Yahoo News What is the greenhouse effect and how does it lead to global warming?
The Earth’s average global temperature is 1.2 degrees Celsius hotter (around 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) than in preindustrial times, causing shifts in weather patterns and more frequent and severe extreme weather events such as storms and droughts. This global warming, also known as climate change, is the result of humans filling the air with gases that intensify a process called the greenhouse effect. Yahoo News Producer Eve Hartley explains.
Video transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
EVE HARTLEY: By now, you've probably heard of global warming and climate change. It's why the earth is seeing a long-term shift in its weather patterns. But one thing you might not know is how something called the greenhouse effect leads to it. Let us explain.
When the sun's rays hit the earth, the majority of that heat bounces right back out into space. But a small portion is absorbed by chemicals in the earth's atmosphere. These are known as greenhouse gases.
Under normal circumstances, this is actually a good thing. Like a glass greenhouse that makes it possible to grow plants year-round, the heat trapped in our atmosphere by greenhouse gases helps keep the earth warm enough to sustain life when the sun isn't shining. It only becomes a problem when we start messing with the formula.
Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, human activity has started to change the delicate balance of chemicals in our atmosphere. By using fossil fuels, like coal or petrol, we emit excess greenhouse gases, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide.
More greenhouse gases mean more heat trapped in our atmosphere and, over time, a warmer planet. And that's how we get global warming.
By raising the average temperature of our planet even by a few degrees, we see some pretty dramatic effects. For example, it can cause a rise in ocean temperatures, which could lead to more extreme storms and flooding.
KLAUS JACOB: The ocean evaporates faster, meaning we're getting more water vapor in the atmosphere. And as wind system transport all that water vapor into colder areas, northerly areas, and they hit cold area, then you get these incredible rainstorms.
The other effect of the global warming is as the ocean gets warmer, it expands. So the ocean gets bigger, meaning the sea level is rising. And now you have storms on top of it. And so you get much more frequent flooding.
EVE HARTLEY: In some areas, global warming could also have the opposite effect, prolonged droughts that lead to crop shortages or widespread forest fires. These changes to the planet could impact all of our lives. But it all starts with the greenhouse effect. We hope this helps you understand your world.
