Final answer:
The statement is true; pollution from human activities has exacerbated the natural greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and climate change. Increased levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide trap more heat, raising Earth's average temperatures and causing more frequent and intense weather events.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pollution within Earth's atmosphere is indeed creating a greenhouse effect, which is true. The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that is essential for life on Earth as it maintains the planet's temperature at a livable range. However, human activities, particularly since the Industrial Revolution, have significantly increased the levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), intensifying the natural greenhouse effect.
This anthropogenic enhancement of the greenhouse effect leads to global warming, resulting in higher global temperatures and a myriad of associated climate change impacts such as more extreme weather events. While the greenhouse effect is due to the trapping of the sun's energy by greenhouse gases like water vapor, ozone, CO₂, and methane, it is the increased concentration of these gases due to human activities that is alarming. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and unsustainable agricultural practices contribute to the problem, raising concerns about the future health and habitability of our planet.
Therefore, when addressing the statement, it is crucial to differentiate between the natural greenhouse effect which is essential for life, and the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by human pollution, which poses risks to Earth's climate and ecosystems. Global efforts to reduce emissions and transition to sustainable practices are vital to mitigate these changes.