Global warming refers to the gradual increase in the average temperature of planet Earth, a phenomenon primarily attributed to the enhanced greenhouse effect resulting from human activities. While the greenhouse effect is a natural process where certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap the sun's radiation and warm the planet to a habitable temperature, global warming implies an acceleration of this effect due to the increased concentration of heat-trapping gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, released by human actions like the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. The potential consequences of unchecked global warming are far-reaching and potentially devastating, including significant changes to the world's climate patterns, leading to more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and storms, as well as rising sea levels, disruptions to ecosystems, and threats to human health and well-being. Understanding the causes and impacts of global warming is a critical area of sociological inquiry, as it involves examining the social, economic, and political factors that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and the ways in which societies can respond to this global challenge through mitigation and adaptation strategies.