Global warming, as the name implies, is the gradual heating of the earth’s atmosphere. It is caused by the emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. As these gases are emitted into the atmosphere they increase the amount of heat trapped from the surface. Land clearing is also a big problem for global warming as trees act as “carbon sinks”, absorbing carbon emitted into the atmosphere. The fewer trees the less this carbon is taken out of the atmosphere. There are large anti-de-forestation movements around the world, notably in Brazil around the Amazon and closer to home in Tasmania.
Global warming has been validated by scientists around the world as an extreme threat to the many diverse habitats throughout Earth, and has been linked to recent extreme weather patterns.
The effects of global warming are:
Recommended reading: The Stern Report into Climate Change (Sir Nicholas Stern), and Turning up the Heat (Prof Barrie Pittock).