ble for the natural greenhouse effect. The sun is showers continuous radiant energy on the Earth in the form of light and heat. Some of the heat is absorbed by heat trapping gases in the atmosphere, and this warms Earth's atmosphere beyond what it would be otherwise. Some of the sun's energy strikes Earth's atmosphere and is reflected back into space. The rest of the light energy is absorbed by the earth's surface and either radiated back again as heat or absorbed by the heat trapping gases. "Levels of the heat trapping gas carbon dioxide have been increasing steadily since 1960. The increase is due largely to the combustion of fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas).... Many scientists fear that the current warming is the result of human activities that produce carbon dioxide and other so called greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat from the sun" (Woodwell, 1999, online). The activities creating this situation are the culmination of the Industrial Revolution (beginning in the mid 1700's) and the pace and direction of our technology developments ever since.
Prior to industrializing, the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere was gradual enough that the oceans could absorb any excess and there was scant measurable accumulation in the atmosphere. "Since the Industrial Revolution, the combustion of fossil fuels has soared. At the same time, the human population has increased, and people have cleared more and more forestland to make room for agriculture and other enterprises. This deforestation [destruction of forests] leads to still higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere" (Woodwell, 1999, online). Trees and other plant life face one of two fates -- they are are burned or they decay. Either one is accompanied by a release of carbon. Furthermore, warming increases respiration while simultaneously the populations of organisms responsible for the opposite action (photosynthesis...