How do human activities affect Earth's climate?
Scientists believe that human activity is causing Earth's air to become warmer through the production and release of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
Encyclopedia Britannica INC.Being a dwarf planet isn't really a downgrade.
-
© Ruben Duro/Science SourceA light micrograph is used to capture footage of the tiny tardigrade, or water bear.
-
© MinuteEarth (A Britannica Publishing Partner)The role of the Rocky Mountain locust (Melanoplus spretus) in the Grasshopper Plague of 1874–75 (which is also known as the Great North American Locust Plague), and the insect's mysterious disappearance that followed.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Cloud seeding can produce an extra 5 to 15% of precipitation.
-
Created and produced by QA International. © QA International, 2010. All rights reserved. www.qa-international.comLiving organisms influence the cycling of carbon and oxygen through the environment.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The die-off of the dinosaurs is different from the extinction of the dodo.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzLearn how sea level is measured.
Transcript
The weather in a certain place over a long period of time is known as the climate. Natural factors including sunlight, clouds, wind, and landforms affect the climate, but many scientists think that human activities may also be having an effect on the climate.
When people burn fuels such as oil and coal to run their cars and heat their homes, the fuels release certain gases, called greenhouse gases, into the air. These gases trap heat on Earth, in a similar way that the glass ceiling and glass walls of a greenhouse prevent heat from escaping. Many scientists have observed that Earth’s air is getting warmer, and they think that this may be because of the extra greenhouse gases in the air.
Scientists are concerned that the warmer temperatures on Earth may cause many problems in the future. For example, ocean levels may rise because of melting glaciers in the polar regions. This change could lead to major flooding in cities along the coasts.
When people burn fuels such as oil and coal to run their cars and heat their homes, the fuels release certain gases, called greenhouse gases, into the air. These gases trap heat on Earth, in a similar way that the glass ceiling and glass walls of a greenhouse prevent heat from escaping. Many scientists have observed that Earth’s air is getting warmer, and they think that this may be because of the extra greenhouse gases in the air.
Scientists are concerned that the warmer temperatures on Earth may cause many problems in the future. For example, ocean levels may rise because of melting glaciers in the polar regions. This change could lead to major flooding in cities along the coasts.