Before we get into the topic of “Global warming”, lets talk about what the real term means. “Global Warming” is actually known and SHOULD be better known as the “Greenhouse Effect”
The Greenhouse Effect is the process by which certain gases (principally water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane) trap heat that would otherwise escape the earth and radiate into space. You see, the light shining on the earth from the sun warms the planet; however, the earth tends to radiate a lot of that light back out into space this cools the planet. If that were the end of the story, the earth would be a VERY cold place. It would be so cold, in fact, that life could not exist anywhere on its surface.
Fortunately, however, that is not the end of the story. It turns out that certain gases (listed above earlier) actually trap much of the light that is radiated by the earth. As a result, the energy from that light is not lost. Instead, it is held in the air, and the net effect is to warm the planet.
Since carbon dioxide is one of the principal gases that participates in the Greenhouse Effect, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere must be regulated very carefully by the carbon cycle. After all, if the amount of carbon dioxide in the air decreased significantly, the earth would get colder and colder, perhaps turning into a frigid wasteland. If, instead the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased significantly, the Greenhouse Effect would get stronger and stronger, leading to a warmer and warmer planet. If the planet got too warm, disastrous things could happen to CERTAIN ecosystems. The north and south poles, for example, are filled with tons and tons of ice. If those regions of the earth were too warm, that ice could melt, causing floods around the globe. Also, most ecosystems could destroy much of the life contained in them. Some people are worried that this very thing is occurring today. Because we burn a large amount of coal, oil, and wood as part of our modern lifestyle, humanity has been adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been rising steadily for the past 100 years or so. Some people are worried that the air is getting so rich in carbon dioxide that the Greenhouse Effect is already becoming enhanced and the earth is already getting abnormally warm. They call this phenomenon “Global Warming”, and they are convinced that the earth will simply get too hot if something isn't done to stop the buildup of carbon dioxide in the air. So far, this is explaining what would happen, so don't go outside and start screaming,”OHHHHHH HELLLLPP, I'M MELTING!!!!!” Because you aren't and that would be extremely embarrassing. Now to continue, I hope you've all been paying attention.
Although there are many things we do not know about the Greenhouse Effect, right now the reliable data indicate that the earth is not warming, at least not in any significant way. In addition, we know that the earth has been much warmer in the past. A team from Harvard University reviewed over 240 scientific studies on global temperatures in the past, and their research indicates that the earth was significantly warmer between the ninth and fourteenth centuries than it is today. As a result, it is awefully hard to believe that modern burning of fuels is leading to any kind of “Global Warming”, as people did not burn nearly as much fuel in the Middle Ages as they do now!

I'd like to thank, OpenOffice Writer for Spell Check. And how awesome I am.

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