Nigerian Journal of Agriculture, Food and Environment. 16(3): 46-50 Published September, 2020 Ureigho, U. N., 2020 NJAFE VOL. 16 No. 3, 2020 46 GLOBAL WARMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION Ureigho, U. N. Department of Forestry & Wildlife, Delta State, University Asaba Campus, Asaba, Nigeria. ighonelly@yahoo.com, +2348033704061 ABSTRACT This paper highlights the meaning, causes and effects of global warming. Global warming which is synonymous with climate change, manifests in the rise in global temperature over land, water and ecosystem. It is mainly caused by the greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide mainly due to anthropogenic (human) activities, principally the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and others. The effect of global warming on the weather, sea levels and ecological systems are deleterious, and varied. It is recommended that activities involving forestry be put in place to alleviate the problem of global warming. Key words: Greenhouse gases, deforestation, anthropogenic factors, precipitation. INTRODUCTION The gradual increase in the earth atmosphere temperature can be defined as global warming. When this increase occurs within a given time frame, it brings about a change in the earth’s climate. Climate change can result directly or indirectly from human activities that later affect the composition of the global atmosphere (Jaiyesimi et al., 2013). Climate change through extreme temperature, frequent flooding, drought and increase in salinity of water supply used for irrigation has become a recurrent subject of debate globally and Nigeria is one of the countries contributing to global warming (IPCC, 2007; Jaiyesimi et al., 2013). It is significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years (Jaiyesimi et al., 2013). More or less extreme weather events could result to change in the average condition of the atmosphere The century- scale rise in temperature of the Earth’s climate system and its related effects has been described with global warming and climate change. So many researchers have come with proofs of scientific evidence showing that the climate system is warming. Furthermore, it has been shown that the increase in near surface atmospheric temperature could be used to evaluate global warming which is often reported in popular press, also it has been discovered that most of the additional energy stored in the climate system are found in ocean warming. The rest melted as ice, and warmed the continents and atmosphere. Increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases and other anthropogenic (human) activities results in global warming. Due to human activities, Nigeria's climate is likely experience growing shifts in temperature, rainfall, storms and sea levels throughout the twenty-first century (Jaiyesimi et al., 2013). The record of temperature over a consistent range of observation gives the result of the warming in the atmosphere. For instance, sea level rise, widespread melting of snow and land ice, increased heat content of the oceans, increased humidity and the earlier timing events such as flowering of plants, are affected by temperature change which vary over the globe. Over four decades now increase in terrestrial temperatures has doubled as faster than aquatic temperatures (i.e. 0.25°C per decade relative to 0.13°C per decade). Due to the larger effective heat capacity of the oceans and the fact that ocean loses more heat by evaporation the ocean temperature tends to increase more solely than land temperature. Climate change gives rise to sea level rise with its attendant consequences and include harsh weather, increased frequency and intensity of storms, floods, hurricanes and droughts (Jaiyesimi et al, 2013).