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The short answer: An urgent global problem with social, economic and environmental consequences, resulting from excessive reliance on fossil fuels like coal and oil.
The science behind the short answer: “Global warming” is shorthand for a set of complex chemical and ecological processes resulting in the warming of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. It occurs as a result of energy from the sun being trapped by gases in the atmosphere, primarily CO2 and methane.
Normally, the natural presence of some heat-trapping gases in the Earth's atmosphere allows life to flourish by insulating us from the absolute cold of space. Carbon dioxide, methane, and other “greenhouse gases” are released and absorbed naturally in what is known as the carbon cycle, which plays a central role in the maintenance of life on the planet.
Of course, this process has been going on for eons. Ice core data from Antarctica provides a pulse-like record of increases and decreases of gases and
temperature over hundreds of thousands of years, influenced by the sun, Earth’s orbit, volcanism, and many other things.
What is clear from this record is that the Earth’s temperature and atmospheric carbon are linked: when one is high, so is the other.
Since the Industrial Revolution – in about the last 150 years – humans have changed this natural pulse. We have done this primarily by digging up long-buried carbon in the form of coal, then oil and natural gas, and burning these “fossil fuels” – thus releasing this eons-old carbon into the atmosphere. Also, as our population has increased, methane from waste and agriculture has increased dramatically. The result is that we have increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to the point where we are warming the globe and causing our climate to change.
Learn more about global climate science: check out CA-CP's science links.
To learn more about what climate disruption and change mean for the Northeast, go to CA-CP's Global Warming Impacts page.
We all have the power to effect global warming solutions, on many levels. Read about what you can do at home or work, or find out how to get involved in action campaigns or broader efforts in your area. Learn what sort of regional action toward solutions is taking place, or check out some inspiring climate success stories of people and institutions across the Northeast, including those of CA-CP’s partners.
Content courtesy of the Clean Air-Cool Planet webpage.
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