Yes, we know humans are responsible for the climate change we see today. But here\u2019s the good news: Human-caused climate change can be human-solved climate change.<\/p>\n
Put simply, here\u2019s what we know for sure:<\/p>\n
We know that carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) trap heat in the Earth\u2019s atmosphere.
\nAnd we know that humans are burning fossil fuels, releasing huge amounts of carbon pollution and trapping more and more heat in the atmosphere.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s only one conclusion: humans are the primary reason we see our climate changing today. That\u2019s the short of it. But let\u2019s dive into the details.<\/p>\n
HOW DO GREENHOUSE GASES MAKE THE WORLD WARMER?<\/strong><\/p>\n Without naturally-occurring greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide, our planet would be downright freezing. That\u2019s because greenhouse gases work like, well, a greenhouse. They let sunshine in and trap some of its heat in our atmosphere, making life on Earth possible today.<\/p>\n When the delicate balance of these GHGs is maintained between what we add and what plants absorb, the long-term average works out like Goldilocks and the Three Bears for life: Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right.<\/p>\n Another way to think of these gases is as a natural blanket \u2014 keeping the Earth about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 30 degrees Celsius) warmer than it would be normally. So, what\u2019s the problem? Sounds like greenhouse gases are great. Who\u2019s anti-blanket, anyway?<\/p>\n Well, when humans burn fossil fuels, it\u2019s as if we\u2019re wrapping another, not-so-natural blanket around the Earth. That\u2019s why things are heating up and the climate is changing.<\/p>\n HOW ARE GREENHOUSE GASES RELATED FOSSIL FUELS?<\/strong><\/p>\n The above NASA video illustrates it well. Fossil fuels \u2014 like oil, natural gas, and coal \u2014 \u201ccontain carbon that\u2019s been locked away from the natural cycle for eons.\u201d When we burn these fossil fuels, the carbon combines with oxygen to make carbon dioxide. This extra carbon dioxide (and other GHGs like methane) traps more and more heat in our atmosphere.<\/p>\n Humans started harnessing fossil fuels on a massive scale during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution began about 1760 and most historians mark its end sometime before the middle of the next century.<\/p>\n Basically, it was a time of profound transformation. Before the Industrial Revolution, about 80 percent of the world\u2019s population were rural farmers. But the Industrial Revolution changed how the world lived and worked, bringing millions to urban centers to work in factories.<\/p>\n The revolution saw an incredible explosion in innovation. The coal-powered steam engine, internal-combustion engine, radio, automobile, and airplane were all born in or from technology developed in this period. Along with many other inventions we still see today.<\/p>\n This time period totally transformed our world and the way humans live, but it\u2019s also had big consequences. Perhaps the biggest one has been the soaring consumption of dirty fossil fuel energy around the globe.<\/p>\n THAT\u2019S HOW WE KNOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS HUMAN-CAUSED<\/strong><\/p>\n As the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has increased since the Industrial Revolution, global temperatures have also steadily increased. In other words, there\u2019s a strong correlation between more carbon dioxide and higher temperatures.<\/p>\n And while the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has gone up and down over time, all the coal, oil, and gas we\u2019ve burned over two-plus centuries mean it hasn\u2019t been this high for hundreds of thousands of years. We\u2019re simply adding more carbon dioxide into our world than it can absorb.<\/p>\n The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has a strong correlation with rising temperatures.<\/p>\n Warmer temperatures aren\u2019t the only fingerprint humans have left on our changing planet. Our oceans have become more acidic. We\u2019re seeing more extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires, and the world\u2019s glaciers and sea ice are melting. And that\u2019s just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that we need to make the switch to clean, reliable sources of renewable energy like solar and wind. Unlike fossil fuels, renewables don\u2019t add greenhouse gases to our atmosphere. They\u2019re better for our planet and our health.<\/p>\n While, humans may be the cause of climate change we can also be a part of the solution. When you search with GoShares we contribute the revenue from every search to sustainable projects around the globe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yes, we know humans are responsible for the climate change we see today. But here\u2019s the good news: Human-caused climate change can be human-solved climate change. Put simply, here\u2019s what we know for sure: We know that carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) trap heat in the Earth\u2019s atmosphere. And we know that humans are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n