The Earth’s temperature has risen by over 1 degree Celsius (about 2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, and this warming trend is getting faster. This increase is largely due to human activities, particularly the release of greenhouse gases through burning fossil fuels and other activities such as clearing forests. Historically, levels of these gases went up and down, but they are now rising at an unprecedented rate. The result is more frequent and severe weather events, rising sea levels, ecosystem shifts, and decreased agricultural production. It is a crisis that threatens the lives of billions of people.
Greenhouse gases are naturally occurring in the atmosphere, and they help to keep heat from escaping into space by acting as a blanket that traps the sun’s energy. Without them, the Earth would be too cold to sustain life. However, in recent decades, the levels of these natural greenhouse gases have been rising at an unprecedented rate. This unprecedented rise is the result of human activities.
Scientists have determined that most of the global warming observed over the past 50 years cannot be explained by natural causes. They have also confirmed that most of the warming since the beginning of the industrial revolution can be traced to human activities.
The most important step in tackling climate change is to reduce our emissions. To achieve this, the world must drastically reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned. The richest nations must stop financing oil, gas and coal exploration and shift investments to renewable energies and electric cars. Additionally, the wealthiest individuals must significantly reduce their own emissions. Currently, the annual emissions of one billionaire are over a million times those of the poorest 50% of the world’s population.
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