In this I/GCSE Chemistry blog post, we will look at how CO2 contributes to global warming, let's go!!
Carbon Dioxide
- As the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, so too has the average global temperature.
- This is what scientists mean when they talk about global warming.
- Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities have increased the amount of this gas in the atmosphere
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
- The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 0.028% before the start of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century.
- Since then, the concentration has risen rapidly. It reached 0.040% in mid-2013.
Global average temperature
- The average global temperature has changed over time. Although some years are colder than the year before, there has been a trend for the average temperature to rise.
- The general increase in global average temperature follows a similar trend to the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This does not in itself show that there is a causal relationship.
- However, taking into account other data, the consensus of scientific opinion is that the two are linked this way. This is why we are encouraged to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, for example by walking instead of taking the car.
Global Warming
A rise of just a few degrees in world temperatures will have a dramatic impact on the climate:
- global weather patterns will change
- polar ice caps will melt
Climate change will cause drought in some places and flooding in others. Increased sea levels from warming oceans and melting glaciers will cause increased coastal erosion and flooding of low-lying land.
That is all!
References:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGreenhouse_gas&psig=AOvVaw1JvwEWasSy_Y4iUgshfNlU&ust=1628268060736000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCJD2kK6pmvICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsgkplanet.com%2Fen%2Fglobal-warming-greenhouse-effect-climate-change-and-their-relationships%2F&psig=AOvVaw0Is_MncJg76z2wuLvDJi7i&ust=1628268145871000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCNDyqNepmvICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD