Planet Earth has existed for a very long time. Trees covered the land and all kinds of animals roamed the land. But that was before humans started burning fossil fuels, before land started being cleared, and before the climate started changing. Climate change on planet Earth is called “global warming”. Some people don't believe this phenomenon actually happens. Based on the facts, this is actually happening. The Earth's surface is warming rapidly and humans are the main cause. This article is about global warming, its causes, climate change on Earth and its potential dangers. Global warming is the phenomenon of increase in average air temperature near the Earth's surface over the past two centuries. The theory of global warming was first published in 1896 by Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist. He claimed that the cause of global warming was the burning of fossil fuels by humans (School, Climate Change, 2014). He and fellow scientist Thomas Chamberlin concluded that the increase in air temperature was due to excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The excess amount of carbon dioxide in the air is a direct effect of fossil fuel combustion (NRDC). Global warming is also called climate change. Climate is a measure of the average pattern of variation in temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, and other variables in a given region over a given period of time. The Earth's climate has improved significantly since the industrial revolution (School, Climate Change, 2014). Scientists can assess climate change using different types of methods. Some of the methods these scientists use include looking at tree rings and observing ...... middle of paper ...... CO2 A pollutant? Retrieved May 7, 2014, from Skeptical Science.Ecologic Development Fund. (nd). Retrieved May 5, 2014 from Climate Change.NRDC. (nd). Global warming. Retrieved May 6, 2014 from Natural Resources Defense Council. O'Conner, S. (December 24, 2010). Do high levels of CO2 in the past contradict the warming effect of CO2? Retrieved May 7, 2014, from Skeptical Science.School, B. (2014). Climate change. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. School, B. (2014). Global warming. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. School, B. (2014). Medieval Warming Period (MWP). Retrieved April 30, 2014, from Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. Society, NG (2007). Effects of global warming. Retrieved 2014 from National Geogrpahic.Society, NG (2007). Effects of global warming. Retrieved May 6, 2014 from National Geographic