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Global warming is a term used to describe the effect of the excessive build up of insulating gases that have a greenhouse-like effect raising average surface temperature of our planet. Certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, trap some of the sun's heat and reflect it back to earth. Without the greenhouse effect, the earth would freeze. This atmospheric balance has maintained for thousands of years. But the industrial revolution combined with population increase and the consumption of fossil fuels has greatly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Other greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons are also on the rise. This has contributed to a gradual increase in temperature over the last 100 years. It takes a pound of coal to generate the electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for 10 hours. For every pound of coal we burn, nearly three pounds of carbon dioxide go into the atmosphere. The last 6 years have been the hottest observed since records were kept starting in the 1860s. Although temperatures are rising, scientists debate on what effect this will have on the environment.
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These lists of resource links are a result of a collaboration
between Eva Clement, student at the North Carolina School
for Science and Math, and members of the North
Carolina Sierra Club Medoc
Group.
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