Global warming is a very real problem that is impacting our world. This problem will continue to impact our planet at a faster and more destructive rate over time unless serious changes are made. Many people are unaware of how serious the problem is, and some deny it is a problem at all. Numerous studies agree that people are the reason global warming has gotten out of control and that we need to figure out how to stop it. What is global warming or climate change? Global warming, in essence, is exactly what it sounds like, plant warming. Greenhouse gases accumulate in our atmosphere, trapping heat. The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon in which sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the earth, which heat is then reflected back into space. Some gases trap some of that heat, keeping the planet warm. the problem is that, since the industrial revolution, we have been producing more of these gases than ever before and the planet doesn't know how to clean them from the air, so they accumulate and cause more heat to be retained. Are these gases to blame and how do we produce them? Scientists have been studying it for decades and have learned many things. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, meets every few years to review what has been learned and evaluate the information. So far they have learned that many gases contribute to the problem. The main contributors are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases. Although carbon dioxide comes from many natural sources, it is the primary greenhouse gas emitted by human activities. Carbon dioxide is released... at the center of the paper... phic." National Geographic. Np, nd Web. May 11, 2014. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. May 17, 2014. Berg, R. , PhD. (2008). The future of children's environmental health: addressing global warming. Journal of Environmental Health, 71(3), 56-8 40795International experts meet to discuss health threats from global warming (2007, PR Newswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/453388807?accountid=40795Kasotia, P. (2007). EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING. United Nations Chronicle, 44(2), 48-49 Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218137842?accountid=40795Reible, Danny R., Charles N. Haas, John H. Pardue, and William J . Walsh. "The Aftermath of Katrina." News Rss. Spring 2006. Web. May 29 2014.