Rising Temperatures on Earth

The Earth is warming at an alarming rate.
Source: U.S. Global Climate Research Group

Research shows that since the Industrial Revolution, the average temperature of the Earth has increased dramatically.

Source: U.S. Global Climate Research Group

"Global warming" is a term that describes an increase in the Earth's average temperature.

The Earth is getting warmer at a faster pace than ever before - according to scientists, it has warmed over 1°F in the last 100 years. In fact, the seven warmest years of the 20^th century all happened in the 1990s.

Most of the scientific community agrees that humans are warming the Earth by releasing too much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases cause the "greenhouse effect," which traps the sun's heat inside of Earth's atmosphere. Not only do greenhouse gases make it difficult for the sun's radiation to escape our atmosphere, they actually multiply the heating effect of the sun's rays.

The more greenhouse gases we spew into the atmosphere, the hotter the earth gets. Learn more about the greenhouse effect from this animated graphic.

Where Do Greenhouse Gases Come From?

We produce greenhouse gas every day - when you do things like drive cars, use electricity, burn fires, and run air conditioners. Virtually every activity that involves electricity or a vehicle creates greenhouse gases. Here are the details:

Sources: EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory, The Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and City of Albuquerque Government and Bernalillo County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Report

Take Action

• Learn what Mayor Martin Chávez and the City of Albuquerque are already doing.
• Learn what you can do in the Take Action guide.

Why Does Global Warming Matter in Albuquerque?

The hotter the Earth gets, the more our climate changes. That could mean more severe weather (including more intense monsoons and droughts), increased wildfires, and changes in plant and animal life (including extinction of some species and the invasion of other species). Higher temperatures, increased precipitation, and more extreme conditions on hot and stormy days are likely. Warmer and wetter conditions could increase mosquito populations and extreme weather events could cause an increase in rodent populations.

What is Mayor Chávez doing to tackle global warming in Albuquerque?

Mayor Chávez is leading Albuquerque in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce global warming. Starting with City services, the Mayor is focused on changing old habits and developing new trends to help ensure that Albuquerque is a healthy place to live.

Read more about how Mayor Chavez is fighting global warming locally >>

Learn More

• The Science behind An Inconvenient Truth
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
  • Climate Change
  • Climate Change for Kids
  • Global Warming and Climate Change Frequently Asked Questions
• Global Warming Frequently Asked Questions
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• U.S. Department of Energy Climate Change
• Pew Center:
  • Global Climate Change
  • Global Warming for Kids
• Union of Concerned Scientists:
  • Global Warming
  • Science of Global Warming
• Natural Resources Defense Council:
  • Global Warming
  • Global Warming Science: An Annotated Bibliography