| While many contend that there are different reasons | | | | processes. |
| behind the changing of our climate, few can deny | | | | It's an undisputed fact that there is more greenhouse |
| that our planet is going through a period of immense | | | | gas in our atmosphere due to humanity. Since the |
| changes. While some may discredit the science, global | | | | beginning of the industrial revolution, it is estimated |
| warming is one of the main hypothesis for why our | | | | that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere |
| planet is heating up. In this article, we'll try to explain | | | | has increased by as much as thirty percent. While a |
| some of the science behind global warming so that | | | | little greenhouse gas helps to keep our planet warm, |
| you can understand the problem more clearly. | | | | the more and more that we release, the hotter the |
| According to numerous scientific studies, our planet's | | | | planet is going to get. That is an important fact to |
| surface temperature has increased by about 1 | | | | consider, being that our biosphere is finely tuned to |
| degree Fahrenheit within the last century. Most of | | | | live at the temperatures at which our planet currently |
| this change has occurred in the past two decades, | | | | operates. Many forms of both plant and animal life |
| prompting the question: are our lifestyles accelerating | | | | run the risk of extinction should the temperature |
| this global change? The evidence definitely seems to | | | | change be accelerated. Fossil fuels are primarily |
| point in that direction. | | | | responsible for the amount of greenhouse gases that |
| Many scientists point to the emission of greenhouse | | | | we are releasing, and to help fix the problem, we are |
| gases as one of the leading reasons that we are | | | | going to need to find an alternate source of energy, |
| undergoing this global change. Carbon dioxide, | | | | and quick. Research into alternative fuels has yielded |
| methane, and nitrous oxide are some of the main | | | | several possible options, including the use of corn in |
| compounds that we are releasing more and more, | | | | the production of ethanol, which has already had |
| causing something known as the 'Greenhouse Effect'. | | | | proven usage in places such as Venezuela. The most |
| This occurs due to the fact that these gases tend to | | | | accelerated period of temperature change has |
| trap heat, and when they are released into our upper | | | | occurred in the past twenty years, and it's clearly |
| atmosphere, they trap some of the heat energy that | | | | evident that we need to address this problem while |
| would normally be reflected by our earth's natural | | | | we still can. |