When carbon dioxide and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere. It absorbs sunlight and solar radiation that bounce off the earth’s surface which causes the overall temperature of the earth to increase. Along with the greenhouse effects that trap the heat from escaping into space but still allow sunlight and heat to enter the earth.1
The main contribution that causes global warming and climate change is burning fossil fuels. We burn a massive amount of oil, gas, and coal everyday which causes the planet to heat up by constantly releasing carbon dioxide into the air. 2
Human activities are one of the main contributions to the greenhouse effect whether is by producing more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide from burning gas, cutting down trees that helps absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The increasing of livestock farming is also contributing into this issue due to the large amount of gas is being produced when they digest food. Another substance contribute to a global greenhouse effect are fluorinated gases that are main-made which can remain in the atmosphere for a long period of time. 3
There are ways for us to help slow down the effect of global warming by taking small actions on our daily life such as transporting by bike or public transportation and try to avoid driving in sort distances. Get into a good recycling habit by recycle your waste, use recycled, reusable, or recyclable products. Restoring the nature by planting more trees, use recycled energy, and producing less waste can be a big contribution into improving the environment for our future generation.
References
- MacMillan , A., & Turrentine , J. (2021, May 10). Global Warming 101. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101.
- Causes of climate change. Met Office. (n.d.). https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/causes-of-climate-change.
- Anonymous. (2017, June 28). Causes of climate change. Climate Action - European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/clima/change/causes_en.