If you are sick and tired of global activists screaming their lungs out about global warming, and are wondering what is global warming? Then you are not alone, its a pretty complex thing to understand and the fact is, that global warming is something that is determined by so many factors that its becoming increasingly difficult for people to really keep up. To put it in simple words Global warming is the phenomenon of increase in average temperature of the planet earth, since the 1950's however, there has been a slight decrease in the average temperature of the earth, a fact that is still in dispute as some people believe there has been an increase.

To better estimate and also to gauge the impact of global warming there are numerous computer generated climate models that have been created, the climate models have actually predicted a 1.1 degree Celsius increase in the global temperature by the year 2010. But first things first how are we humans adding to the temperature of the earth? the answer is, by burning fossil fuels (petrol, diesel and other petroleum products) that release carbon dioxide CO2 and other gases into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide actually accumulates in the upper atmosphere and traps in the heat that is generated by the earth. So just like the plants in a greenhouse increase the temperature of the greenhouse by releasing CO2, similarly we are turning earth into one big greenhouse.

Even if we are turning the earth into a giant greenhouse how does it make a difference? Good question, there are thousands of polar ice caps that are located on both extremities of the planet, they carry millions of litres of water frozen in them, once the temperature of the planet starts increasing, these polar ice caps will start melting and add to the earth's existing content of water, with no where to go the water will slowly start filling up the land mass, and if not checked one day the entire planet will be under water. I know it sounds like a science fiction movie, and its does not look like its going to happen overnight, although you might have seen a few movies that have predicted so.

Currently no scientific model can correctly predict when the catastrophic occurrence of the earth being swallowed up by water will occur, there is however concrete evidence that does suggest the earth is already being effected, there has been a 770 millimetre rise in the ocean's water level from 1990, already the excess heat has meant that there are subtle weather changes happening. Monsoons are getting delayed, or are coming before time. As time progresses there will be an increase in the fluctuations, and the weather extremes, there will be harsh winters, and harsh summers in the same year.

Such temperature extremes will result in the extinction of many plant and animal species. Already governments of the world are meeting regularly to control the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. If left unchecked there is no telling what the eventual effect of global warming will be on our planet.