Just this year, four devastating hurricanes have hit land, causing extreme devastation. Sea levels are rising, and scientists say Venice will disappear underwater in less than a decade. According to NASA, August was the second hottest on record.
Levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are rising, changing our climate and our lives. And only we can be held responsible.
“We’re making our mark,” said Pieter Tans, Chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases Group.
In a cramped laboratory at the NOAA in Boulder, Colorado, Tans and his colleagues are keeping track of the rising levels of gas. The lab is filled with metal flasks, each of which contains air samples from all over the world. These flasks are the key to understanding the rising levels of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide, in our atmosphere.
According to Tans, it is abundantly clear why this is happening.
“We know that human actions are one hundred percent responsible for an increase in greenhouse gases,” said Tans.
Tans and his team collect air samples from approximately 70 measurement points across the globe, which are brought back to the lab in Boulder. The lab analyzes the samples, testing to find levels of methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases.
Through these tests, Tans is able to measure the increase in greenhouse gases and to mark how the levels have been increasing throughout time.
While these gases are naturally occurring in our environment, they directly linked to the warming of our planet. Before the Industrial Revolution, our society was mainly agrarian, where most goods were produced by hand in small shops or homes. When the revolution hit, there were numerous technological innovations, and our society developed into more industrial manufacturing processes in factories using machines and using new energy sources, such as coal and petroleum. This change in manufacturing continued throughout history, and as did levels of greenhouse gases being emitted from burning fossil fuels.
Before this industrialization, levels of carbon in the atmosphere were 280 parts per million. While this level increased every year before this time, following the industrial revolution the number rose even faster than before. Now, the number stands at about 405 ppm, approximately .04% of our atmosphere.
Rising levels of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere are directly responsible for warmer temperatures. Carbon absorbs heat, trapping it in the atmosphere. The more carbon present, the more heat gets trapped, and therefore, the warmer our planet gets. Because of this warming, ice sheets in both Arctic’s are melting, resulting in higher sea levels and more intense weather patterns.
“Known physics and chemistry tell us that we are changing the climate, and making it warmer, there’s no doubt,” said Tans
A recent study by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development in Italy showed that if something doesn’t change, the city of Venice could be completely underwater in less than a century. The sea level has risen five and a half inches since 1900, and the Mediterranean Sea is projected to rise more than four and a half feet before 2100.
(Check out this video on the subject of a disappearing Venice)
The emission of these gases come from several different sources of human activity, from the electricity we use in our homes, driving automobiles, and even agricultural practices.
“The atmosphere is our garbage dump,” said Tans.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, from 1990 to 2014 greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities in the United States has increased by 7%, with electricity being the largest source of emission, and carbon dioxide being the number one gas emitted.
According to Tans, as the Arctic warms over time, even more carbon dioxide and methane will be released into the atmosphere. Add in all the carbon dioxide and methane we are putting into the air, and our atmosphere will continue to grow warmer, causing more changes to our climate, including longer-lasting heat waves, more severe droughts, continual rising sea levels and more.
So, what can you do to help? How can we keep our carbon footprint low?
- At home, use LED bulbs, which use up to 80% less energy.
- Replace older appliances that use more energy.
- Recycle!! The EPA estimates that recycling could save up to 582 pounds of CO2 per year.
- Drive less. Drive an electric or hybrid. (“Better public transportation is a good one,” said Tans.)
- Eat less meat. A vegan diet reduces carbon impact by at least 20%. Just cutting out beef will have a significant benefit.
- Buy more locally sourced goods. Less travel is involved, so there are fewer emissions.
- Invest in renewable energy.
- Use your own bags at the grocery store.
Some governments are trying to do their part as well; the Paris Agreement was negotiated as a way for countries across the globe to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit climate change. 166 countries have put together plans on how to reduce their greenhouse gas pollution in the near future.
NOAA recently released a report stating that the planet has experienced its second warmest year to date, and that sea ice coverage remains at near-record lows.
The planet has survived incredibly dramatic climate changes over its approximate 4.5 billion year life. Our planet will survive this change, what Tans calls a ‘global predicament,’ but will we be able to?
