What is global warming?

Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century, and its projected continuation.

The average global air temperature near the Earth’s surface increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 100 years ending in 2005.[1] The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (man-made) greenhouse gas concentrations”[1] via an enhanced greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950 and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward.[2][3]

These basic conclusions have been endorsed by at least 30 scientific societies and academies of science,[4] including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries.[5][6][7] While individual scientists have voiced disagreement with some findings of the IPCC,[8] the overwhelming majority of scientists working on climate change agree with the IPCC’s main conclusions.[9][10]

Climate model projections summarized by the IPCC indicate that average global surface temperature will likely rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the twenty-first century.[1] This range of values results from the use of differing scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions as well as models with differing climate sensitivity. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming and sea level rise are expected to continue for more than a thousand years even if greenhouse gas levels are stabilized. The delay in reaching equilibrium is a result of the large heat capacity of the oceans.[1]

Increasing global temperature is expected to cause sea level to rise, an increase in the intensity of extreme weather events, and significant changes to the amount and pattern of precipitation, likely leading to an expanse of tropical areas and increased pace of desertification. Other expected effects of global warming include changes in agricultural yields, modifications of trade routes, glacier retreat, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

Remaining scientific uncertainties include the amount of warming expected in the future, and how warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but there is ongoing political and public debate worldwide regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences.

Reference: Wikipedia

Good answers. To sum them up, Global Warming means that human activities (mainly to do with the use of electricity, gas, oil etc) are causing our planet to warm up faster and more dramatically than it would do naturally.

Therefore, when we drive or fly, and when we use electrical items carelessly or over-heat our houses, we add to the problems. Factories also cause some of the problem but over 50% of the polluiton comes from our own lives.

The problems right now include islands beginning to go under water as sea-levels rise (these are islands where people live) and animals losing their homes as ice-caps melt or plants die because the climate has become wrong with them.

The sort of problems we might expect in the future are more of the same - our own countries in America and Europle will experience more flooding and some places near the coast will go under water. Our farming will become difficult too, as plants won’t be able to grow where they used to and rivers may dry up. So we can expect problems with our homes and our food and water supplies. We may also see wars started over that kind of thing - countries fighting over precious water or land.

There are a lot of things we can do about this, so never think that it’s impossible and that ‘we’re all going to die!’ How much do you know about what to do, already?

listen I dont think your stupid, global warming is due to the fact that gas, pollution, and lots of other things. . . it melts our ice and the polar bears` ice is slowly melting away. . . . next summer, itll be even hotter.

Global Warming is a number of things. It’s basically the Earth gradually getting warmer, higher than the average temperatures. It may not seem too bad, the earth being 2-3 degrees warmer, but it really is bad. The ice-caps are melting, and Polar Bears are having trouble moving around, and losing their home in their cold-climates. We’ll lose many different species permanently, and it’s a lot more complicated than this! The cause of this is pollution and fossil fuels being burnt I’m pretty sure. The fossil fuels wipe out the ozone layer, and the ozone layer prevents the sun’s heat from overheating the earth.

I apologize if I’m wrong. Please feel free to correct me. :)