Fossil fuels are burnt on a huge scale - Global Warming . Carbon dioxide is called a Greenhouse Gas . It is causing the global temperature of the Earth to rise . This rise in temperature affects the global climate in a way which is hard to predict . Some areas may become wetter or dryer , other areas may become hotter .
Evidence is everywhere .
The ten hottest years on record have occurred since 1980 . 1998 was the hottest year so far recorded . It is currently losing 14,000 square miles per year . In 20 years time there will be no equatorial glaciers . The average temperature of Antarctica is rising faster than anywhere else , having increased by 2.5 C since 1940 .