Causes of Global Warming

by Tan Siew Mei

One of the first things scientists learned is that there are several greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Production of energy in the form of carbon dioxide, CO₂ is the main contribution to global warming. Whenever we burn something, carbon dioxide will released and the continuous buildup of carbon dioxide will cause global warming. Nearly 40% of carbon dioxide emissions came directly from the process of burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity and some form the burning of coal. The burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of vehicles such as automobiles, buses, motorcycles, and trucks causes approximately one-third of the carbon dioxide released into our environment. In the United States alone, the burning of gasoline for transportation and manufacturing accounted for 33 percent emissions of CO₂ as the demand for cars and consumer goods increases.

Other than CO₂, methane is another potent greenhouse gas. A molecule of methane produces more than 20 times the warming of a molecule of CO2! The production of methane undergoes a process called anaerobic decomposition (the breaking down of organic matter by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions) in rice paddies. In the last 100 years, the emission of methane released into our environment had increases up to 145 percent! As methane escape into the environment, the rate of global warming increases. 

Another example is the increase of deforestation. The conversion of forests and grassland into farmland and cities would encourage the emission of carbon dioxide too. Deforestation is responsible for nearly one-fourth of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere. According to a statistics shown by NAZA, the planet cuts and burns nearly 34 million acres of trees each year, including millions of acres of rainforest which sums up to the total size of Italy!

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Caroline, D. M. (1999). Causes of Global Warming. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from The Environment: The Global Challenge: http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/Statistics/causes_of_global_warming.html

Markham, D. (2009, June 7). Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from PlanetSave: http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10-list/

National Geographic. (1996-2011). Global Warming Causes, Climate Change Causes. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes/

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