Climate change has become a major topic of discussion as of late, with scientists, government officials, and other stakeholders concerned about the rising levels of global greenhouse gas emissions and how that is affecting the Earth’s climate. One of the main questions surrounding this topic is how did the global warming start? Although the short answer to this question is that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases is the main driver of climate change, the reality is much more complex.
Climate change is a long-term process, and it is impossible to trace the exact moment when it all began. That said, scientists have been able to analyze both past and current emissions of greenhouse gases and their impacts upon the planet. It is widely believed that the global rise in temperature began as far back as 200 years ago, when the Industrial Revolution began and humans started to burn large amounts of fossil fuels like coal and oil to power machines. This process released increasing amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases into the atmosphere.
At first, the rising levels of CO2 and other anthropogenic (man-made) greenhouse gases caused the air to heat up slowly, creating a “greenhouse effect” which allowed more of the Sun’s heat to be trapped in the atmosphere instead of dissipating into the environment. As this process continued, global temperatures began to climb, setting off an array of changes across the planet, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification, glacial melting and an overall increase in extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, and storms.
The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world and will only become more severe if drastic changes are not made soon. Governments, businesses, and individuals all have a role to play in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energies like solar, wind, and geothermal can go a long way towards slowing down the process of climate change. Additionally, individuals can make a personal commitment to lowering their carbon footprints by adopting eco-friendly habits, such as switching to a plant-based diet, minimizing food waste, reducing energy use, and taking public transportation whenever possible.
At the end of the day, while it is difficult to point out the exact moment when global warming began, the important thing to remember is that there are concrete steps that can be taken to address it. With efforts from all levels of society, we can mitigate the impacts of climate change and build a more sustainable future for generations to come.
