It’s never been that hot! Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the oven everyone uses to bake some bread or pizza, I’m referring to our planet. In fact, studies revealed that our earth has never been so hot like nowadays. Since industrialization, every day our planet is more polluted than the day before causing global warming that has serious effects on the environment. This essay explains the fact that human impact as the main cause of climate change is undeniable.
First, pollution caused by humans increased with industrialization which is the main cause of global warming. Between 1760 and 1820 humans experienced the First Industrial Revolution. This event had a big impact on manufacturing, changing forever the factory’s production. Indeed, since that time factories implemented fossil fuels causing a big impact on the environment. However, factories are not the only cause of pollution nor the most dangerous. Indeed, according to Taiying Huo, author of “A Study on Impact of Livestock and Poultry Breeding”, livestock are one of the main factors of pollution nowadays. Furthermore, since the Second Industrial Revolution in the early 20th century, human’s travels became more polluting, having a dangerous impact on the environment. But why is pollution so dangerous? And why should we be worried about it?
We can find answers to these questions looking at the greenhouse gases that have several impacts on global warming. Even though they are natural, they are exponentially increased due to human actions. Greenhouse gases are specific gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. The most dangerous one for the environment among them is the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which is produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. According to the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), each of these gases can remain in the atmosphere for different amounts of time, ranging from a few years to thousands of years. Moreover, these gases absorb a lot of energy causing an increase of global temperature that induces ice melting and sea rising. For example, glaciers in Greenland, Antarctica are melting six time faster than in the 1990s. So, it is easy to understand that to sustain the overproduction of the capitalistic society, factories have to burn more fossil fuels than in the past. Consequently, the impact on the environment is much worse, and everyone needs to do something and choose a more sustainable way of living.
On the same token, based on research, melting ice and rising sea has never occurred up to the industrialization era. In fact, according to NASA the exponential rising of the sea due to the melting ice appears to have begun only in the early 20th century at the same time of the Second Industrial Revolution. Up to this time, greenhouse gases were limited to their natural production on earth. Additionally, if greenhouse gases are limited, they are very important for our survival, indeed without them our planet would freeze. As we can see, irresponsible human impact on earth is the first reason for climate change. But not everybody agrees with that!
On the other hand, someone might argue that earth has always been affected by global warming. So, it might seem that climate change would be something natural. However, nowadays the level of global warming that we are experiencing is the highest ever reached in human history. Indeed, according to Climate Central (a team of researchers worldwide), 2016 was the warmest year on records, followed by 2019.
Our planet has never experienced what everybody is facing nowadays regarding climate change.
Although this situation might seem catastrophic, if everyone takes responsibilities our planet can be saved. It is not too late to change our behaviors and to take care of our “common house”.
All things considered, it’s scientifically proven that humans are the first responsible factor for climate change. Nobody has experienced living in a world that is that hot like now. Climate change is caused by human irresponsibility due to consumerism as a result of the capitalistic economy. But it is not too late! If we want to save our planet from a catastrophe, everybody should actively play their roles changing behaviors to stop global warming.