GLOBAL WARMING Global warming refers to an unequivocal and continuing rise in the average temperature of Earth's climate system

. Since 1971 9!" of the warming has occurred in the oceans . #espite the oceans' dominant role in energy storage the term $global warming$ is also used to refer to increases in average temperature of the air and sea at Earth's surface . Since the early %!th century the global air and sea surface temperature has increased about !.& '( )1.* '+, with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 19&! . Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth.s surface than any preceding decade since 1&/!.Scientific understanding of the cause of global warming has been increasing. 0n its fourth assessment )12* %!!7, of the relevantscientific literature the 0nternational 3anel on (limate (hange )03((, reported that scientists were more than 9!" certain that most of global warming was being caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities. 0n %!1! that finding was recogni4ed by the national science academies of all ma5or industriali4ed nations.1ffirming these findings in %!16 03(( says that the largest driver of global warming is carbon dio7ide )(8%, emissions from fossil fuel combustion cement production and land use changes such as deforestation. 0ts %!16 report states human influence has been detected in warming of the atmosphere and the ocean in changes in the global water cycle in reductions in snow and ice in global mean sea level rise and in changes in some climate e7tremes. 9his evidence for human influence has grown since 12*. 0t is e7tremely li:ely )9/-1!!", that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-%!th century.;03(( 12/ <G1 Summary for 3olicyma:ers(limate model pro5ections were summari4ed in the %!!7 +ourth 1ssessment 2eport )12*, by the 0ntergovernmental 3anel on (limate (hange )03((,. 9hey indicated that during the %1st century the global surface temperature is li:ely to rise a further 1.1 to %.9 '( )%.! to /.% '+, for their lowest emissions scenario and %.* to =.* '( )*.6 to 11./ '+, for their highest. 9he ranges of these estimates arise from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations. +uture climate change and associated impacts will vary from region to region around the globe. 9he effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the amount and pattern of precipitation as well as a probable e7pansion of subtropical deserts.<arming is e7pected to be strongest in the 1rctic with the continuing retreat of glaciers permafrost and sea ice. 8ther li:ely effects of the warming include more frequent e7treme weather events including heat waves droughts and heavy rainfall> ocean acidification> and species e7tinctions due to shifting temperature regimes. Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss of habitat from inundation.3roposed policy responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction adaptation to its effects and possible futuregeoengineering. ?ost countries are parties to the @nited Aations +ramewor: (onvention on (limate (hange )@A+(((, whose ultimate ob5ective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic climate change. 3arties to the @A+((( have adopted a range of policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to assist in adaptation to global warming.3arties to the @A+((( have agreed that deep cuts in emissions are required and that future global warming should be limited to below %.! '( )6.= '+, relative to the pre-industrial level. S8@2(EB httpBCCen.wi:ipedia.orgCwi:iCGlobalDwarming