Question

Select two answers that provide textual evidence supporting the correct answer to the question above.

a. The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century.
b. This ancient, or paleoclimate, evidence reveals that current warming is occurring roughly ten times faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming.
c. It is extremely likely (greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.

Answer 1

Textual evidence that supports human-induced climate change includes Arrhenius's 19th-century greenhouse effect concept and the unprecedented rise in CO2 levels since the mid-20th century.

Step-by-step explanation:

Selecting two pieces of textual evidence to support the correct answer to the climate change question posed could be supported by the following:

1. The heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases was demonstrated in the mid-19th century. This is evidenced by the work of Swedish physicist Arrhenius who developed the concept of the greenhouse effect and calculated the impact of doubling the pre-industrial level of CO2 on Earth's temperature, a milestone in understanding climate change.
2. It is extremely likely (greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia. The rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration from about 280 ppm in the pre-industrial era to over 400 ppm demonstrates a significant human-induced increase which correlates with observed global warming.

These two pieces of evidence combine historical scientific research with modern atmospheric data to support the consensus that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are the primary cause of recent climate change.