The Major Causes of Climate Change Explained

Climate change, a phrase that has come to dominate news headlines and conversations in recent years and decades, refers broadly to the long-term shifts in the earth’s temperatures and weather patterns. Some of these shifts are natural, though we are increasingly seeing how human activities are driving these changes.

There has been and continues to be great debate over the climate change causes. There is even a minority (around 25% of Americans) who either don’t believe that climate change is happening or aren’t sure. 10% of Americans say they don’t believe in climate change, while a further 15% aren’t yet convinced.

Those in the know, however, are more convinced that human activities are the driving force behind climate change. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, around 97% of climate scientists concur that human-caused climate change is occurring. 

In this blog post, we will highlight some of the main human-driven causes of climate change. We will break down these causes into five distinct categories: making things, using electricity, growing things, transport, and keeping cool and warm. Let’s get started.

Making Things

In 2021, Bill Gates published How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need. In this book, he outlined how much greenhouse gases were produced by humans each year. He estimated that humans add 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere annually.

According to Gates, making things (such as plastic, steel, and cement) accounts for 31% of this number. He has argued that any plan for tackling climate change must find viable answers to questions such as “What’s your plan for cement?” 

When creating cement, you take limestone (calcium, carbon, and oxygen) and burn it along with a number of other materials in a furnace. This results in a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide accounts for a majority of the total greenhouse gases that are produced each year.

Gates has argued that fundamental changes within the construction and manufacturing industries must be made in order to fight climate change.

Plugging In

If we go back to Gates’ emissions chart, we will see that using electricity accounts for 27% of greenhouses gas emissions. Coal accounts for 36% of all the electricity generated in the world today, followed by natural gas (23%). 

Let’s focus specifically on coal here, as it is the main source of electricity. Coal is comprised mostly of carbon. When coal is burned, the carbon reacts with the oxygen that is in the air and produces carbon dioxide.

CO2 effectively works as a blanket when it is released into the atmosphere, which contributes to the warming of the planet.

We can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels here by focusing more on renewable energy. Solar energy will play an important role in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. The United States government, through its federal solar tax credit, has been encouraging homeowners to make the switch to solar energy for their electricity needs.

Growing Things

Growing things (i.e. animals and plants) accounts for 19% of greenhouse gas emissions, making it the third-highest culprit. Raising animals for food is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, thanks largely to the creation of methane and nitrous oxide.

Cattle, for example, are a big producer of methane. When a cow burps, they release methane into the atmosphere. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane is 28 times more powerful at warming the planet.

On the subject of growing things, it should be pointed out that deforestation also has an impact on climate change. As we clear more and more land for growing things, we release more CO2 back into the environment.

Getting Around

Transport accounts for 16% of the 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases that are emitted following human activity each year.

According to Gates’ book, 47% of transportation-related emissions are caused by cars, SUVs, and motorcycles. A further 30% is caused by buses, 18-wheelers, and garbage trucks. Airplanes account for 10% of emissions, as do cargo and cruise ships.

Through advanced biofuels and electric-powered vehicles, we can greatly reduce the impact of transport on our planet in the coming years.

Keeping Cool and Warm

As the earth heats up, we are using air conditioning systems more. This, in turn, serves to increase greenhouse gas emissions and further heat the planet. Keeping cool and warm currently accounts for 7% of greenhouse emissions.

Around 90% of homes in the US have air conditioning, second only to Japan. As developing countries become richer, their populations are more likely to purchase air conditioning systems. Retrofitting homes with air-sourced heat pumps will help to save carbon emissions.

A key focus in Gates’ book is direct air capture, a technology that removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Learn how you can reduce your carbon footprint by supporting direct air capture.

Understanding the Major Climate Change Causes

So there you have it: the main climate change causes and the percentage of greenhouse gases that each emits into the atmosphere. Gradually, the world is becoming more conscious of the reality of climate change and it effect it is having on the planet.

Tackling the above causes of climate change is essential to our future on this planet. Innovation will be key to overcoming global warming and ensuring that our planet remains a place where we can call home. 

Like this blog post on the main causes of global warming? Be sure to check out our other informative articles on a wide range of interesting topics.