In this post, we will look at the 10 causes of global warming that you need to know about. There are a number of different causes of climate change but some have a much larger impact than others do. We have a causes of climate change list for you here that may surprise you as these 10 things are the biggest causes of global warming.
You are probably already aware that climate change is the result of rises in the temperature of the globe. The cause and effect of climate change is far reaching. Not only are we seeing more extreme weather conditions in the world but climate change is destroying certain communities and causing the continual rise of sea levels.
To put all of this in perspective, we will discuss the top 10 causes of global warming. You will notice that there are no natural causes of climate change that appear in our top ten list. These are all human causes of climate change. Our answer to the question “is global warming caused by humans?” is a resounding “yes”.
1. Consumption of Gas and Oil
The consumption of gas and oil is certainly up there when it comes to the biggest reasons for global warming. It is one of the main causes of climate change and does not show signs of slowing down all that much.
So many industries rely on gas and oil. It is used in the production of electricity and of course in the vehicles that take us from one place to another by air, land and sea. Steps are being taken to reduce gas and oil consumption such as the introduction of electric vehicles but this is happening very slowly.
The bottom line is that the consumption of gas and oil is one of the major factors affecting climate change. When humans burn gas, oil and coal it has a significant impact on the environment. Using these fossil fuels is a constant threat.
How does burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming? Well, when you burn fossil fuels you release toxic gases which will kill plant life and are also a threat to wildlife. At the end of the day, fossil fuel burning can make areas of our planet uninhabitable.
2. Continual Deforestation
How does deforestation contribute to climate change? The main reason is that forests and trees are able to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. As humans are continually clearing forests for the production of wood as well as making space for buildings, farms and more.
When a tree converts the carbon dioxide it will store it. With deforestation, this stored carbon dioxide becomes released into the atmosphere, making this one of the major human activities that cause global warming.
To give humanity a break here, forest fires can be significant natural causes of global warming. This is deforestation the natural way. What makes this worse is that there are deadly fumes released as the trees burn.
3. Human Waste
Does waste contribute to climate change? Some people find this hard to believe. But the truth is that we are creating more waste right now than we ever did in the past. There has been a significant increase in the packaging used for products over the years. More and more products have shorter life cycles these days as well.
For many years, the packaging used for the majority of products was not recyclable. The only place for this waste to go was a landfill. Here the problem is that the waste will decompose and emit dangerous gases into the environment. These gases just add to the global warming problem.
4. Emissions from Power Plants
There are many power plants across the world and the vast majority of them use fossil fuels to create energy. When these power plants are in operation, they emit a range of harmful pollutants. The end result is that power plants are another of those human factors that cause climate change.
Not only do these harmful pollutants from power plants end up in the atmosphere, but they also find their way into waterways as well. A lot of experts believe that the biggest cause of global warming is carbon dioxide emissions from coal burning power plants.
5. Drilling for Oil
Does oil drilling cause global warming? Yes, it does because the drilling for oil creates around 30% of the methane that contributes to climate change as well as approximately 8% of carbon dioxide. These 2 gases are certainly a big part of what contributes to climate change.
Humans drill for oil as they want to obtain petroleum hydrocarbons. The problem here is that the oil drilling process releases other dangerous gases into the atmosphere. These gases have a significant impact on climate change and some of them are toxic for the surrounding environment and wildlife.
6. Transportation of People and Goods
The world has become a much smaller place now and it is a lot easier for people to get from one place to another. So, how does transportation cause climate change? Most of the transportation methods in existence today require the burning of fossil fuels. Cars are an obvious example, but there are also trains, planes and boats to take into account.
Burning fossil fuels with this transportation results in carbon emissions as well as other gases polluting the atmosphere. These are known as greenhouse gases, and it is certainly true that what causes greenhouse gases in part is the burning of fossil fuels for transportation. Electric vehicles will drastically reduce this but it is likely to be some time before they take effect.
7. Producing too many Products
The demand for consumer products has risen significantly over the last few years. Nowadays, people have the option to go to stores to purchase products that they probably don’t really need or buy them online through the growing number of e-commerce outlets.
All of this increased consumerism means that there is an increase in the number of products manufactured every year. In fact, we are definitely “overproducing” the number of products that we need at the moment.
It is an unfortunate fact that the vast majority of products available these days are not really sustainable. Products are also on a shorter life cycle than they used to be in the past. If you purchase an electronic product for example, then there is an expectation that you will replace this in a fairly short time.
Products with shorter life cycles means that we are just adding to the waste problem that already exists. Because there are so many products that are not sustainable, there is no recycling and they just end up in landfill where they will cause even more climate change problems.
8. Increase in Farming
You are probably wondering how does farming contribute to global warming? The thing is that it is often the case that environments have to be destroyed to accommodate new farms. Animals used in farming can create a lot of greenhouse gas.
Farm animals can create a great deal of methane with their waste. It gets worse with factory farming because there are a lot more animals concentrated into a smaller space and this will cause even more pollution that has an impact on climate change.
9. Factories and Industrialization
People have an insatiable need for more and more products in their daily lives. These products have to be created in factories and other places, and it is yet another of those human activities that cause climate change.
Manufacturing of products leads to a great deal of waste as usually the processes involved are not sustainable. This means that recycling is not possible in most cases. All of the unsustainable manufacturing waste will be sent to landfills where it decomposes and causes environmental issues.
In addition to this, there are often a lot of harmful chemicals used in manufacturing. The emissions from factories can cause a lot of pollution in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, a lot of the chemicals and waste materials from industrialization end up permeating the soil as well.
10. The Problem of Overfishing
Does overfishing cause climate change? As the human population continues to expand at an alarming rate, there is a higher demand for fish. A lot of people throughout the world consume fish as their main protein source.
The result of this higher demand for fish is that there has been a significant reduction in marine life. Marine life is essential for the diversity within our oceans, and humans have seriously impacted this with overfishing the seas.
Final Words
As you can see from our 10 causes of climate change list, these are all problems that have been caused by humans. We have all got used to a certain way of living and tend to take many things for granted. Now that you know some of the major reasons for climate change, you can be more responsible and take the right actions to do your bit for the environment.
How can you help? Well, there are a number of things that you can do. For example, you can cut down on the number of car journeys that you make. Try walking short distances rather than driving. You can also make a commitment to purchase more sustainable products that can be recycled when you have done with them.