Final answer:
Increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, result in climate change characterized by global warming and various climatic disturbances.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the rate at which gases enter the atmosphere exceeds the rate by which the natural carbon and nitrogen cycles can recycle them, the gases accumulate and this increasing atmospheric gas concentration results in climate change.
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). This has caused a significant increase in the natural greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. This global warming is characterized by rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and other climatic disturbances.
The steady rise in CO2 from the pre-industrial level of 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 400 ppm in recent years is a clear indicator of this change. To mitigate the resulting climate change, a shift to non-carbon energy sources such as hydro, solar, wind, and nuclear power is essential. The carbon cycle cannot keep up with the rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions, disrupting the balance and contributing to the observed climate change.