What is the greenhouse effect? |
|
|
The 'greenhouse effect' is a natural phenomenon that enables life on earth to survive. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere creating our warm liveable climate. The 'enhanced greenhouse effect' is caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases resulting in more heat being trapped in the Earth's atmosphere. Levels of greenhouse gases are now higher than ever before and are rising at a faster rate. Scientists agree that this rapid increase is a result of human activities. Climate changes due to the enhanced greenhouse effect are often referred to as 'global climate change' or 'global warming'. There is worldwide scientific agreement that the enhanced greenhouse effect is already causing higher average air temperatures in the lower atmosphere, changed rainfall patterns and rising sea levels, including in WA. Indian Ocean Climate Initiative To enable Western Australians to understand their climate and the forces that affect it, the Western Australian Government has developed the Indian Ocean Climate Initiative (IOCI). IOCI brings together research scientists from the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology in partnership with Western Australian Government agencies to define and research critical climate questions. IOCI has the latest information and research on the climate for our region. IOCI releases regular Bulletins including the How has our Climate Changed series, which provides information on changes to temperature, rainfall, sea-level, river-flow and groundwater recharge. These can be downloaded from http://www.ioci.org.au/publications/bulletins.html . |
