Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay -- Climate Change Envi

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Human induced climate change resulting from an enhanced greenhouse effect is probably the greatest environmental threat facing the world today. Specifically, the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide may be classified as the primary culprit. As a result of greenhouse gases entering the upper levels of the earth's atmosphere, it diminishes or breaks down the earth's Ozone layer. With this loss of this protective blanket, harmful radioactive rays from the sun enter the deeper into the earth's atmosphere. This creates a rise in the overall temperature of our planet, along with alterations in the global environment, ecosystems and way of life for the habitants of earth. The earth like any body in space cools and warms until energy inputs from solar radiation and outputs from natural radiation are balanced. Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere from human activities trap some of the energy radiating from the earth, increasing the temperature at which the earth creates energy balance. Based on a study by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) done in the early 1990s, approximately 65% of human induced greenhouse gases contributed to global warming. Over 80% of the increased atmospheric concentrations of harmful gases since the industrial revolution have been causes by industrial countries. Due to recent outsourcing and manufacturing market transfers, Asia and Latin America are regions where harmful emissi...