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Actual Causes of Global Warming

Despite political controversy over the issue, there has been sufficient scientific evidence to show that the Earth's climate is changing, most notably in the warming of the average temperature of our atmosphere. There is some debate over whether or not this is entirely (or mostly) man-made or because we are in a period of cyclical climate change. The potential effects of climate change are varied, from desertification (as in the Dust Bowl) to super-systems of destructive weather (as in El Niño).

Fossil Fuels
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a natural byproduct of the respiration of living things, absorbed by plants and respired again in the form of oxygen. This is the so-called "carbon cycle" in which plants sustain life by edible nourishment as well as replenishment of the environment. Fossil fuels, however, produce CO2 far in excess of what plants can absorb and recycle. This huge surplus of CO2 saturates the atmosphere and gradually contributes to the warming of the average temperature of the planet's atmosphere.
Agriculture
- Methane, while not as prevalent as CO2, is a major greenhouse gas. It is created when matter decomposes in an oxygen-starved environment. This occurs in the digestive systems of large food animals (cattle, sheep), and is trapped in certain types of underwater ice formations and underwater in rice paddies. Modern farming techniques also make use of nitrogen oxides as efficient fertilizer inputs. This energy-dense substance contributes significantly to greenhouse gas output.
CFCs
- While the output of chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) as in refrigerants and aerosol sprays is more commonly associated with the depletion of the ozone layer, this depletion is thought to play a role in the rapid warming of the Earth's atmosphere, in addition to the other deleterious effects associated with ozone layer depletion. These gases are far more potent than carbon dioxide, which offsets the fact that the output of these gases is substantially smaller.
Cyclical Shift
- Part of the controversy about global climate change is the scientifically valid presupposition that the Earth goes through periodic climate cycles over geologically significant periods of time (i.e. thousands of years). While a similar shift is occurring in our lifetime, it is undoubtedly magnified by the industrial output and pollution of human civilization.

Nature