The frequency of extreme rainfall events has increased throughout. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are likely to accelerate the rate of climate change. Evaporation will increase as the climate warms, leading to an increase in the average global precipitation. Soil moisture is likely to decline in many regions and intense rainstorms are likely to become more frequent. Sea level is likely to rise by two feet .
Greenhouse gases are global in their effect upon the atmosphere.
The primary greenhouse gases, unlike many local air pollutants like carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and volatile organic compounds are considered stock pollutants. A stock air pollutant is one that has a long lifetime in the atmosphere and therefore can accumulate over time. Stock air pollutants are also generally well mixed in the atmosphere. As a consequence of this mixing, the impact a greenhouse gas on the atmosphere is mostly independent of where it was emitted. These characteristics of greenhouse gases imply that they should be addressed on a global scale.