Global Warming

Global warming: we’ve all heard if it. But what is the actual definition of it, and how is it different to enhanced global warming?

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What actually is global warming?

Global warming is the rise in temperature around the world. Since the 1950s, scientists have measured the steadily increasing temperature of the world’s climate. They have found that temperature changes, when averaged out over decades, have increased dramatically. Both the air and the ocean temperatures have been affected, as well as the amounts of snow and ice simultaneously decreasing. Sea levels have risen, and the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have also increased (see my article on this here).

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Why is that a bad thing?

For many people, the effects of global warming will depend on where they live on the planet. For example, we are already experiencing the effects of global warming with increased forest fires in places as far away as Australia and California.

In the short term, this may mean that whole communities have to leave their homes as all their belongings and livelihoods are destroyed. However, in low-lying countries and islands, communities may experience greater rainfall and heavy flooding. Melting glaciers create more water, which leads to a rise in sea levels. The weather cycle then leads to more extreme weather around the globe, as some places will experience increased rainfall while others experience none.

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What is enhanced global warming?

Enhanced global warming is caused by the increased concentration of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere.
For example, when coal, fossil fuels and wood are burned, greenhouse gases are emitted.
These have always been in the atmosphere, but there are more and more of them as we burn more fossil fuels.