Professor Marc Favata
How does Human Activities have an Effect on Climate Change?
"Humans are almost entirely the cause" of climate change, according to a scientist who once doubted that global warming even existed. As many scientists and physicists across the world believe that human activities contribute to climate change by causing changes in Earth’s atmosphere in the amounts of greenhouse gases, aerosols (small particles), and cloudiness. A recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that the largest known contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide gas to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases and aerosols affect climate by altering incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared (thermal) radiation that are part of Earth’s energy balance. Furthermore, changing the atmospheric abundance or properties of these gases and particles can lead to a warming or cooling of the climate system. Since the start of the industrial era (about 1750), the overall effect of human activities on climate has been a warming influence. The human impact on climate during this era greatly exceeds that due to known changes in natural processes, such as solar changes and volcanic eruption. As a result it is clear why climate change has such a big impact on our planet and what it has in store for our future as well. It is caused by many reasons as stated above, with supporting evidence it no doubt that climate change is becoming serious as time passes.
Most climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the greenhouse effect. Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from escaping. Long-lived gases, remaining semi-permanently in the atmosphere, which do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature, are described as “forcing" climate change whereas gases, such as water, which respond physically or chemically to changes in