Global climate change

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What is global climate change?

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Global climate change refers to long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other elements of the Earth's climate system, primarily driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

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What is the greenhouse effect?

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The greenhouse effect is the process by which certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat, preventing it from escaping into space, thus warming the planet.

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What are greenhouse gases?

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Greenhouse gases are gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. Key examples include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

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What is a carbon footprint?

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A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product, usually expressed in equivalent tons of CO2.

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How does carbon dioxide (CO2) affect global temperatures?

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Carbon dioxide (CO2) traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to an increase in global temperatures, which contributes to climate change.

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What is the significance of the Vostok ice core data?

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The Vostok ice core data provides valuable historical climate information, showing atmospheric CO2 levels and temperature changes over the past 420,000 years.

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What happens to Earth's temperature if all carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere?

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If all carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, Earth's temperature would decrease significantly, leading to a much colder climate.

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What trend has been observed in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since 1960?

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Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased steadily since 1960, primarily due to human activities such as fossil fuel combustion.

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How do greenhouse gases warm the Earth's atmosphere?

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Greenhouse gases warm the Earth's atmosphere by absorbing outgoing infrared radiation, preventing heat from escaping into space.

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What role do human activities play in climate change?

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Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes, significantly increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, driving climate change.