[00:08] In 1896, a Swedish chemist named Arhennius predicted the that industrial age then getting underway would increase the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere.
[00:19] Arhennius believed concentrations of carbon dioxide would rise rapidly as humans burned more fossil fuels.
[00:25] He also predicted that if atmospheric CO2 doubled, Earth would become warmer by several degrees.
[00:31] Over 100 years after Arhennius' prediction, we now know that atmospheric CO2 is increasing. Increasing amounts of CO2 and other gases like methane contribute to what we now call the greenhouse effect.
[00:43] Yet even without us adding more CO2 to the atmosphere Earth has been a natural greenhouse for millions of years.
[00:51] That's why it's important to distinguish between natural and enhanced greenhouse effect.
[00:55] The natural greenhouse effect makes the temperature of the Earth about 57 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it would be if natural greenhouse gases weren't present. That's a good thing. It creates a climate in which life thrives.
[01:07] The enhanced greenhouse effect is what experts refer to when talking about global warming. Human induced global warming is changing our climate. Changes in rain, snow, and storm patterns, even sea level are likely.
[01:20] For Our Changing Planet, I'm Jane Joyce. And I'm Lou Varricchio. To learn more about Our Changing Planet visit us on the web at www.umac.org/ocp.
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