What are some factors that affect global warming?

Answer 1

1. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). This releases carbon dioxide that had been stored underground for millions of years. This extra CO2 is causing the enhanced greenhouse effect.
2. Cutting down the earth's forests without replanting. Deforestation removes trees and vegetation that absorb and store carbon. Half a tree's weight is carbon, but when trees die they release their carbon and absorb no more.
3. Releasing other greenhouse gases. Methane, a greenhouse gas twenty times more powerful than CO2, is belched by cattle. The world's demand for red meat means more and more cattle, and sometimes forests cut down for pasture. As tundra (frozen arctic land) warms from global warming, more methane is released in a feedback loop.
4. The world's growing demand for electricity. 500 million homes in India, for example, have no electricity. As the world's population grows, the demand for power grows too. At present most of the world's electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels.

More details:

Global warming is a rise in average global temperature. There is a natural heating and cooling cycle which take place over many thousands of years and causes gradual rises and falls of sea level and encroachment and retreat of glaciers and the ice caps. These temperature variations are dominantly driven by orbital variations affecting the angle of the earth to the sun. This is the energy basis for the changes in seasons and average global variations in temperature. The timing and extent of these global cycles can be roughly predicted using Milankovich Cycles, which identify our planet's position, orientation, and movement relative to the sun. A great deal of interest and concern has been raised in recent years over the impact on global temperatures by man. While (at present) these may be minor temperature perturbations relative to those caused by orbital variation, they will likely result in changes to living conditions which could greatly effect the human population. Current climate change is happening far too fast to be the result of any known natural phenomenon.

Carbon Dioxide from Power Plants.

In 2002 about 40% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions stem from the burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation. Coal accounts for 93 percent of the emissions from the electric utility industry.

Coal emits around 1.7 times as much carbon per unit of energy when burned as does natural gas and 1.25 times as much as oil. Natural gas gives off 50% of the carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, released by coal and 25% less carbon dioxide than oil, for the same amount of energy produced. Coal contains about 80 percent more carbon per unit of energy than gas does, and oil contains about 40 percent more. For the typical U.S. household, a metric ton of carbon equals about 10,000 miles of driving at 25 miles per gallon of gasoline or about one year of home heating using a natural gas-fired furnace or about four months of electricity from coal-fired generation.

Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Cars

About 20% of U.S carbon dioxide emissions comes from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of cars and light trucks (minivans, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, jeeps).

US Emissions Inventory 2004

Vehicles with poor gas mileage contribute much to global warming. For example, according to the E.P.A's 2000 Fuel Economy Guide, a new Dodge Durango sports utility vehicle (with a 5.9 liter engine) that gets 12 miles per gallon in the city will emit an estimated 800 pounds of carbon dioxide over a distance of 500 city miles. In other words for each gallon of gas a vehicle consumes, 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted into the air, even though that same gallon of fuel weighed only 6 pounds in total weight. A new Honda Insight that gets 61 miles to the gallon will only emit about 161 pounds of carbon dioxide over the same distance of 500 city miles. Sports utility vehicles were designed for rough terrain, off road driving in mountains and deserts, but most of them rarely leave pavement.

The United States is the largest consumer of oil.

Senator Joseph Lieberman says, "If we can get 3 miles more per gallon from our cars, we'll save 1 million barrels of oil a day, which is exactly what the (Arctic National Wildlife) Refuge at its best in Alaska would produce."

The gas mileage of 2000 model vehicles averaged 28.1 miles per gallon, worst fuel economy since 1980. The main reason for the decline in gas mileage was the popularity of the SUV, garnering about 50% of car sales in 2000. If car manufacturers were to increase their fleets' average gas mileage about 3 miles per gallon, this country could save a million barrels of oil every day, while US drivers would save $25 billion in fuel costs annually.

Carbon Dioxide from Trucks

About another 13% of U.S carbon dioxide emissions comes from trucks used mostly for commercial purposes.

Carbon Dioxide from Airplanes

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that aviation causes 3.5 percent of global warming, and that the figure could rise to 15 percent by 2050.

Carbon Dioxide from Buildings

Buildings structure account for about 12% of carbon dioxide emissions.

Methane

While carbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas, methane is second most important. According to the IPCC, Methane is more than 20 times as effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere. CO2 makes up 0.03% and methane less then 1% of that!

Levels of atmospheric methane have risen 145% in the last 100 years. Methane is derived from sources such as rice paddies, bovine eructations, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel production. Most of the world's rice, and all of the rice in the United States, is grown on flooded fields. When fields are flooded, anaerobic conditions develop and the organic matter in the soil decomposes, releasing CH4 to the atmosphere, primarily through the rice plants.

Nitrous oxide

Another greenhouse gas is Nitrous oxide (N2O), a colourless, non-flammable gas with a sweetish odour, commonly known as "laughing gas", and sometimes used as an anesthetic. Nitrous oxide is naturally produced by oceans and rain forests. Man-made sources of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid production, the use of fertilisers in agriculture, cars with catalytic converters and the burning of organic matter. Nitrous oxide is broken down in the atmosphere by chemical reactions that involve sunlight.

Deforestation

After carbon emissions caused by humans, deforestation is the second principle cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Deforestation is responsible for 25% of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, by the burning and cutting of about 34 million acres of trees each year.

We are losing millions of acres of rain forests each year, the equivalent in area to the size of Italy.

The destroying of tropical forests alone is throwing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. We are also losing temperate forests. The temperate forests of the world account for an absorption rate of 2 billion tons of carbon annually. In the temperate forests of Siberia alone, the earth is losing 10 million acres per year.

City Gridlock:

Cities are tolerating gridlock. In 1996 according to an annual study by traffic engineers [as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle December 10, 1996] from Texas A and M University, it was found that drivers in Los Angeles and New York City alone wasted 600 million gallons of gas annually while just sitting in traffic. The 600 million gallons of gas translates to about 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide in just those two cities.

Carbon in Atmosphere and Ocean:

The atmosphere contains about 750 billion tons of carbon, while 800 billion tons are dissolved in the surface layers of the world's oceans.

A:

The Earth tilts ever so slightly every year, causing the sun to be at a different angle than normal. Milankovich calculated these effects in the early 1900's showing this and future warming trends to be cyclic (125K years) There are three natural variables that are shown to cause this and previous warming cycles. This cycle started just over 6000 years ago. We have warmed 11 degrees C since 4000 BC! Since the start of man's use of fuel we have warmed 0.6 (as of 1998) and cooled to a total warming of 0.202 as of 4/09.

Total factors include solar flares, distance to the sun, angle of planet and points where measurement occur.

Carbon dioxide from industries Gaseous exhausted from millions of automobiles and industries.

Solar variation is undisputed the primary cause of the variations in temperature that is currently called global warming or climate change. Many people believe that the actions of man are contributing to the current increase in temperature that started 10,200 years ago.

Water and air pollution.

A:The temperature of any planet is the result of the (radiant) energy that comes from the sun MINUS the amount of energy that the planet radiates into space.

Therefore anything that changes the amount of energy that reaches the planet (clouds, dust) or anything that blocks heat from escaping is a factor that contributes to global warming. This last is where "green house gases" come in; they (partially) block the heat that radiates from the planet.

Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas. At normal concentrations, it, along with other greenhouse gases, helps maintain global temperatures at a level that is comfortable for humans and other animals that have adapted to the present climate. This is the natural part of global warming.

By adding new carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, which we do by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, and by cement manufacture, we interfere with the natural process and create enhanced global warming. Throughout human history until the Industrial Age, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were in the range 260-280 parts per million (ppm) and never higher than this. The increase in concentrations of carbon dioxide to the present level of 380 ppm is accepted by research scientists as principally the result of human activity and so the resultant enhanced global warming is anthropogenic.

A:The main issues are encompassed with the Milankovich Theory. They include distance from the sun, the angle at which the planet is aimed at the sun and the solar activity of the sun as we near it twice each year.

Another vital factor is the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused by our burning of fossil fuels over the past 200 years.

Currently man produces almost 0.3% of all green house emissions. We produce almost 6% of the world's output of CO2 causing the atmosphere to change, according to some alarmist groups, by 0.01% in terms of total atmospheric content. (278 ppm to 360 ppm)

The current warming cycle started 6000 years ago and should have recently crested when the bulk of the planets that affect our orbit were on the same side of the sun. Voyager had the ability to view so many planets due to this rare occurrence, which happens only once every 100K years. The planet has warmed roughly 11 degrees during the past 6000 years. 0.2 degrees of this since 1850. The warmest period, which is now appearing to be the crest, occurred in 1998. Since then we have seen zero record years and a trend towards cooling.

A:The last ten years have been the hottest in the past 200 years. A:The past 100 years have indeed been warmer then the years preceding this time period, which scientists and climate experts refer to as the mini ice age, because of the extraordinary cool temps during this period. Since 1850 we have seen less then a half degree of warming. Ice is growing in the Antarctic at a rate of 1% a year (as Milankovich theory would suggest) while we see a rate of decline in ice in the North of about 3%. The data for this ice change is very sketchy as we have only started watching it for a few years. Last fall (Oct.. 2008) showed the largest ice growth ever recorded in the North. The ice sheet issue may well be ending as a possible scare tactic. Raw data from NASA also shows that our oceans have cooled by 0.2 degrees over the past decade.

Glacial samples of the past 600K years show we are in temps that are within normals cyclic changes currently. I included the links for Vostok. You may also wish to notice that CO2 always follows temperature and has NEVER led it.

What we do know about the planets warming is that it has been cyclic and occurring for over 600K years (on and off). We know this is due to the planets orbits being variables. What some science experts are concerned about is the fact that the planet may be getting some amount of help from man. Most science experts agree this is a possible issue. This agreement is misconstrued as agreeing that man is a contributor. No honest scientist would ever close the door to any possible concept. That does not mean that most (or many) agree we know man is doing anything.

A:Earth's atmosphere comprises of "green-house gases". This allows heat to penetrate the Earth and keep us warm. Water vapor and carbon dioxide are examples of the green-house gases. Without them, the Earth would be about 60 degrees cooler than it is now, so they are essential for survival on Earth. However, over the past few decades, more and more green-house gases are being released by the people. The burning of coal and oil results in more heat being trapped inside of the Earth by the atmosphere. Deforestation (the cutting down of trees) is also a reason for global warming because trees absorb the carbon dioxide.

Answer 2

The main cause or factor contributing to global warming is man's burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) for industry, transport and the generation of electricity. This is putting extra carbon dioxide (CO2) into the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the natural carbon cycle is no longer able to cope, especially because we have destroyed many of the great forests that used to absorb and store CO2. So the additional CO2 has turned the normal greenhouse effect into an accelerated greenhouse effect, which is contributing to global warming.

Answer 3

Global warming is caused by a number of factors including:

1. The radiant output of the Sun (causing the greenhouse effect)
2. The percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere (burning fossil fuel releases 300 million-year-old carbon)
3. The albedo of the Earth's surface and atmosphere (white ice and snow reflects the sun's heat)
4. The deforestation of our planet (trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere).

When we speak of global warming, we usually mean the rise in average global temperatures since the beginning of the Industrial Age, around 1750.

The following factors lead to Global warming:

• Burning fossil fuels releases the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, the atmospheric concentration of which has increased by over 35 per cent, from the long-term range of 260-280 parts per million (ppm) to the present level of over 380 ppm.
• Another greenhouse gas that has made a significant contribution to global warming is methane, which is a far more potent greenhouse gas but fortunately exists in much lower concentrations.
• Deforestation, when forests have been destroyed all over the world. Trees remove vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Answer 4

Carbon dioxide is the main factor for global warming as it covers like a blanket over the earths atmosphere and increasing the temperature by giving no way for the escape of heat with its blanket

Answer 5

The two factors that affect (and effect) global warming are deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in industry, transport and the generation of electricity. This releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is one of the causes of global warming and climate change.

Answer 6

global warming is cause by the carelessness of humans.