The Role of Deforestation and Pollution in Climate Change Essay Example

Insect outbreaks, rising temperatures, melting ice caps, bad air quality, and droughts. Pretty sure everyone has heard of these terms by now. Especially the term "Save the Polar Bears." And with all these natural phenomenons going on right now, all are caused by climate change. Climate change is a change in the earth's normal weather patterns with usually a potential cause. The argument going on around the world about what causes climate change has had people on two sides. Did humanity cause it or is it something else? Well, with lots of data and research done by scientists, it is safe to say that climate change is caused by human activity because of deforestation and pollution.

Deforestation has been going on for thousands of years due to overpopulation, construction of buildings, and to make space for huge architectural projects like farms, parks, or ranches. But there is a factor to deforestation that often goes unnoticed or ignored and that is the effect it has on the planet. For example, as stated by the Union of Concerned Scientists organization, a group of professional scientists and students at the Massachusetts Institute of technology say “...CO2 from tropical deforestation now makes up less than 10 percent of global warming pollution”(UOCS, par. 3) . This shows that out of all the possible contributions to climate change, deforestation makes up about ten percent. Meaning deforestation plays a big part in why climate change is becoming a problem. The human act of cutting and removing large areas of trees is a big factor in climate change.  In addition, another key piece to this problem is discussed by Jeff Turrentine and Jillian Mackenzie two Washington Post writers who are a part of the Natural Resource Defence Council, an organization of elite scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates say “Lab and field studies are showing that pollen-producing plants—especially ragweed—grow larger and produce more pollen when you increase the amount of carbon dioxide that they grow in,”(Mackenzie and Turrentine, par. 12). This implies that with carbon dioxide levels rising other plants that are also not so good for the environment start to grow bigger due to their need for this particular gas. Showcasing that the more the act of deforestation happens, not only is society removing one of the only things on this planet that could help solve this growing problem but humans are also causing other factors in the environment to add to it.

Another predominant reason human activity is the cause of climate change is the amount of pollution the world emits into the atmosphere. As seen in an article made by the NRDC “Burning fossil fuels releases gases and chemicals into the air.” And in an especially destructive feedback loop, air pollution not only contributes to climate change but is also exacerbated by it” (Turrtine and Mackenzie par. 2). “ This demonstrates that the amount of fossil fuels that are being emitted into the air is a big factor in climate change and not only causes it but makes it worse. Further demonstrating the point on why human activity is causing climate change. Fossil fuels are created when factories produce carbon dioxide emissions that enter the atmosphere causing the Earth to warm up. Another piece of evidence given to us by the UOCS makes it known that "Current economic practices which damage the environment, in both developed and underdeveloped nations, cannot be continued without the risk that vital global systems will be damaged beyond repair” ( UOCS par. 13).  This is saying that what us humans are doing to make money and grow the economy is also causing a detrimental toll on the environment. So much so that it is “beyond repair”. Signifying that the actions of human beings have been going on for so long that have been destructive to the environment. And with jobs that the world so greatly depends on like coal mining, manufacturing jobs, construction jobs, ect have caused this to get worse.

Although many other scientists on the other side of this situation see things differently. According to Mark New, a director of the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town “Natural external causes such as increases or decreases in volcanic activity or solar radiation. For example, every 11 years or so, the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips and this can cause small fluctuations in global temperature, up to about 0.2 degrees”( New, par. 6) . Basically saying that natural occurrences could be the cause of climate change. And that humans may not be the reason for it.

But news from the worldwide known government agency NASA says otherwise. “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. The panel also concluded there's a better than 95 percent probability that human-produced greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have caused much of the observed increase in Earth's temperatures over the past 50-plus years"(ESCT, par. 17). This completely overturns Mark News' point about natural events causing climate change. If natural circumstances were the only cause of climate change then the temperature of Earth would be significantly lower. But this is stating that the world economic practices that have been going on for quite some time have a very substantial impact on the earth. And with these groundbreaking statistics, there is absolutely no way, without a doubt, that natural phenomenons are the only cause.

In the end, Climate change is caused by human activity because of deforestation and pollution. Seeing how deforestation makes up a remarkable part of climate change and can cause other factors in the environment to create problems. And also seeing how greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide often made by human activities are warming up the earth and could be the biggest part of the problem. And even after all the information scientists around the world have gathered for what is causing climate change it isn't a solution. Society can sit and continue to argue over what could be causing this problem but it isn't fixing it. The world needs to gather together and find a way to save our planet. Because if mankind continues to prove their own views, time will continue to run out.