|
|
Modern climate change
Although climate change has been politicized, it's really a scientific issue.
There is a scientific relationship between atmospheric
carbon dioxide and global temperatures. Like climate change, this link is
nothing new. For example, during the
Cretaceous period, evidence from
fossils suggests that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were much
higher than they are today and that global temperatures were several degrees
warmer. Almost the entire earth had a tropical climate.
The difference between the current warming and the Cretaceous warming is the cause of high CO2. While past causes of high CO2 were natural, a large percentage of today's atmospheric CO2 is from human sources. In the past, atmospheric carbon dioxide was high due to increased volcanism and decreased weathering. Today, carbon dioxide is on the rise in large part due to human activities.
Next page -> modern climate change, continued
Links and resources
Although climate change has been politicized, it's really a scientific issue.
There is a scientific relationship between atmospheric
carbon dioxide and global temperatures. Like climate change, this link is
nothing new. For example, during the
Cretaceous period, evidence from
fossils suggests that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were much
higher than they are today and that global temperatures were several degrees
warmer. Almost the entire earth had a tropical climate.The difference between the current warming and the Cretaceous warming is the cause of high CO2. While past causes of high CO2 were natural, a large percentage of today's atmospheric CO2 is from human sources. In the past, atmospheric carbon dioxide was high due to increased volcanism and decreased weathering. Today, carbon dioxide is on the rise in large part due to human activities.
Next page -> modern climate change, continued
Links and resources
