Human Impact on Co2 Research Paper Example

Since the 19th century, the global average temperature has risen 1.8 degrees fahrenheit. Humans are a pretty big factor in the rise of Co2 in the atmosphere which arguably is causing this heat rise. Humans are responsible for the rise in Co2 because of the amount of Co2 we emit and the record high temperatures and Co2 in the atmosphere.

A big reason that shows that humans are linked to the amount of Co2 is due to the amount of Co2 we emit. Since the industrial revolution, humans have started to produce carbon dioxide. In the article, “The Causes of Climate Change” it states, “The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to about 417 parts per million in the last 151 years” (Nasa). The rapid rise in the human population has caused us to need to produce more carbon. This is shown by the rise of carbon in the atmosphere.  Humans produce carbon when burning fossil fuels which happens when we drive our cars, burn coal to produce energy, and do lots of other things that humans depend on. So naturally as the population rises, we have to burn more fossil fuels to sustain more people.

Another reason humans are linked to the rise in Co2 is climate and the amount of Co2 in the atmosphere. The Earth has a natural cycle where temperatures will change and Co2 levels will fluctuate from lower to higher. Since humans have started burning fossil fuels, Co2 emissions have started to rise in a pattern that doesn’t match the Earth's natural cycle.  In the article, “Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” it states, “In fact, the last time the atmospheric CO₂ amounts were this high was more than 3 million years ago...” (Lindsey).  This shows that humans are responsible for the rise in Co2 because of how high the amount of Co2 in the atmosphere is and how quickly it has gotten to this point. Temperatures have also been rising since humans have started producing lots of Co2. In the article, “Are humans causing or contributing to global warming?” it states, “Virtually all climate scientists agree that this increase in heat-trapping gases is the main reason for the 1.8°F (1.0°C) rise in global average temperature since the late nineteenth century” (Herring). Co2 in the atmosphere is proven to be linked with the global temperature of the Earth. So the more Co2 in the atmosphere the higher the global temperature will rise. This temperature rise also ties in at the same time that humans have started to industrialize and produce more carbon dioxide.

In conclusion, humans are shown to be linked to the amount and the rise of Co2 in the atmosphere. This is shown by the amount of carbon we produce and the changes in climate and rise in Co2 in the atmosphere.