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"Global warming will be the greatest environmental challenge in the 21st century." - Vice President, Albert Gore.

Global warming, otherwise also known as the Greenhouse effect is a global phenomenon which would prove in near future to be a decisive factor, leading to an ultimate end of our planet Earth and the human existence.

Causes:

The atmosphere of our planet is composed of Nitrogen (N2) at 78%, Oxygen (O2) at 21%, and the remaining one percent is composed of Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and other gases. The presence of huge quantities of CO2, CH4 and other gases in the atmosphere causes global warming, and are classified as the "greenhouse" gases.

According to the laws of Physics, any object warmer than absolute zero will radiate energy. Cooler objects emit energy with longer wavelengths, while hotter ones radiates with shorter wavelengths. The sun radiates its energy in shorter wavelengths, and of the sunlight that strikes the earth, about 70% is absorbed by the planet and its atmosphere, while 30% is immediately reflected back. However, due the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the remaining 30% is not fully reflected back into the space; instead the green house gases acts like a blanket, and partially traps the reflected heat energy. As the volume of greenhouse gas increases in the atmosphere, its capacity to retain heat increases, thereby increasing the temperature of the atmosphere and the earth as well.

The use of CFC (chloro flouro carbon) for refrigerators and other cooling devices expedites the effects of global warming. CFC has a natural affinity with Ozone (O3), and reacts to form O2. The presence of Ozone at a lower altitude can have a detrimental effect upon humans and planets alike; however ozone is found at a much higher altitude, and acts like a sunglass and screens out the harmful ultraviolet radiations from completely entering through the atmosphere.

The unprecedented increase in Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in the last century has resulted from the burning of fossil fuels, which is responsible to about half of the greenhouse gas warming. Other gas (CFCs, methane, nitrous oxide) also contributes to global warming.

Effects:

The increase in temperature would melt a great deal of glaciers from the poles and the mountains, releasing an equal amount of fresh water into the ocean. With the increasing average global temperature, the water in the oceans would expand, and the additional fresh water that flows from the poles

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