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Present Day Causes of Global Warming

Earth has cycled through many phases of heating and cooling over its lifetime. Currently, Earth's temperature is rising faster than ever in a phenomenon known as global warming. It's effects are eliminating animal species, causing sea levels to rise and producing more intense storms. There are several factors that play into global warming. Although some are natural causes, many are caused by humans.

  1. Methane Gases

    • Methane gases are greenhouse gases that pose a hazard to the environment. According to the Planet Save website, this gas is released when organic matter is broken down by bacteria in oxygen-starved conditions. It's commonly released into the atmosphere in two ways: naturally through release in arctic tundra and wetlands, or through animal waste (it's commonly generated in the intestines of livestock such as cows). The latter methane-gas release method is both a man-made and natural cause. On one hand, it's a natural part of a cow's digestive system. However, the increase in livestock production is causing more cows to create waste, which leads to an increase in methane-gas levels.

    Carbon Dioxide Emissions

    • Carbon dioxide, or CO2, emissions are the most hazardous man-made cause of global warming. This greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. This happens every time you drive your combustible-engine car or fly in an airplane. CO2 is also released when power plants burn coal. Fossil fuels are currently the main energy source in the United States, although several foreign and domestic automakers have introduced hybrid and electric cars to the market in an attempt to minimize these emissions.

    Population

    • It's estimated that there are 6.7 billion people on Earth. Population has a detrimental effect on global warming. That's because with large populations comes increased need. More people translates into an increase of cars on the road and demand for electricity and other resources. More vehicles translate to more fuel emissions. The need for electricity translates to more coal-burning plants. And the need for more resources, like food, translates to more livestock and methane-gas emissions.

    Deforestation

    • All living plants store carbon. That makes trees and forests especially important, as they remove and store carbon dioxide, keeping it from being released into the atmosphere. However, as the demand for fuel, wood and paper increases, more of the world's natural forests are being cut down. This has a detrimental effect on the environment because the CO2 stored in these trees is then released into the atmosphere. Furthermore, it constitutes less resources on Earth that are able to store carbon dioxide.

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