Energy consumption and the environment


What is global warming

Global warming is the increase in thethan a millennium even if greenhouse gas
average temperature of the Earth'slevels are stabilized. This reflects the
near-surface air and oceans in recentlarge heat capacity of the oceans.
decades and its projected continuation.An increase in global temperatures can
Global average air temperature near thein turn cause other changes, including
Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °Csea level rise, and changes in the
(1.3 ± 0.32 °F) during the pastamount and pattern of precipitation.
century. The Intergovernmental Panel onThere may also be changes in the
Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, "mostfrequency and intensity of extreme
of the observed increase in globallyweather events, though it is difficult
averaged temperatures since the mid-20thto connect specific events to global
century is very likely due to thewarming. Other effects may include
observed increase in anthropogenicchanges in agricultural yields, glacier
greenhouse gas concentrations," whichretreat, reduced summer streamflows,
leads to warming of the surface andspecies extinctions and increases in the
lower atmosphere by increasing theranges of disease vectors.
greenhouse effect. Natural phenomenaRemaining scientific uncertainties
such as solar variation combined withinclude the exact degree of climate
volcanoes have probably had a smallchange expected in the future, and how
warming effect from pre-industrial timeschanges will vary from region to region
to 1950, but a cooling effect sincearound the globe. There is ongoing
1950. The basic conclusions have beenpolitical and public debate regarding
endorsed by at least 30 scientificwhat, if any, action should be taken to
societies and academies of science,reduce or reverse future warming or to
including all of the national academiesadapt to its expected consequences. Most
of science of the major industrializednational governments have signed and
countries. The American Association ofratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at
Petroleum Geologists is the onlycombating greenhouse gas emissions.
scientific society that rejects theseTerminology
conclusions, and a few individualThe term "global warming" is a specific
scientists also disagree with parts ofexample of the broader term climate
them.change, which can also refer to global
Climate models referenced by the IPCCcooling. In common usage the term refers
project that global surface temperaturesto recent warming and implies a human
are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °Cinfluence. The United Nations Framework
(2.0 to 11.5 °F) between 1990 and 2100.Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The range of values reflects the use ofuses the term "climate change" for
differing scenarios of future greenhousehuman-caused change, and "climate
gas emissions and results of models withvariability" for other changes. The term
differences in climate sensitivity."anthropogenic climate change" is
Although most studies focus on thesometimes used when focusing on
period up to 2100, warming and sea levelhuman-induced changes.
rise are expected to continue for more



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