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Since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the mid 18th century, there has been an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere – particularly carbon dioxide and methane.
Carbon dioxide is produced through the burning of hydrocarbons such as coal and oil. Methane is released through escapes from natural gas pipelines and also through some forms of agricultural production such as rice paddies.
According to the UN's climate panel, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the increase in carbon dioxide and reduction in oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere are mostly due to the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation and that this is the major human cause of global warming (IPCC 2001: Climate Change 2001 CUP: Cambridge, UK).
The increase in the earth's population and the desire for countries to develop more advanced economies has also produced an increasing demand for energy. This has led to the greater use of fossil fuels to meet this demand. All energy sources release heat into the atmosphere but those derived from fossil fuels release greenhouse gases and especially carbon dioxide which make a further contribution to global warming.
The increased use of motor vehicles and jet airplane travel has meant that greenhouse gas production due to transport has increased. Many of the countries of the developed world now import products which are manufactured or grown cheaply in other countries. An effect of long-distance international transportation is that a "carbon footprint" can now be attached to many foodstuffs bought in the shops.
Although produced cheaply at source, these products can carry with them a high energy use for transportation as giving them a higher carbon footprint than locally produced foods. So it is clear that even the most global of issues can act at the local level.
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| Feeling inspired? Why not enter the Combat Climate Change competition? Follow the link to take up the challenge... more |
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 | What are the main human contributing factors leading to the increase in greenhouse gases worldwide? |
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| Which of these factors directly relates to you and your community? |
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| What measures could you take to reduce any one of these factors? |
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