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What Causes Climate Change?
Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in earth’s atmosphere are causing the planet to warm. While there are still questions regarding some aspects of climate change, the scientific consensus is that the buildup of greenhouse gases is a man-made phenomenon.
The earth's climate is primarily controlled by how much of the sun's energy is reflected back into space and how much is trapped by the atmosphere, keeping the earth warm.
During the industrial era, increased burning of fossil fuels and changes in land use have resulted in the emission of increasing quantities of so-called greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrogen dioxide (N2O).
Greenhouse gases trap the sun’s energy, preventing it from being reflected back into space. So, when the concentration of greenhouse gases increases, less heat escapes our atmosphere and more heat is trapped, warming our earth. We call this process global warming. As the average global temperature rises the climate changes. (source)
When we drive our cars, heat or cool our homes or use excess energy through inefficient light bulbs, we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. While an individual’s emissions are relatively small in comparison to those caused of some major corporations, millions of people worldwide emitting a little adds up to a lot.
Deforestation is also a major contributor to climate change. Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen, keeping the green house effect from becoming overwhelming. But we have greatly reduced the world's forests, meaning that less carbon dioxide is being removed from the air, further warming the earth.
While there are those who insist that climate change is not man-made, the scientific consensus is that recent climate change has been caused by our increased emission of greenhouse gasses.
If you’re curious about the science of climate change you can learn more by reading some of the studies that have been conducted which confirm climate change’s origins and effects, which you'll find in our links and resources section.
