Climate Change: Human Contribution

Human Contribution

In it's latest report released in 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) used its strongest language yet to link human activity to Earth's warming temperatures, rising seas, more intense storms, and a host of other environmental maladies. "Fossil fuel use, agriculture, and land-use change are fundamentally affecting the systems on our planet," Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said. "Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperature since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic [human-caused] greenhouse gas concentrations," the report reads.

The phrase "very likely" translates to a 90 percent probability, the report's authors note. This is a significant departure from previous reports. In 2001 the panel concluded humans were "likely," or with 66 percent probability, the cause of global warming. The panel also released reports in 1995 and 1990.

Global Contributors Past 50 - 65 Years

So how exactly are humans contributing to rising global temperatures? The three most significant ways are:

Driving automobiles which burn tremendous amounts of fossil fuels. These fuels have been storing carbon for thousands, possibly millions of years. When they burn they instantly release this carbon in the form of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Deforestation, which destroys plants that store carbon dioxide which they convert to oxygen. Deforestation could be on a massive scale such as the razing of forests along the Amazon basin, or smaller and more locally such as when a home is purchased which now occupies a lot where plants once lived.
Eating commercial meat products which requires both the clearing of land for growing animal feed and the use of enormous fossil fuel-powered machines in the production, processing and transportation of this feed (as well as the meat). The animals' digestive tract produces methane, a major greenhouse gas. Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

What to do?

Here are 5 things you can do right now to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle

2. Use less heat and air conditioning. Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home. Turn down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

3. Change a light bulb. Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.

If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

4. Drive less, drive smart. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school. When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated will save 3% fuel usage.

5. Buy energy efficient products. When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.