Before taking a look at the history of global warming it is essential to understand what is global warming. The average temperature of the air just above the earth’s surface and the temperature of the oceans has been steadily increasing and is expected to continue to do so. This phenomenon is known as global warming. In quantitative terms the average temperature increase over the last hundred years is 0.75 oC. Over the next hundred years the increase could be as high as 6 oC if steps are not taken to stop global warming.Global warming first came to the notice of scientists in the 1800s. In 1824, the French mathematician Fourier discovered the rising temperature of the earth’s surface and postulated the first theory of global warming. According to him the cause of global warming was the trapping of solar radiation by the earth’s atmosphere. This trapped radiation was reflected back to the earth causing the earth’s temperatures to rise. Fourier’s theory was developed by other scientists, the most notable being the Nobel Prize winner Arrhenius. In the late 19th century Arrhenius postulated that it was the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that was responsible for trapping the solar radiation. He coined the term “greenhouse effect” for this – a term that is often used in conjunction with global warming. Continue Reading…