Is the earth cooling, warming, or staying the same? This is the question scientists have been debating over for the last several decades. Recently, the earth has shown signs of warming. Some scientists believe that the earth is going through a temporary heating cycle, while others blame global warming for the increase of earth’s temperatures. Well what is global warming exactly? Global warming is the theory that pollution and carbon dioxide are thinning the ozone layer that helps reflect some of the sun’s rays away from earth. If this is true, what are the causes and how can people detect if global warming is occurring?

Human pollution is the main cause of global warming. Atmospheric pollution mostly consists of carbon dioxide which thins the ozone layer. Since the industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere has risen about 35 percent. Human induced carbon dioxide in the atmosphere consists of 80 percent burning fossil fuel and 20 percent is from deforestation. Solar energy at the top of the atmosphere has been consistent with its regular patterns, but global temperatures have continued to rise. This proves that the sun has no influence in the temperature increases.

The Global Temperature Average has risen over the last several years which is expected with a naturally warming planet, but the global temperatures have been the hottest in the last 20 years. In the last several hundred years, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and global temperature have been corresponding. When carbon dioxide levels rise, so do the temperatures.

The high temperatures have been affecting the planet in drastic ways. Huge proportions of ice sheets and glaciers are melting due to the increase of temperatures. This causes the ocean levels to rise higher than normally expected. Averagely, the ocean levels are supposed to rise 1.7 mm/year but they are accelerating to 3.5 mm/year. In recent decades, the Northern Hemisphere average snow cover has decreased. The decrease is consistent with the inclining temperature patterns. Extreme climate events have also been occurring more often due to the temperature increases.

In conclusion, most evidence leads to the theory of global warming. According to the data, people need to decrease the production of carbon dioxide. That means more solar powered technology, replanting of forests and habitats, and less burning of fossil fuels. Those are great ways to help the environment, but as a teenager those things are big feats that are hard to accomplish. Teens should plant a community garden, organize a beach or park clean up, or do something as simple as recycle. Anything helps so take action and help make the world a better place.