Does Ozone Depletion Cause Global Warming?
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that helps regulate the temperature of Earth. The sun heats the Earth, and clouds and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of this heat. Although water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas, fuel burning and other human activities release greenhouse gases, as well. The most important ones are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Without any greenhouse gases, the Earth would be uninhabitable. Human activity has increased the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which may have contributed to the average warming of 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit over the last century. Although many people confuse ozone depletion and global warming, they are primarily separate problems. While stratospheric ozone is a natural greenhouse gas that helps absorb heat, the ozone hole that has been shown to form over the polar region is not the cause of global warming.
