Our planet offers us some protection against dangerous and devastatingly deadly things in the universe. If the sun’s radiation could penetrate at full strength, our planet would be completely uninhabitable. It would heat up above 700 degrees in direct sunlight, and cool to minus 400 degrees without the sun, a temperature that is called absolute zero. By having an atmosphere, the Earth is protected from this phenomenon and essentially, it acts like an oven keeping a relatively consistent temperature.Half the energy that passes through our atmosphere from the sun is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. The energy that is not absorbed by the surface is then reflected back into the atmosphere where it is absorbed by a blanket of gases. The heat absorbing gases there are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen dioxide. These gases are called Greenhouse Gases, and though they occur naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere, they are also produced by humans. The more gases present in our solar system results in the more heat that can be absorbed. The result is our planets temperature rising. This is called the greenhouse effect, or more commonly, Global Warming.

Global warming is affecting our planet in many dangerous ways. The ice caps are melting and causing water levels to rise. This is known as thermal expansion. When the water heats up, it begins to swell. Warmer waters are forcing some animals out of their natural habitat. Marine life is very precise. It has evolved over billions of years to live in a specific climate and the majority of creatures cannot just readapt to changes as humans can. A few degrees does not affect us, we’re used to changing climates. However, it does affect many other species that are forced to move, or forced into extinction. The rearranging of these species is just one of the dangerous things taking place. This affects much of our ocean, and will eventually start to affect humans. The great coral reefs of the world’s oceans are already starting to see the adverse effects of global warming.

(more…)

Our Earth is a very fascinating place. The atmosphere that surrounds our Earth acts as a shield from the Sun’s massive amounts of radiant energy and heat. It is a filter of sorts, it keeps the Earth’s temperate at an approximate area, which helped spawn and sustain life. Half of the Sun’s energy is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. The rest is reflected back into the atmosphere where it is then absorbed by the gases which are present there. Nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and methane gases absorb the heat, these are called Greenhouse Gases.

Though these greenhouse gases occur naturally in our atmosphere, the human race has added much more to the equation. The more fossil fuels and wood we burn, the more greenhouse gas we produce. This means that our atmosphere can retain much more heat. And in turn, our planet’s temperature begins to rise. This “Greenhouse Effect” is commonly known as Global Warming.

Global Warming has always been a dangerous prospect. Though it is happening, the pace at which it increases isn’t enough to deter people from their dangerous consumption of woods and fossil fuels. In 1900, the average temperature of our planet was 59.8 degrees F. Scientists have predicted that over the next hundreds years, this temperature will increase by 3.6 - 6.3 degrees F. This is the highest rate of global warming our planet has seen in 10,000 years.

Our planet is completely stabilized. Scientists predict that it took upwards of millions of years for the ice caps to set, creating a consistent weather pattern and livable temperature. Unfortunately for mankind, global warming is melting these polar ice caps, and many aspects of life on this planet are already suffering their adverse effects. The ice caps melting are forcing the sea level to rise. This is known as Thermal Expansion.

(more…)