What Are Human Causes Of Climate Change?

The level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are at a higher level than in the past years, trapping heat and contributing to the greenhouse effect, leading to a warming of the planet

Burning fossil fuels and deforestation are the primary causes of climate change, which presents a substantial threat to humans and animals now and in the future. The following are some of the biggest human causes of climate change:

Greenhouse gas emission

Greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and are a significant contributor to human-induced climate change. Their largest source is the energy sector, accounting for roughly 76 per cent of total emissions. When gases emitted from these sectors remain in the Earth's atmosphere for an extended period, they trap heat and warm the planet, thereby overwhelming the Earth's natural carbon cycle. These gases include:

Carbon IV oxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2, or Carbon IV Oxide) is the main greenhouse gas produced through human activities that leads to adverse climate change. CO2 is produced naturally, for example, the respiration of living organisms and the decomposition of organic matter. Human activities, however, release a substantially higher amount of CO2, 87 per cent through burning fossil fuels for energy (coal, oil, and natural gas), cement production (4 per cent) and deforestation (9 per cent). 

Carbon stored in the form of fossil fuels is more stable and is only released when heated, as carbon reacts with oxygen during combustion, forming CO2. Road transport, through the combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel, is the largest source of these emissions, accounting for approximately 28 per cent of total US greenhouse gas emissions.

We use fossil fuels to power cars, machines and generate electricity. As the human population increases, more fuel is consumed, resulting in higher CO2 emissions.

Methane

Methane is second only to CO2 in greenhouse gas emissions. According to UNEP, 60 per cent of global methane emissions result from human activities, with agriculture (40 per cent), fossil fuels (35 per cent), and waste (20 per cent).  

Nitrous oxide

Cultivation practices, such as the use of organic and commercial fertilisers, lead to the emission of nitrous oxide. A gas with a global warming potential approximately 300 times that of carbon dioxide. It also accumulates in the atmosphere through the combustion of fossil fuels, the production of nitric acid, and the burning of biomass.

Chlorofluorocarbons

Chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons are used in household appliances, such as refrigerators. They are associated with severe atmospheric impacts, such as ozone layer depletion and heat trapping.

Sulphur hexachloride

Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is an extremely potent greenhouse gas similar to CO2, though more potent, with excellent electrical insulating properties, and therefore used primarily in materials like dielectric liquids and for special medical procedures. Additionally, they serve as insulators in high-voltage applications, such as transformers and grid switching gear.

Deforestation

Deforestation is one of the major human causes of climate change. Trees capture greenhouse gases, such as CO2, preventing them from accumulating in the atmosphere and acting as part of Earth’s natural carbon cycle. 

Trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen to the atmosphere during photosynthesis; hence, surplus carbon dioxide is stored in the plants to help in growth and development. When trees are cut down, their stored carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Trees also help regulate regional rainfall, which prevents floods and droughts in affected areas. 

Soil, fossil fuel deposits, marine sediments, permafrost, and carbonate minerals, such as chalk and limestone, also hold significant amounts of CO2. 

Peatlands, for example, were found to store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests. 

Agriculture

Food is a basic human need; however, before it reaches your table, it undergoes production, storage, processing, packaging, transportation, and preparation. Every stage of food production releases substantial amounts of greenhouse gases (largely methane and nitrous oxide) through deforestation - the conversion of crucial forest land into agricultural land, largely due to the introduction of large-scale and machine-intensive farming, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification caused by agricultural chemical waste, and accelerated soil erosion.

In livestock farming, ruminant animals digest their food through enteric fermentation, a process that produces methane. 

Industrialisation

Although the industrial revolution has led (in part) to improved living conditions, it is associated with adverse environmental effects that contribute to a changing climate. Mechanisation, resulting in the large-scale burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal, and the production of chemicals, iron, or steel, which are highly energy-intensive, has directly increased emissions. Industrialisation saw a dramatic shift from agrarian lifestyles to industrial ones, relying heavily on the combustion of fossil fuels. The introduction of cars, trains, factories, and other technologies altered our relationship with the carbon cycle, marking the beginning of our significant contribution to the climate crisis. 

Conclusion

Any farmer can tell that the weather patterns have been altered, which is likely to affect food security worldwide. The fingerprints that humans have left on the environment through industrial activities and civilisation can be seen in the oceans, atmosphere and the earth's surface. 

Today, these effects are felt through changes in weather patterns, including increased heat waves that have led to frequent wildfires, storms, and extreme flooding. Although climate change directly contributes to such weather events, a warmer atmosphere greatly intensifies the risks.