Question part B: Explain how human activities have altered the greenhouse effect to produce the data seen in the graph.
Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, have significantly increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. When these fuels are burned, carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the air, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Other activities such as deforestation, which reduces the Earth's capacity to absorb CO2, and industrial processes like cement production and land-use changes also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has intensified the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases act like a blanket, trapping heat from the sun that would otherwise escape back into space. This trapped heat leads to an overall increase in global temperatures, known as global warming.
The graph in question likely shows the increase in global temperatures over a given period due to the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by human activities. As greenhouse gas concentrations have risen, the greenhouse effect has become stronger, and this is reflected in the upward trend in temperatures. The steep increase seen in recent decades is particularly concerning and correlates with a corresponding rise in human activities that produce greenhouse gas emissions.
It is important to note that while natural processes also contribute to the greenhouse effect, such as volcanic eruptions and changes in solar radiation, human activities have become the primary driver of the enhanced greenhouse effect and resulting climate change. The data seen in the graph is indicative of this human-induced alteration of the greenhouse effect.