Global warming

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Although its definition may vary slightly from source to source, global warming refers to an increase in global temperature with time. 
== Results ==
Global warming contributes to numerous environmental effects.
1. By the atmosphere warming, it is able to contain more water vapor. The condensation of water vapor into droplets releases latent heat and that latent heat drives the storms of the Earth. The more water vapor, the more heat available to cause storms of greater and greater intensity.
2. By water warming, the ice sheets melt. This has numerous effects. The habitat of polar dwellers is lost, and those species suffer potentially extinction-mode losses. The base of the oceanic food chain, the tiny shrimp known as krill, live under the ice sheets. Their demise leads to a demise of all fish and invertebrate sea dwellers that rely on them for food. Raising of sea level leads to flooding of coastal areas. With those areas being the habitat of most of the world's human population, dire commercial results will occur. Recently, the entire population of a Pacific island had to be relocated as their island was being flooded.
3. By land temperatures increasing, destabilization of crops and forestry occur. Conifers at low elevations cannot survive. Fertile croplands no longer can sustain their plantings, leading to potentially catastrophic decline in human food supplies.
This short list only indicates the disaster that is man-induced global warming.
== Definitions of Global warming on the Web: ==
* An overall increase in world temperatures which may be caused by additional heat being trapped by greenhouse gases.
www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//append/glossary_g.htm
* an increase of the earth's temperature by a few degrees resulting in an increase in the volume of water which contributes to sea-level rise
www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/glossary.html
* Global warming is the gradual increase in global temperatures caused by the emission of gases that trap the sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere. ...
www.planningforpeople.ca/terms_and_definitions.asp
* The progressive gradual rise of the Earth's average surface temperature thought to be caused in part by increased concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere. ...
www.ecoagriculture.org/page.php
* A term used to describe the increase in average global temperatures due to the greenhouse effect. Scientists generally agree that the Earth's ...
www.greenmotion.org/glossary_biofuel.html
* The progressive gradual rise of the earth's surface temperature thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect and responsible for changes in global climate patterns. An increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth. ...
www.natsource.com/markets/index.asp
* An increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth. Global warming has occurred in the distant past (before humans) as the result of natural ...
www.cheaperpetrolparty.com/Cheaper_Petrol_Party-Glossary.php
* The earth has warmed up by about 0.6ºC in the last 100 years. During this period, human emissions of greenhouse gases have increased, largely as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. ...
www.climatechangenorth.ca/H1_Glossary.html
* An increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and ozone (also see greenhouse effect).
www.ruralresidentialliving.com.au/introduction/glossary.html
* The increase in the mean temperature of the earth due to excessive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen. Most scientists now believe that, unchecked, global warming will produce disastrous climate changes over the next 100 years.
www.dmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp
* Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. ...
massbays.org/Aosd/docs/EPP/Massachusetts%20EPP%20Glossary%20of%20Terms.doc
* A gradual warming of the Earth's atmosphere reportedly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and industrial pollutants.
www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/farm/terms.aspx
* is the term given to the major consequence of the greenhouse effect. Scientists have long predicted and recently measured notable increases in the world's temperature. ...
www.travelsmart.gov.au/teachers/teachers7.html
* the expected consequence of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases by human activity (see greenhouse gases).
www.forest.nsw.gov.au/education/glossary/default.asp
* Certain Gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) absorb reflected infra-red radiation and trap it within the earths atmosphere. This heat which would normally be dissipated into space increases the 5temperature of the earth. ...
www.ecifm.rdg.ac.uk/glossary.htm
* The concern that a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (beyond those levels required to sustain temperatures to support life on the planet) will result in catastrophic changes to the earth’s climate patterns.
www.americaspower.org/The-Facts/Glossary-of-Terms
* heating that occurs when carbon dioxide traps the Sun’s heat near Earth’s surface, causing Earth’s temperature to rise
www.wcit.org/tradeis/glossary.htm
* Increased levels of gases such as carbon dioxide that trap heat in the earth's lower atmosphere potentially causing global warming
www.ifdn.com/teacher/glossary.htm
* Changes in the surface-air temperature, referred to as the global temperature, brought about by the greenhouse effect which is induced by emission of greenhouse gases into the air.
www.dantes.info/Projectinformation/Glossary/Glossary.html
* This refers to the natural warming that occurs in the atmosphere (as well as natural cooling). These days, this term generally refers to the gradual increase in the Earth’s temperature from the gasses that have accumulated and are trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere.
www.expertrating.com/courseware/GreenCourse/Green-Glossary-8.asp
* an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global warming