ABSTRACT
The average temperature rise on the planet between the start and end of the 20th century has been measured to be almost 1.5°F. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that most of the observed temperature increase is due to increased amounts of greenhouse gases with carbon dioxide being the major contributor. The most significant contributors to greenhouse gases resulted from human activities including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestations. The industrial revolution in the United States and Europe in the early 1900s may have been the most important period of significance. The industrial developments in China and India may take their place as the most significant contributor in the 21st century. Another 2°F temperature rise is expected to occur in this century (IPCC, 2007).
