Causes of Global Warming

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Nowadays global warming is a major international issue that disturbs people of all ages and backgrounds. Recently there has been released a report claiming that global warming is natural but most people are sure about the fact that this phenomenon is a result of human activity.

Firstly, one of the main causes of global warming is greenhouse gases emission. Actually, greenhouse gases are those gases in atmosphere which, by absorbing thermal radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, have a blanketing effect upon it. It is closely connected with development of industry and using fossil fuels as energy sources. The important greenhouse gases that are directly influenced by human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Carbon dioxide is the most important of the greenhouse gases that are increasing in atmospheric concentration because of the human activities. Methane is a component of natural gas. But its levels have been rising directly with the growth in people’s population. According to Desonie (2008), nowadays about 60% of the methane in atmosphere comes rice production, waste treatment and the incomplete burning of rain forest materials. Nitrous oxide is a minor greenhouse gas, but it also emitted from fossil fuels, forests and manufacture. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the man-made chemicals which were considered as non-toxic and non-flammable so that they could be easily used in refrigerators and aerosol spray cans. However, CFCs are the most potent gases that have extremely negative effect on atmosphere, because they cause destruction of ozone layer that protects the planet from sun ultraviolet light. The result of increasing concentration of these gases is warming as known as the greenhouse effect.

Secondly, land use changes can alter climate. As Dale (1997) pointed out, they include forest harvesting, slash-and-burn agriculture, urbanization and agriculture expansion. Slash-and-burn agriculture is a technique that occurs especially in the tropics and consists in burning rain forest to create agricultural or ranch lands.

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