As humans, we have learned to expand and invent more advanced technologies than in any other time in history. While innovative solutions seem like the answer to our current world problems, the causes they have on the environment are more damaging in the long run. The ramifications of these things are more impactful than they seem.

The Earth has its own ways of changing the climate naturally, with both good and bad effects.  Natural phenomena have their own ways of contributing to climate change, like volcanic eruptions, which emit carbon dioxide and aerosols, solid and liquid particles in the air filled with bacteria and dust. Weather patterns change due to the Earth’s orbital changes and solar radiation, and the El Niño, a phase of warming the Earth’s surface that happens every 2-7 years. While these patterns and phenomena  are uncontrollable, there are many ways humans affect the climate in a poor way that we can fix.

While there are many ways humans contribute to the environment in a positive way, most of the Earth’s problems are results of our actions. One of the biggest factors is greenhouse gases.  Greenhouse gases are released when fossil fuels are burned for human activities such as transportation and electricity. Greenhouse gases have harmful effects on the planet’s emission of energy, causing heat to be trapped and warm up the planet. There are many different ways these gases are emitted into the atmosphere, making it dangerous for fossil fuels to be burned so inattentively.  

Food waste and deforestation are two smaller but very impactful causes of climate change as well. Wasting food itself also wastes the energy, labor, and water that goes into making it. When wasted food breaks down, methane is released, worsening air quality. Similarly, urban expansion and agriculture have caused a lot of deforestation. Cutting down mass amounts of trees disrupts the biodiversity within those ecosystems, and takes away sources of clean air. Deforestation causes harm in other ways, such as soil erosion, and changes in water cycles.  

Continuing down this path leads to more risk of worldwide problems arising that will be too harsh to fix. Being aware of what we’re doing wrong is a good step to take in order for us to better our planet.