Climate Change 101: How Everyday Activities Contribute to the Ever-Growing Issue

Abstract

This article aims at an in-depth analysis of the relation of certain activities and services in daily life to the growth of climate change. Climate change is one of the most characteristic occurrences of the modern world, if not the most. It is a byproduct of the greenhouse effect, which is a natural phenomenon necessary for sustaining life on the planet. However, human activities have heavily contributed to the rise of an unbalanced amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the anthropogenic aspect of climate change. Despite the doubts on the human influence on climate change, there is indisputable scientific proof to verify it. The consequences of climate change appear to be very severe, both for the environment and humans themselves, while they are expected to escalate in the future. It is widely known that the industrial revolution is the landmark of anthropogenic climate change. But despite the industry’s influence being common knowledge, what are the everyday actions of each individual or household that are key contributors to the phenomenon? 

 Transportation is one of the most harmful everyday activities, especially aviation due to emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels used to power the vehicles. Surprisingly, the food industry is also a sector very high in emissions, mostly due to emissions from livestock production. Another cause is deforestation stemming from multiple factors, a very important one being paper production. While trees absorb carbon dioxide, when cut, they emit it back into the atmosphere, resulting in further emissions. Especially damaging is water overuse, due to the disruption of the water cycle. Furthermore, the burning of fossil fuels for general use (e.g. heating) and specifically for electricity is a big contributor in greenhouse emissions. Certain gardening activities can also contribute in the emissions. Lastly, waste is very damaging to the atmosphere. The decomposition of waste is responsible for emitting significant quantities of CO₂ and methane. The need to combat climate change is very pressuring. While individual changes in lifestyle are very vital, bigger changes need to be implemented in order to effectively mitigate climate change.