Why Is It Commonly Believed That Carbon Dioxide Is Responsible For Global Warming? Carbon Dioxide Levels In The Earth’s Atmosphere Have Been Steadily Decreasing. Carbon Dioxide Has A Longer Average Lifetime In The Atmosphere. The Warming Effect Associated
Why Is It Commonly Believed That Carbon Dioxide Is Responsible For Global Warming?
Answer:
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is commonly believed to be responsible for global warming due to several reasons. While it is true that carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere have been steadily increasing rather than decreasing, which contributes to the greenhouse effect and subsequent global warming, there might be some misunderstanding in the initial statement of the conversation.
Carbon dioxide has a longer average lifetime in the atmosphere compared to other greenhouse gases, which means it remains in the atmosphere for a significant period, trapping heat and contributing to the warming effect. When the concentration of carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere, it enhances the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming by trapping more heat from the sun and raising the Earth’s temperature.
The scientific consensus is that the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and various human activities have significantly increased the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the past century, which has been a major factor in the observed global warming trends. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and numerous scientific studies support the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and global climate change.