Global Warming

The gradual increase in the average surface temperature of the Earth due to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is called global warming.

• Global warming — rise in Earth's temperature due to increased greenhouse gases. Earth's temperature rose by 0.6°C in the past century, mostly in the last three decades.
• Causes odd climatic changes like the El Niño effect, melting of polar ice caps and Himalayan snow caps, and submergence of coastal areas.
• Chewang Norphel ("Ice Man of India"), a civil engineer from Ladakh, built 13 artificial glaciers to combat global warming, increasing groundwater recharge and providing irrigation water.
• Artificial glaciers are built at lower elevations so they melt earlier, expanding the growing season.
• Control measures — reduce fossil fuel use, improve energy efficiency, reduce deforestation, plant trees and control population growth.