Understanding Global Warming and Its Impacts

Global warming refers to the Earth's average surface temperature increase due to human-emitted greenhouse gases. It's often conflated with climate change, which encompasses global warming and its diverse impacts on climate systems.

Key greenhouse gases include CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide. Surprising sources are clathrate gun hypothesis (methane from ocean floors) and cement production, contributing significantly to CO2 emissions alongside fossil fuels.

Beyond melting ice, global warming can amplify the spread of diseases by expanding habitats for vectors like mosquitoes. It also impacts agricultural productivity by altering growing conditions unpredictably.

Oceans absorb over 90% of the increased heat, leading to coral bleaching and reduced oxygen levels. Surprisingly, warmer waters can absorb less CO2, exacerbating global warming.

Exceeding certain thresholds can trigger irreversible changes like the melting of the Greenland ice sheet. This could raise sea levels significantly, with profound global consequences.

Switching to renewable energy can have economic benefits. Jobs in renewable sectors are outpacing traditional energy jobs in some regions, suggesting a surprising economic upside to combating global warming.

Mitigation efforts aim to reduce the severity of global warming by cutting emissions. Adaptation involves adjusting to its effects. Innovative adaptation strategies are emerging, like floating cities to counteract rising sea levels.