Introduction:

One of the most vigorously debated topics on Earth is the issue of climate change, and
the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) data centers are
central to answering some of the most pressing global change questions that remain
unresolved. The National Centers for Environmental Information contains the instrumental and
paleoclimatic records that can precisely define the nature of climatic fluctuations at time scales
of a century and longer. Among the diverse kinds of data platforms whose data contribute to
NCEI's resources are: Ships, buoys, weather stations, weather balloons, satellites, radar and
many climate proxy records such as tree rings and ice cores. The National Oceanographic Data
Center contains the subsurface ocean data which reveal the ways that heat is distributed and
redistributed over the planet. Knowing how these systems are changing and how they have
changed in the past is crucial to understanding how they will change in the future. And, for
climate information that extends from hundreds to thousands of years, paleoclimatology data,
also available from the National Centers for Environmental Information, helps to provide longer
term perspectives.
History
The fact that carbon dioxide is a 'greenhouse gas' - a gas that prevents a certain amount of heat
radiation escaping back to space and thus maintains a generally warm climate on Earth, goes back
to an idea that was first conceived, though not specifically with respect to CO2, nearly 200 years
ago. The story of how this important physical property was discovered, how its role in the geological
past was evaluated and how we came to understand that its increased concentration, via fossil fuel
burning, would adversely affect our future, covers about two centuries of enquiry, discovery,
innovation and problem-solving
Cause and Effect of Global warming

The effects of global warming are the environmental and social changes caused (directly or indirectly)
by human emissions of greenhouse gases. There is a broad scientific consensus that climate change
is occurring, and that human activities are the primary driver.[1] Many impacts of climate change have
already been observed, including extreme weather events, glacier retreat,[2] changes in the timing of
seasonal events[2] (e.g., earlier flowering of plants),[3] changes in agricultural productivity,[2] sea level
rise, and declines in Arctic sea ice extent.[4]

The physical effects of future climate change depends on the extent of prevention
efforts (i.e., reducing greenhouse gas emissions). The social impact of climate changes will
be further affected by our efforts to prepare for changesthat do occur.[5][6] Climate
engineering is another policy option, although there are uncertainties regarding its
effectiveness and little is known about potential side effects.[7]

he effects of global warming include rising sea levels, regional changes in precipitation, more
frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves, and expansion of deserts.[14]Surface
temperature increases are greatest in the Arctic, which has contributed to the retreat of
glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice. Overall, higher temperatures bring more rain and snowfall, but
for some regions droughts and wildfires increase instead.[15] Climate change threatens to
diminish crop yields, harming food security, and rising sea levels may flood coastal infrastructure
and force the abandonment of many coastal cities.[16][17]Environmental impacts include
the extinction or relocation of many species as their ecosystems change, most immediately the
environments of coral reefs,[18] mountains, and the Arctic.[19] Because the climate system has a
large "inertia" and greenhouse gases persist in the atmosphere, climatic changes and their
effects will continue for many centuries even if greenhouse gas emissions are stopped.[20]
Adaptation

In order to effectively address global warming, we must significantly reduce the amount of heat-
trapping emissions we are putting into the atmosphere.

The good news is that we have the technology and practical solutions at hand to accomplish it.

As individuals, we can help by taking action to reduce our personal carbon emissions. But to fully
address the threat of global warming, we must demand action from our elected leaders to support and
implement a comprehensive set of climate solutions:

Expand the use of renewable energy and transform our energy system to one that is cleaner and less
dependent on coal and other fossil fuels.

Increase vehicle fuel efficiency and support other solutions that reduce U.S. oil use.

Place limits on the amount of carbon that polluters are allowed to emit.

Build a clean energy economy by investing in efficient energy technologies, industries, and approaches.

Reduce tropical deforestation and its associated global warming emissions.

Consequence of global warming

More frequent and severe weather

Higher temperatures are worsening many types of disasters, including storms, heat waves,
floods, and droughts. A warmer climate creates an atmosphere that can collect, retain, and drop
more water, changing weather patterns in such a way that wet areas become wetter and dry
areas drier.

Higher death rates

Today's scientists point to climate change as "the biggest global health threat of the 21st
century." It's a threat that impacts all of us—especially children, the elderly, low-income
communities, and minorities—and in a variety of direct and indirect ways. As temperatures
spike, so does the incidence of illness, emergency room visits, and death.

Dirtier air
Rising temperatures also worsen air pollution by increasing ground level ozone, which is
created when pollution from cars, factories, and other sources react to sunlight and heat.
Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog, and the hotter things get, the more of it we
have. Dirtier air is linked to higher hospital admission rates and higher death rates for
asthmatics

More acidic oceans

The earth's marine ecosystems are under pressure as a result of climate change.
Oceans are becoming more acidic, due in large part to their absorption of some
of our excess emissions. As this acidification accelerates, it poses a serious
threat to underwater life, particularly creatures with calcium carbonate shells or
skeletons, including mollusks, crabs, and corals

Higher sea levels

The polar regions are particularly vulnerable to a warming atmosphere. Average

temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as they are elsewhere on earth,
and the world's ice sheets are melting fast.

Conclusion