. please use the following links to further answer the question.




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atyourservice | Student, Grade 11 | (Level 3) Valedictorian

Posted on

The increase of the carbon dioxide in out atmosphere. This increase causes the temperature on the earth to increase causing a climate change.

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krishna-agrawala | College Teacher | (Level 3) Valedictorian

Posted on

Global warming refers to the phenomenon of gradual increase in average temperature of the earth. This phenomenon, unless controlled effectively, poses great danger to the whole humanity in very near future - that is by about year 2050. The average temperature of earth had remained stable for about 10.000 years till about start of industrial revolution. But after that the temperature has been rising due to rapid advancement in industrialization and improvement in economic condition of people, and with that their life styles.

Since dawn of industrial revolution the average earth temperature has risen by 0.4 degrees, and is currently rising at much faster rate. At this rate the average global temperature will rise by 2 degrees by 2050. If that happens there will be irreversible changes in earths environment causing vast devastation. The ice in the polar region will melt and shrink the size of polar caps. This will lead to rise in levels of water in seas and submerge large mass of land along coastal region.

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