Global warming

• Global warming

  The increase in the average temperature of the Earth's surface
• Over the last 100 years, the average temperature of the Earth has been increasing
• The current increase in temperature is caused by human activities, mainly due to burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil
• The levels of methane in the atmosphere have also increased, produced by bacteria in paddy fields and released by cows
• Greenhouse gases


  Carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to global warming
• Thousands of scientific papers have been published on global warming and checked by other scientists through the peer review process
• Reports in the popular media on global warming can sometimes be oversimplified, inaccurate or biased, as they are not subject to peer review
• As global temperatures rise

  Animals such as birds and insects may gradually extend their range northwards towards cooler conditions
• As global temperatures rise

  Mosquito species that carry diseases like malaria may spread to the UK
• As global temperatures rise

  The migration patterns of many different animals may change
• As temperatures increase

  Spring plants in the UK are flowering earlier
• As temperatures increase in other parts of the world

  It may be too hot to grow the crops that they need