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Earth's Atmosphere
The atmosphere of the Earth is one way the planet's temperature remains regular. When light from the sun hits the surface of the Earth, only some of it is reflected back into space. The rest is absorbed by plants as food or heats the Earth to a temperature at which life can be sustained. The atmosphere consists of a mixture of gases. Nitrogen makes up 78 percent, oxygen 21 percent, and the remaining 1 percent is a blend of argon and "greenhouse gases" such as carbon dioxide.
Greenhouse Gases
It is the property of greenhouse gases to hold heat. Methane, ozone, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and water vapor are greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are measured in parts per million, ppm. Changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can contribute to an elevation in temperatures on the surface of the Earth. Some organisms can produce large quantities of methane and carbon dioxide, which can cause warming of the Earth's surface.
Livestock
One group of organisms that can affect temperatures on Earth is livestock animals. Cattle, sheep and pigs are classified as ruminant organisms, meaning they are grass-eating and require an additional stomach to digest plant matter. Livestock produce methane as a byproduct of their digestion process. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that livestock produce 5.5 million tons of methane per year in the United States alone.
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are microscopic ocean-dwelling plants that play a major role in the food chain of ocean organisms and the climate of the Earth. They are food for large marine animals such as whales. Phytoplankton damaged by ultraviolet radiation reproduce damaged offspring or die. The result may be that carbon dioxide is not consumed by the ocean's phytoplankton population in as large an amount as is necessary to keep the Earth's temperature stable.
Humans
Humans are yet another of the Earth's organisms that affect the temperature of the planet's surface. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide come from burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil for transportation and electricity. According to data collected by the Mana Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increased from 315 ppm in 1960 to 385 ppm in 2008. The Union of Concerned Scientists says most global warming is "caused by heat-trapping emissions from human activities."