Final answer:
The greenhouse effect, enhanced by the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases due to human activities, causes global climate change with significant environmental consequences such as altered weather patterns and rising sea levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide contributes to the greenhouse effect, leading to global climate change. These gases interfere with the earth's radiative balance by trapping heat energy that would otherwise escape into space. Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities like the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have significantly raised the levels of these gases in the atmosphere, enhancing the natural greenhouse effect and resulting in a global increase in temperatures.
The consequences of this climate change are far-reaching and include altered weather patterns, shifts in precipitation, and impacts on agriculture and ecosystems. For example, increased global temperatures can lead to more intense storms, changing agricultural output due to alterations in precipitation patterns, loss of biodiversity, and rising sea levels. Furthermore, natural processes like photosynthesis in trees help mitigate climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.