Climate is a complex subject when you’re not a meteorologist. I found the easiest way for me, as a layperson, to understand global warming was to follow the Carbon Dioxide chain of events. (Though that is complex enough!) While Carbon Dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas, it is a major contributor to warming.

1. First off, carbon dioxide absorbs infrared radiation, meaning it holds heat.

2. The amount of carbon dioxide in the lower atmosphere has been increasing since human industrializa...