Learn what causes climate change

Photo by Chris LeBoutillier on Unsplash.

Description

Climate change can feel complicated, but its basic causes are clear. Understanding these fundamentals goes a long way to connecting the dots on how to address climate change and improve our only planet.

In short, human activities are adding heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels is by far the largest contributor, while deforestation and other natural land removal are also significant sources.

Coal, oil, and natural gas are burned to generate electricity, heat buildings, power transportation, and manufacture and move products. This releases carbon dioxide and other gases that act like a blanket around the Earth, trapping heat and slowing cooking our planet.

Forests absorb carbon dioxide and store carbon in trees and soils. When forests are cut or burned, some of that carbon is released, and fewer trees remain to absorb future emissions. Deforestation is often driven by expanding farms and pastures for raising animals to eat, logging, and mining.

Once you understand the causes, the solutions become easier to recognize. Clean energy, efficient buildings, lower-carbon transportation, forest protection, and more sustainable food and land use all address these underlying problems.

Tips

• Explain it simply to yourself to help it stick. "Burning fossil fuels adds heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. Deforestation releases more gases and removes trees that would have absorbed them.”

• If you want to go deeper, spend ten minutes reading the NASA Causes of Climate Change and UN Causes and Effects of Climate Change.

• Once you understand the basics, start to make connections with everyday activities, such as using electricity, heating your home, traveling, or buying a product. Consider how fossil fuels help power it and the ways to avoid the carbon pollution behind so much of how we buy stuff, eat, travel, and power our lives.