As stated by NASA, “Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s surface observed since the pre-industrial period due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.” (“Global Warming vs. Climate Change | Facts – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet”) Stemming from the Industrial Revolution, global warming has occurred because of the sudden growth in generating power, manufacturing goods, and cutting down forests.
The primary cause of global warming is burning fossil fuels for electricity. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources found in the Earth’s crust, deriving from the prehistoric remains of plants and animals. Because of its high energy efficiency, burning these resources is the most common form of producing electricity. However, burning fossil fuels has drastic effects on our environment. Because toxic air pollutants are released into the atmosphere, the main being carbon dioxide, it creates a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect occurs when large quantities of greenhouse gasses, namely carbon dioxide, are released into the atmosphere which generates heat. Over the past couple of centuries, the greenhouse effect has gradually increased Earth’s temperatures resulting in what we know today as global warming.
A secondary cause of global warming is the manufacturing and production of goods. As mentioned previously, the burning of fossil fuels has drastic effects on our environment. Manufacturing especially intensifies global warming as it releases vast amounts of emissions. Additionally, factories require substantial amounts of energy to operate, and on top of that delivering those goods to where they need to go releases even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution, the period from 1760-1840 that led to new manufacturing methods and resulted in what the industry is today, the need for production industries has boomed. Ultimately, as a result, the Earth’s temperature has increased by 1.8°F since the pre-industrial period (“Exactly How Much Has the Earth Warmed? And Does It Matter?”).
The third cause of global warming is deforestation. As most know, oxygen is the main gas within Earth’s atmosphere, and it is what plants release back into the air. Trees are the primary source of oxygen on Earth, and deforestation escalates an already harmful phenomenon such as global warming. In conjunction with carbon emissions produced by factories and the mass amount of trees cut down for building, it further depletes the amount of oxygen circulating within the atmosphere. Scientists even say that deforestation is one of the leading causes of global warming, “The consensus among climate scientists is that CO2 from tropical deforestation now makes up less than 10 percent of global warming pollution.” (“Tropical Deforestation and Global Warming”)
In conclusion, the environmental phenomenon of global warming is a result of burning fossil fuels, manufacturing goods, and deforestation. Each of these three causes has detrimental and lasting effects on our environment, such as rising sea levels, loss/ displacement of species, and health risks. The effects of global warming are permanent and irreversible. It is imperative that the world makes global warming a priority and come up with alternative forms of energy.
Works Cited
“Energy and climate change — European Environment Agency.” European Environment Agency, 29 August 2017, https://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2017/articles/energy-and-climate-change. Accessed 9 October 2022.
“Global Warming vs. Climate Change | Facts – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA Climate Change, https://climate.nasa.gov/global-warming-vs-climate-change/. Accessed 9 October 2022.
“Home.” YouTube, https://www.forbes.com/sites/uhenergy/2018/09/07/exactly-how-much-has-the-earth-warmed-and-does-it-matter/?sh=2dbf8f3d5c22. Accessed 9 October 2022.
“Tropical Deforestation and Global Warming.” Union of Concerned Scientists, 10 November 2021, https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/tropical-deforestation-and-global-warming. Accessed 9 October 2022.
“Wait, Why Is Climate Change a Bad Thing?” Climate Reality Project, 9 March 2018, https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/wait-why-climate-change-bad-thing. Accessed 9 October 2022.
