Nine essential facts about one of the world's biggest problems.

1. The leading cause of global warming is from water vapor, then carbon dioxide emissions, nitrous oxides, and chlorofluorocarbons (used in household appliances like air conditioning).

2. Chlorofluorocarbons are expected to be eliminated and put out of use by 2030 to help slow down global warming.

3. The biggest business sectors that are contributing to global warming are the following: Industry, Transportation, Residential, Commercial, Agriculture.

4. Methane is the second biggest cause of greenhouse warming. Gas from cows is a big contributor to global warming.

5. A big enough volcano eruption could cool the earth for one or two years because sulfuric acid from the explosion would combine with water vapor to form a “shield” that would reflect some sunlight away from earth. Such an eruption would be quite catastrophic, though.

6. The coloration of aerosols (miniscule particles in the air) generally changes their relationship with the sun. Lightly colored aerosols reflect light back away from earth (as a white t-shirt) while darker aerosols generally absorb heat (as a hot asphalt road when it is sunny).

7. Generally, wispy clouds, such as cirrus clouds, trap light and thus warm the atmosphere whilst thick clouds generally reflect sunlight.

8. Ice/snow cover cools the earth by reflecting sunlight.

9. Without water vapor's effect on the atmosphere, the earth would be at below freezing temperatures.