What causes global warming
What causes global warming
The Causes of Climate Change
Increasing Greenhouses Gases Are Warming the Planet
Scientists attribute the global warming trend observed since the mid-20 th century to the human expansion of the «greenhouse effect» — warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.
Life on Earth depends on energy coming from the Sun. About half the light energy reaching Earth’s atmosphere passes through the air and clouds to the surface, where it is absorbed and radiated in the form of infrared heat. About 90% of this heat is then absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-radiated, slowing heat loss to space.
Gases that Contribute
Human Activity Is the Cause of Increased Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
Over the last century, burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.
Ice cores are scientists’ best source for historical climate data. Other tools for learning about Earth’s ancient atmosphere include growth rings in trees, which keep a rough record of each growing season’s temperature, moisture and cloudiness going back about 2,000 years. Corals also form growth rings that provide information about temperature and nutrients in the tropical ocean. Other proxies, such as benthic cores, extend our knowledge of past climate back about a billion years.
The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by nearly 50% since 1750. This increase is due to human activities, because scientists can see a distinctive isotopic fingerprint in the atmosphere.
In its Sixth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, composed of scientific experts from countries all over the world, concluded that it is unequivocal that the increase of CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere over the industrial era is the result of human activities and that human influence is the principal driver of many changes observed across the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.
The panel’s AR6 Working Group I (WGI) Summary for Policymakers report is online at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/.
Is the Sun to Blame?
Evidence Shows That Current Global Warming Cannot Be Explained by Solar Irradiance
Scientists use a metric called Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) to measure the changes in energy the Earth receives from the Sun. TSI incorporates the 11-year solar cycle and solar flares/storms from the Sun’s surface.
Studies show that solar variability has played a role in past climate changes. For example, a decrease in solar activity coupled with increased volcanic activity helped trigger the Little Ice Age.
The above graph compares global surface temperature changes (red line) and the Sun’s energy that Earth receives (yellow line) in watts (units of energy) per square meter since 1880. The lighter/thinner lines show the yearly levels while the heavier/thicker lines show the 11-year average trends. Eleven-year averages are used to reduce the year-to-year natural noise in the data, making the underlying trends more obvious.
The amount of solar energy that Earth receives has followed the Sun’s natural 11-year cycle of small ups and downs with no net increase since the 1950s. Over the same period, global temperature has risen markedly. It is therefore extremely unlikely that the Sun has caused the observed global temperature warming trend over the past half-century. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
But several lines of evidence show that current global warming cannot be explained by changes in energy from the Sun:
Effects of global warming
The signs of global warming are everywhere, and are more complex than just climbing temperatures.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole. Since 1906, the global average surface temperature has increased by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius)—even more in sensitive polar regions. And the impacts of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future–the effects of global warming are appearing right now. The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice, shifting precipitation patterns, and setting animals on the move.
Many people think of global warming and climate change as synonyms, but scientists prefer to use “climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems. Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts. All of these changes are emerging as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Scientists already have documented these impacts of climate change:
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27 Causes, Effects & Solutions For Global Warming
“The attacks on global warming are no different than the attacks the cigarettes companies used to use to say that cigarettes don’t cause cancer.”
Global Warming: Causes, Effects & Solutions
Climate change can be defined as a change in the earth’s climate system which results in new weather patterns.
These patterns can remain for a few decades or even for millions of years.
Comprising 5 different interacting parts, the climate system includes the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere.
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Almost all the energy of our climate system comes from the sun, a rather tiny fraction comes from the earth’s interior.
Some of the climate system’s energy is lost to outer space.
The outgoing and incoming energy determines the energy budget of the earth.
If there is more incoming than outgoing energy, it leads to global warming.
If there is more outgoing than incoming energy, it leads to global cooling.
Global warming is a serious problem for humanity as well as to the whole environmental system.
There were always periods of global warming in the history of the earth, however, since the mid of the 20th century, changes in global temperature have increased much faster than in previous periods.
In the following, the causes and effects of global warming are displayed.
Moreover, solutions to the global warming problem are given at the end.
Audio Lesson
Extent of Global Warming
Leading scientists estimate that during the 21st century, the global surface temperature will increase further in the range of 4.1 to 4.8 degrees Celsius (7.4 to 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit) until the end of the 21st century in the absence of political measures to fight global warming.
By taking actions to mitigate global warming, scientists expect that humanity can confine the increase of global air temperature in the range of 2.5 to 3.2 degrees Celsius (4.5 to 5.8 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the model assumptions that have been made for the calculations of the different values.
The extent of global warming mainly depends on climate feedback effects as well as on the rate of future greenhouse gas emissions.
Causes for Global Warming
Orbital variations
Variations in the motion of the earth result in changes in the seasonal distribution of sunlight reaching the surface and in its distribution across the earth.
These changes can contribute to the climate change problem.
Solar radiation
Both short- and long-term variations in solar intensity are likely to affect our climate.
Over the last 4 billion years, the intensity of the sun increased and will continue to do so in the future.
Thus, this increase in solar intensity is likely to also increase the earth’s global temperature in the future.
Volcanism
For volcanoes to have a notable impact on our climate for more than one year, they must emit huge amounts of SO2 and sulfate aerosols when they erupt.
These chemicals have optical properties which scatter or absorb solar radiation and thus contribute to climate change.
Plate tectonics
Over a time horizon of millions of years, the motion of tectonic plates reshapes ocean and land areas and thus create topography.
This process can contribute to a change in global as well as in local climate.
Increase in the emission of greenhouse gases
Through greenhouse gases, heat radiating from the earth to space is trapped.
This heat gets absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and leads to the warming of the earth’s surface.
Major greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone.
Since the industrial revolution, human activity has increased the emission of greenhouse gases to a great extent and therefore also the carbon footprint has increased.
Moreover, domestic flights and our travel behavior exacerbated the problem of excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
Our production of greenhouse gases like methane or CO2 from the combustion of fuel plays a major role in the context of climate change.
There are additional factors that indirectly contribute to global warming, like the depletion of the ozone layer, deforestation and animal husbandry.
Changes in land use
Changes in land use change the surface of the earth which in turn affects the reflection of sunlight back into space and how much heat is lost by evaporation.
For example, changing woodland into grassland leads to a lighter surface and thus reflects more sunlight.
Aerosols
Aerosols usually have a cooling effect on the earth’s climate since they reflect incoming sunlight.
Since the concentration of aerosols has been declining since 1990, the reflection effect of aerosols has been lowered and thus global warming has been increased.
Feedback effects
There are several feedback effects related to global warming which makes it hard to accurately predict the future increase in temperature.
There are negative as well as positive feedback effects related to climate change.
Significant positive feedback effects include the ice-albedo effect, the water vapor effect and the net effect of clouds.
Radiative cooling to space as infrared radiation increases with increasing temperature, making it the main negative feedback effect to global temperature change.
Deforestation
Deforestation can be a significant cause of global warming. Since trees absorb greenhouse gases like CO2 from the air and turn it into oxygen, they are a natural greenhouse gas storage.
However, if the forests are cut down in order to get more space for settlement or housing, large quantities of CO2 are released into the atmosphere and the global warming process will be enhanced due to this.
A prominent example of this issue is the behavior of farmers in the Amazonian Rainforest.
It is quite common that farmers burn down trees intentionally in order to get more farmland to grow soy or other crops since it is more profitable for them than selling wood.
Thus, the Amazonian Rainforest is cleared at alarming speed and one of the biggest natural CO2 storages of our earth is destroyed.
Agriculture
An additional cause of global warming is agriculture. In order to be able to meet the worldwide meat demand, large amounts of meat have to be produced on a daily basis.
However, the cattle for this meat production emit significant amounts of methane which is a much more serious greenhouse gas than CO2.
Moreover, farmers often use fertilizers that contain nitrous oxides, which in turn can lead to a release of nitrogen-related gases which are also known to enhance global warming.
Effects of Global Warming
Effects on the physical environment
Global warming changes the physical appearance of our environment.
For example, glaciers will melt due to global warming and will eventually disappear.
Moreover, sea levels will rise and small islands will be covered by the sea.
In addition, natural disasters and weather extremes due to global warming like droughts are likely to increase in number.
Thus, affected areas will often change from fertile land to deserted areas which will no longer be suitable for farming purposes.
Rise of sea levels
The global sea levels are rising due to global warming which destroys the habitat for several plants, animals and humans.
The meltdown of glaciers and ice shields in the Antarctic could account for up to 90% of the rise in sea levels and thus is the biggest source of sea-level increase.
Antarctic glaciers are melting due to an increase in ocean temperature.
Due to the rise in sea levels, many people will lose their homes.
People who live in countries or islands which are located just a few feet above the sea level right now will lose their livelihood since the land that they currently inhabit will just be underwater in the near future.
Increase in heat waves
Since the year 1950, heatwaves and droughts have appeared more frequently.
Moreover, extremely dry or wet periods during the monsoon season have increased.
These increases in extreme weather conditions are likely to continue in the future.
Making things worse, scientists estimate that heatwaves will become even more likely in the future due to the global warming issue.
These heat waves will result in many other problems, including a shortage of drinking water in many poor countries.
Increase in average temperature
Moreover, apart from weather extremes, there will also be a significant increase in average temperature over time.
There are many different estimates on the scale of global warming, depending on the models underlying for the estimation.
Most scientists agree that until the year 2100, the average air temperature will increase by 0.3-1.7 degrees.
However, there are some scientists that believe that the extent of global warming may be much more severe. Even estimates of 4.8 degrees exist in scientific discussions.
How big the increase will eventually be will be determined by human behavior.
If we are able and willing to take suitable measures against global warming, we may be able to confine it to a certain extent.
Increase in rainfalls and wind speed
Additionally, wind speed and maximum rainfalls from typhoons and hurricanes are increasing. Hurricanes usually get their power from warm ocean water.
Since trough global warming, not only air temperature, but also water temperature will increase, hurricanes and other tropical storms are likely to get stronger in the near future.
This may have severe impacts on the coastal cities, which may be hit by enormous winds.
These winds may be powerful enough to destroy significant infrastructure and may also cause many deaths.
Effects on the biosphere
Global warming has led to an expansion of drier climatic zones, e.g. the expansion of deserts in the subtropics.
These changes in the structure and composition of ecosystems will move forward in the future if global warming cannot be mitigated.
This effect is likely to lead to a reduction in diversity of the ecosystem and to an extinction of many species.
This also includes species living in the ocean.
Although the ocean heated more slowly than land, even small changes in ocean temperature can cause large adverse effects on sea animals, plants and corals.
Social tensions
There will be severe adverse effects of global warming on humans in the future.
Since some regions of the world will be hit much harder than others, there will be large social tensions.
Global inequality will even rise in the future because of the effects of global warming.
Effects on agriculture
Also, agricultural production will be affected differently in different parts of the globe.
While global warming is likely to have negative effects on crop yields in low-latitude countries, it may have positive effects on crop harvests in the northern latitudes.
Overall, there is a severe risk of global food scarcity, desertification and an increase in global inequality if the global warming process continues.
Shortage of drinking water
Moreover, also the supply with drinking water will become an even bigger problem in low-latitude countries.
By 2050, up to 600 million people are likely to experience increased water stress due to climate change in Africa.
Human health effects
There are also severe impacts of global warming on human health.
This includes effects from extreme weather leading to losses of lives and injuries and also adverse effects from undernutrition due to crop failures.
Moreover, there has been found evidence that increases in temperature could cause an increasing number of suicides.
Climate change also increases the probability of conflicts driven by economic shocks and poverty.
It also contributes to a rise in crime rates and serious conflicts.
It can also lead to a spread of diseases and even to new human forms of diseases.
Migration
As sea levels continue to rise, many islands will be flooded and human settlements and infrastructure will be destroyed.
Since many people are likely to lose their livelihood and their homes, people will be forced to leave their home countries in order to find a better future.
This will likely lead to increased migration from low-latitude to high-latitude countries since the living conditions of high-latitude countries will be much better after the adverse effects of global warming manifested.
Change in land use
Many areas of land which are currently not suitable for agriculture since it is too cold right now will become suitable for farming purposes due to global warming in the future.
Thus, global warming will have an upside for countries with large areas of land in cold climate zones.
Due to global warming, they will be able to farm these areas of land and to harvest significant amounts of crop yields.
Solutions to the Global Warming Problem
Reduction of greenhouse gases
The main reasons for an increase in greenhouse gases in the last decades of the 20th century have been population growth as well as an increasing GDP per capita.
This in turn has led to an increase in consumption and thus to increased combustion of fossil fuels which finally leads to an increase in greenhouse gases.
The global warming issue can be mitigated by a reduction in greenhouse gases.
A reduction in greenhouse gases can be accomplished by energy conservation, an increase in energy efficiency, a carbon tax and the switch from fossil to renewable energies.
Climate engineering
Climate engineering is an additional way to mitigate the global warming issue.
It can be defined as a deliberate modification of the climate.
Techniques that could be applied may include CO2-removal and solar radiation management.
However, recent studies show that these measures are either ineffective or even have severe side effects.
Political measures
There is a big responsibility for governments all over the world to unite and fight global warming by setting proper regulations.
First steps in this direction have been made through the UNFCCC.
In this framework, governments all over the world try to prevent adverse human interference with the climate system.
This includes a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in conjunction with sustained economic development and the security of food production.
This framework also requires developing countries to be aware of the greenhouse gas problem.
Although per capita emissions are relatively low in developing countries, this may change dramatically since developing countries strive to higher living standards and thus the emission of greenhouse gases is likely to increase dramatically.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement has been ratified in order to prevent the rise in temperature from exceeding two degrees.
This should also be accomplished by supporting developing countries financially in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Change in daily consumption behavior
Greenhouse gases are also produced for our daily consumption of things.
By reducing our consumption behavior, each of us can contribute to the mitigation of climate change.
This can mean avoiding to use your car and use public transport instead.
It can also mean turning off your lights when you do not need them in order to save energy.
Education
Education is a crucial measure to mitigate the global warming issue.
Global warming can only be stopped or at least slowed down if people behave in an environmentally friendly way.
Therefore, it is quite important to educate people about the adverse negative consequences of global warming and to show them how their daily life behavior contributes to climate change.
This education should start at a quite young age.
On the one hand, children can convince their parents to behave in a way that slows down global warming.
On the other hand, when these children become adults, they are more likely to behave in an environmentally friendly way.
Thus, education is key in order to be able to fight the global warming issue.
Convince others
Your contribution to the reduction in greenhouse gases matters, that’s for sure!
However, also convincing other people to follow your behavior will even have a bigger impact on the mitigation of global warming.
By convincing many people to change their consumption behavior and also change other peoples’ minds, everyone of us can make a big difference in our daily lives.
Adaption
It is likely that we will not be able to fully stop global warming.
Thus, it is crucial that humanity is able to adapt to these new temperature conditions.
This means that governments and industries have to take the necessary steps in order to prepare our global society for our new environment.
This includes a solution to the migration problem that will result from global warming.
Many people will lose their home and their sources of income and will try to find a better future in other countries.
This will be especially true for low-latitude countries which will be affected by global warming the most.
We are talking about many million people.
Constructing a world in which we can all live together without wars and other adverse occurrences will be a huge challenge to humanity as a whole.
Conclusion
Global warming is one of the biggest challenges humanity faces today and in the future.
If we are not able to stop global warming, our planet will be impacted dramatically.
Many species of animals and plants will die out.
Moreover, many people will lose their homes and their belongings.
The effects of global warming are especially severe in low-latitude countries.
Global warming will lead to an increasing number of migrants which will strive to find a better future in countries in northern latitudes.
Thus, these countries will face enormous challenges regarding how to deal with migration in the future.
Humanity as a whole has to take measures in order to secure a livable environment in the future.
This also includes the adaption on a higher earth temperature.
We can limit global warming to a certain extent, but we will not be able to fully stop global warming.
However, everyone can contribute their part by a reduction in their daily consumption behavior.
The production of things leads to an emission of greenhouse gases which in turn fosters global warming.
Through the reduction of our consumption behavior and by convincing others to also change their daily consumption behavior, everyone can make a huge impact to mitigate the global warming issue.
If you want even more information on global warming, check out the climate change facts and stats.
Sources
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.
As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.
After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.
Wanna make a contribution to save our environment? Share it!
Causes of global warming, explained
Human activity is driving climate change, including global temperature rise.
Causes and Effects of Climate Change
The average temperature of the Earth is rising at nearly twice the rate it was 50 years ago. This rapid warming trend cannot be explained by natural cycles alone, scientists have concluded. The only way to explain the pattern is to include the effect of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by humans.
Current levels of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in our atmosphere are higher than at any point over the past 800,000 years, and their ability to trap heat is changing our climate in multiple ways.
IPCC conclusions
To come to a scientific conclusion on climate change and what to do about it, the United Nations in 1988 formed a group called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. The IPCC meets every few years to review the latest scientific findings and write a report summarizing all that is known about global warming. Each report represents a consensus, or agreement, among hundreds of leading scientists.
One of the first things the IPCC concluded is that there are several greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, buildings, factories, and power plants. The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, or CO2. Other contributors include methane released from landfills, natural gas and petroleum industries, and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals); nitrous oxide from fertilizers; gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes; and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2.
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These Are the Causes of Global Warming (Plus, Learn What You Can Do to Make a Difference)
Jan. 21 2020, Updated 1:58 p.m. ET
With 2019 going on record as the second-hottest year to date, global warming continues to be a real threat to our environment, livelihood, and the world as we know it. Six of the hottest years so far in recorded history have happened in the past decade and yet, many people don’t understand the full depth of what global warming is, what the effects of global warming are, and what the causes are.
According to the NRDC, global warming is “the average global temperature,” which in the past 50 years has increased at “the fastest rate in recorded history.” Global warming is also known as climate change and is a direct result of emissions — or greenhouse gases — entering our atmosphere and causing the average global temperature to warm.
Global warming leads to many complicated and even dangerous issues. It can cause extreme weather events — like heat waves, droughts, extreme rainfall, hurricanes, tropical storms, and even wildfires — the depletion of colder areas like glaciers and ice, an uptick in allergies, asthma, and diseases, and ultimately impacts farmers’ crop yields, breed pests (it’s a warmer climate, after all), disrupt animals’ natural habitats, and increase sea level. These are only a few of the negative impacts of global warming, but they are crucial.
But what causes those emissions and greenhouse gases to enter our atmosphere? Let’s look at all the causes of global warming to fully understand what happens when greenhouse gases enter our atmosphere.
What Is Global Warming?
Global warming refers to the average global temperature getting hotter and in the past 50 years, it’s gotten hotter at the fastest rate recorded in history. The average global temperature warms when carbon dioxide and other pollutants, known as greenhouse gases, are emitted from certain processes and then “collect in our atmosphere, absorb sunlight and solar radiation that bounce off the surface of the earth,” according to the NRDC.
Now, the collection of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the main issue. Without that build-up, the radiation would simply leave our atmosphere, off into space. But because it collects, the greenhouse gases trap the radiation, causing the average global temperature to increase. This is also known as the greenhouse effect.
What Are the Causes of Global Warming?
Global warming is caused when emissions from certain processes release greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and other pollutants like water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and Chlorofluorocarbons (or CFCs), according to NASA. But what kinds of processes cause these emissions to be released into our atmosphere?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels — like oil, coal, and gas — causes pollutants to be released into the air, therefore warming our planet’s average global temperature. Humans burn fossil fuels so that we can have oil (for warming houses and supplying energy), coal (for supplying energy), and natural gas (for energy, electricity, and gas-fueled cars).
The burning of fossil fuels comes from six major categories: agriculture, commercial and residential, electricity production, land use and forestry, and transportation.
Agriculture
You might think that agriculture would be a positive in the fight against global warming — and it can be! — but if agriculture isn’t done a certain way, it can cause more setbacks and negative impacts than good. Industrial agriculture is the main setup of agriculture around the world and it can worsen global warming because of its massive carbon footprint, fertilizer and pesticide use, and the effects of land change.
Did you know that one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from industrial agriculture? In fact, agriculture is the main emitter of carbon dioxide in the global food system as it stands right now. Since industrial agriculture also often means using harmful fertilizers and pesticides — which also make emissions into the atmosphere — industrial agriculture as it stands needs to change in order to see an improvement in global warming and climate change. Industrial agriculture can also cause land change, which could mean deforestation or expanding suburban areas, depleting natural ones.
Animal agriculture and factory farms also contribute to the rising temperatures of the planet; animal agriculture is the second-largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions — and increased by more than 50 percent between 1961 and 2010. Not only does it require a significant amount of resources to raise livestock for consumption, but some animals — particularly cattle — also produce methane. That’s why one of the best things one can do for the planet is reducing or eliminating his/her meat and dairy consumption.
Commercial and residential
Commercial and residential sectors refer to the emissions given off by all homes and commercial businesses — excluding any agricultural or industrial practices. Commercial and residential sectors can release both direct and indirect emissions, both of which are harmful and cause global warming. Some direct emissions include fossil fuel combustion — think heating and cooking, how homes and businesses manage waste and wastewater, and leaks. The term indirect emissions refers to offsite emissions that are a result of electricity being used in a home or business.
Electricity production
Electricity production is the second highest cause of greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming. In fact, electricity production accounted for 27.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. Much of electricity as we make it today — unless it is sourced by non-fossil fuel energy generation technologies such as geothermal, solar, or wind — is made from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil.
Land use and forestry
When you break down the environment, the natural beings in the environment — such as plants and animals — cannot do as much to correct what’s breaking down. So, for example, we know that plants absorb carbon dioxide, then store it as aboveground and belowground mass. This is called biological carbon sequestration and it takes carbon dioxide out of the air and puts it into storage; it’s also called sink.
That’s a good thing. So, theoretically, if we did not put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than our plants were working hard to remove, we would be okay. However, as we break down land for the purposes of construction and other management and repurposing of lands, the amount of carbon emissions we’re putting into the environment becomes more than what the plants are taking out and storing. In fact, the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector of the U.S. is actually net sink.
Transportation
According to the EPA’s report Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 28.9 percent of all 2017 greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation accounts for everything from burning fossil fuels for cars, ships, trucks, trains, and planes.
How Can We Offset the Causes of Global Warming?
It’s one of the most important questions facing the issue of climate change and global warming today. How can we offset what damage is already being done to cause global warming?
For starters, a drastic cut in emissions needs to happen. Instead of burning fossil fuels to create various sources of energy, alternatives could be used — solar, geothermal, and wind energy sources. But until that happens, cutting back as much as possible on your emissions is crucial to offsetting global warming. Using public transportation or buying an electric vehicle (EV) is always a meaningful option in cutting back on your individual carbon footprint. You can also do small things to help conserve the amount of energy you use — eat locally, organic, and in-season, eat plant-based, unplug technology when it’s not being used, buy clothes second-hand, and hang-dry your clothes instead of running the dryer. Make as little waste as possible.
You can also use the Carbon Footprint Calculator to track how much carbon your particular lifestyle emits into the atmosphere. Ready to make a change? Realizing just how much greenhouse gases your lifestyle emits will be a big step toward making that change.
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