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Describe how human activity has affected climate change which has created global warming . include references citation in-text in APA +300 words
Human activities have had an immense impact on climate change and global warming. Human activities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, such as burning fossil fuels to produce energy and cutting down trees, have raised the Earth’s average temperature (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018). This is known as the ‘greenhouse effect’, where gasses in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun, leading to higher temperatures (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], n.d.). The increase in greenhouse gases also causes more extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and floods due to increased evaporation of water into the atmosphere (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018).
The primary sources of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are burning fossil fuels for energy production (such as coal or natural gas), deforestation and agricultural practices that release methane from livestock or nitrogen oxide from fertilizers (United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2020). Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to global warming. Deforestation releases carbon dioxide into the air when forests are cleared for development or other uses. Additionally, when trees die naturally they decay without releasing their stored carbon back into the soil so there is less uptake by plants than before (NASA, n.d.). Agriculture has also contributed significantly to climate change since animals release methane from their digestive systems which traps even more heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide does.
In addition to these human caused greenhouse gases being released into our environment, pollutants like black carbon aerosols can reduce incoming sunlight thus cooling down air temperature momentarily but trapping more heat over time (Environmental Defense Fund [EDF], 2019). While this might seem like a good idea because it offers up some reprieve from high temperatures; black carbon does not stay long enough in our atmosphere for it to be beneficial but instead adds onto existing levels of chemicals contributing towards global warming overall.
Overall humans have had a negative impact on climate change through increasing concentrations of greenhouses gases in our environment with no signs of slowing down anytime soon unless drastic actions are taken by countries around the world. Currently we’re seeing dangerous effects like melting ice sheets in areas like Greenland that will eventually lead to sea level rise if changes aren’t made quickly enough(NASA., n.d.). It’s important now more than ever that everyone takes steps towards reducing their individual impact whether its choosing sustainable transportation methods or utilizing renewable energy sources whenever possible.( EPA., 2020)
References:
Environmental Defense Fund [EDF].(2019). Black Carbon Pollution & Global Warming | EDF+. Retrieved April 28th 2021 From https://www.edf.org/climate/black-carbon-pollution-global-warming
Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change.(2018). IPCC: Summary For Policymakers Of IPCC Special Report On Global Warming Of 1 5°C Approved By Governments Retrieved April 28th 2021 From https://www.ipcc .ch/sr15 /report/summary -for-policy makers /
NASA.(n .d.) What Is The Greenhouse Effect? Nasa Global Climate Change Vital Signs Of The Planet Retrieved April 28th 2021 From https://climate .nasa .gov /cause s/greenhouse -effect /
United States Environmental Protection Agency[EPA].(2020 ).What Are Greenhouse Gases?| US EPA Retrieved April 28th 2021 From https://www3 .epa gov/ climate change /ghg emissions /gases