Three Man Made Causes of Global Warming

What Causes Global Warming?

• Heat from the sun naturally bounces off land and water masses and escapes through the Earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases block heat from escaping, so the Earth retains more heat. Plants, trees, animals and humans give off natural greenhouse gases, so global warming is inevitable. But man-made causes of greenhouse gases are blamed for increasing the rate and impact of global warming.

Pollution and Population

• Pollution from cars and other machinery directly impacts the rate of global warming. Cars burn fossil fuels, which give off carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 blocks heat from reaching the outer layers of the Earth's atmosphere, creating an oven-like effect on Earth. Heating fuels also give off CO2. Mining natural sources of fuel releases methane into the atmosphere, further impacting the natural dissipation of heat. As the population of the Earth increases, more people burn fossil fuels, causing a greater impact on the environment and global warming.

Deforestation

• Trees transform CO2 to oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Deforestation reduces the number of trees available to convert CO2 to oxygen. The result is a greater concentration of CO2, causing increased global warming. Population directly impacts deforestation, as farmers cut down huge swaths of trees, clearing land for agriculture. More people require more food, and thus more farmland is needed to maintain food supplies.

Production of Animals for Food

• According to a report released in 2006 by the United Nations, animal production for food impacts global warming more than the burning of fossil fuels by drivers. About 30 percent of the Earth's land mass is utilized for raising animals. This process increases animal waste, which emits nitrous oxide (NO2). Nitrous oxide has nearly 300 times the effect on global warming of CO2. Eating animals causes an increase in methane and ammonia output by humans. The impact of methane on global warming is about 25 times greater than that of CO2, and ammonia causes a large portion of acid rain.