Why Do Humans Cause Global Warming?

Over time, scientists have been able to perform studies and gather the information as to what exactly causes global warming. Scientists have collectively agreed that humans are the main cause of global warming is human produced. Humans burn coal, oil, and other gases to create energy. In doing so, this creates excess carbons that warm the atmosphere that block the heat from escaping the Earth (Climate Change Causes: A Blanket around the Earth). This process is known as the greenhouse effect. Other gasses that contribute to the greenhouse effect include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (Climate Change Causes: A Blanket around the Earth). Another human activity that contributes to global warming is

deforestation. Deforestation is the deconstruction of large areas of forests and trees for the price of lumber, and land to build on. The process of deforestation mainly occurs in tropical forests. Carbon emissions from deforestation far outstrip damage caused by planes and automobiles and factories (Howden). According to Howden, scientists say one day’s deforestation is equivalent to the carbon footprint of eight million people flying to New York. The only possible way to slow the deconstruction of deforestation would be to put a price on the carbon that these forests contain (Howden). Another contribution to global warming is livestock agriculture. It has recently been noted that the production of food in the United States requires increasingly more energy (Wolfson 21). Animal agriculture plays a leading role in methane emissions, it produces more than 100,000,000 tons of methane a year, and the figure is rising (Wolfson 22). Due to the fact that methane cycles out of the Earth’s atmosphere, if everyone were to go vegan today, it should only take about ten years for animal agriculture-induced methane emissions to disappear (Wolfson 22). This is because the average methane producing animal is only allowed to live for one to two years (Wolfson 22).