Introduction - Climate Resilient Agriculture for Ensuring Food Security - page 5

Fig. 1.1 Ten indicators for a warming world. Past decade warmest on record according to scientists in 48 countries

Fig. 1.2 Ten indicators of a human fi ngerprint on climate change

1.2 Causes of Climate Change

GHGs from their terrestrial store into the atmo-
sphere that has no precedent in history. The
associated increases in global temperatures are
changing fundamental climate processes. Some
of those changes may be benefi cial in some
areas, but it is expected that most will cause
more harm than good. Most of these human
contributions to climate change have occurred
over the last 200-300 years, following the agri-
cultural and industrial revolutions.

GHGs are released into the atmosphere by
burning fossil fuels, clearing forests, and
cement manufacture, and by many other indus-
trial and agricultural activities, thereby increas-
ing the amount of radiation trapped near the
earth's surface and driving accelerated warm-
ing. This process, called the enhanced green-