The phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the surface ‎of Earth over the past one to two centuries. Climate scientists have since the ‎mid-20th century gathered detailed observations of various weather phenomena ‎‎(such as temperatures, precipitation, and storms) and of related influences ‎on climate (such as ocean currents and the atmosphere’s chemical composition). ‎These data indicate that Earth’s climate has changed over almost every ‎conceivable timescale since the beginning of geologic time and ‎that human activities since at least the beginning of the Industrial ‎Revolution have a growing influence over the pace and extent of present-‎day climate change.‎<br />Many climate scientists agree that significant societal, economic, and ecological ‎damage would result if the global average temperature rose by more than 2 °C ‎‎(3.6 °F) in such a short time. Such damage would include increased extinction of ‎many plant and animal species, shifts in patterns of agriculture, and rising sea ‎levels. By 2015 all but a few national governments had begun the process of ‎instituting carbon reduction plans as part of the Paris Agreement, a treaty ‎designed to help countries keep global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above ‎preindustrial levels in order to avoid the worst of the predicted effects. Whereas ‎authors of the 2018 special report noted that should carbon emissions continue ‎at their present rate, the increase in average near-surface air temperature would ‎reach 1.5 °C sometime between 2030 and 2052, authors of the AR6 report ‎suggested that this threshold would be reached by 2041 at the latest. ‎<br />Causes of global warming<br />‎1.‎ Deforestation<br />Plants are the main source of oxygen. They take in carbon dioxide and release ‎oxygen thereby maintaining environmental balance. Forests are being depleted ‎for many domestic and commercial purposes. This has led to an environmental ‎imbalance, thereby giving rise to global warming.‎<br />‎2.‎ Use of Vehicles<br />The use of vehicles, even for a very short distance results in various gaseous ‎emissions. Vehicles burn fossil fuels which emit a large amount of carbon dioxide ‎and other toxins into the atmosphere resulting in a temperature increase.‎<br />‎3.‎ Chlorofluorocarbon<br />With the excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators, humans have been ‎adding CFCs into the environment which affects the atmospheric ozone layer. ‎The ozone layer protects the earth surface from the harmful ultraviolet rays ‎emitted by the sun. The CFCs have led to ozone layer depletion making way for ‎the ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing the temperature of the earth.‎<br />‎4.‎ Industrial Development<br />With the advent of industrialization, the temperature of the earth has been ‎increasing rapidly. The harmful emissions from the factories add to the increasing ‎temperature of the earth.‎<br />In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change reported that the ‎increase in the global temperature between 1880 and 2012 has been 0.9 degrees ‎Celsius. The increase is 1.1 degrees Celsius when compared to the pre-industrial ‎mean temperature.‎<br />‎5.‎ Agriculture<br />Various farming activities produce carbon dioxide and methane gas. These add to ‎the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and increase the temperature of the ‎earth.‎<br />‎6.‎ Overpopulation<br />An increase in population means more people breathing. This leads to an ‎increase in the level of carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, ‎in the atmosphere.‎<br />Natural Causes of Global Warming<br />• Volcanoes<br />• Water Vapour<br />• Melting Permafrost<br />• Forest Blazes<br />Effects of Global Warming<br />Following are the major effects of global warming:‎<br />‎1)‎ Rise in Temperature<br />Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to the loss of plant and ‎animal lives. Increase in global temperatures has made the fragility of coral reefs ‎even worse.‎<br />‎2)‎ Climate Change<br />Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. There are droughts at ‎some places and floods at some. This climatic imbalance is the result of global ‎warming.‎<br />‎3)‎ Spread of Diseases<br />Global warming leads to a change in the patterns of heat and humidity. This has ‎led to the movement of mosquitoes that carry and spread diseases.‎<br />‎4)‎ High Mortality Rates<br />Due to an increase in floods, tsunamis and other natural calamities, the average ‎death toll usually increases. Also, such events can bring about the spread of ‎diseases that can hamper human life.‎<br />‎5)‎ Loss of Natural Habitat<br />A global shift in the climate leads to the loss of habitats of several plants and ‎animals. In this case, the animals need to migrate from their natural habitat and ‎many of them even become extinct. ‎<br />جامعة المستقبل الجامعة الاولى في العراق<br />