Climate Change: Causes and Negative Impacts

Climate change is one of the most challenging and universally recognized issues of our time. Scientists have been trying to draw attention to climate change for years, and it is a critical issue that deeply affects not only the future but also the present. So, what is the essence of this concept that prompts governments to make policy changes and resonates with civil society? How does it impact ecosystems and daily life, and what can be done to prevent climate change?

What is Climate Change?

Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperatures and seasonal conditions. Such changes can be natural, caused by changes in the Sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. However, human activities since the Industrial Revolution have become the main cause of climate change. The major factor in this change is the consumption of fossil fuels.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which are present in the atmosphere in balanced proportions, help to keep some of the sun’s rays in the atmosphere. This allows the earth to remain at a certain temperature and ensures the continuity of life on the planet. This warming and heat retention is called the greenhouse effect. Fossil fuels have caused serious changes in the rate of this natural greenhouse effect, triggering a much faster warming of the planet.

What is Global Warming?

Greenhouse gases trap some heat on the earth’s surface, preventing the seas and oceans from freezing. However, when these gases start to accumulate at high rates in the atmosphere, they cause the planet to warm more than normal, posing life-threatening risks. For example, increases in the number of industrial activities, along with industrialization and population growth, lead to the release of copious amounts of greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere increase the average temperature of the earth’s surface, leading to many environmental problems such as global warming. While global warming causes the balance in nature to deteriorate, it leaves negative effects on the environment both locally and globally.

What are the Causes of Climate Change?

The causes of climate change can be analyzed under two main headings: environmental causes and human causes. 

Environmental Causes

Environmental causes refer to changes in climate caused by natural conditions. Although there have been cases in the past that have caused significant changes, the effects of these environmental causes have been extremely limited in the last few centuries. We can list them as follows:

• Volcanic eruptions: The ash and sulfur compounds from these eruptions are suspended in the air. This prevents the sun’s rays from reaching the earth’s surface, leading to climate change.
• Solar Eruptions: The sun is the Earth’s primary source of energy. For this reason, differences in the movements of the sun have qualities that can directly affect the climate system. For example, the radiation emitted to the planet because of solar flares plays an effective role in increasing the temperature on Earth at high rates.
• Sunspots: A decrease in sunspots has a cooling effect on the planet. However, its effect is minimal due to the increased greenhouse gases.
• Meteoric Events: Meteorites striking the Earth can also cause profound changes in climates. For example, a meteorite that hit the Earth 66 million years ago radically changed the climate for millions of years.
• Biological Events: Some activities of living things also have an impact on climate change. The increase or decrease of certain organisms can have an impact on the climate.
• Forest Fires: Forest fires caused by natural causes are one of the main causes of global warming. Since trees can absorb excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, they could reduce the effects of gases that can cause climate change.
• Frozen Soils: Frozen soils leach copious amounts of carbon into the Earth’s atmosphere. This is one of the crucial factors that trigger global warming. 

Human Causes

Human causes describe changes that occur because of human activity. Studies by climate scientists show that humans have been responsible for all global warming in the last two hundred years.

• Non-renewable Energy Sources: The use of fossil and biomass fuels is among the greatest harms to nature caused by human activities. These sources generate greenhouse gas emissions and play a critical role in climate change.
• Incinerated Garbage and Waste: Burning garbage and waste releases elevated levels of toxic gases such as methane into the atmosphere. Population Growth: Rapid population growth leads to more energy and natural resource consumption and more carbon dioxide emissions. Mining Activities: Mining operations are a crucial factor that increases the level of harmful gases such as methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Fertilizer Use: The use of artificial fertilizers in agriculture produces nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is three hundred times more dangerous than carbon dioxide and is considered one of the main causes of global warming.
• Livestock Activities: Many of the processes in the livestock sector release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, excessive meat consumption indirectly contributes to climate change.
• Destruction of Forest Lands: The destruction of forested areas for activities such as livestock, agriculture, and construction are among the main land use changes that cause climate change.

What are the Negative Impacts of Climate Change?

Changes in climate cause problems in many areas from biodiversity to ecosystems, from economy to human life. The Paris Agreement, which entered into force in 2015, aims to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

Some of the negativities that occur due to climate change and that may occur if the set target is not achieved are as follows:

• Rapidly increasing air temperatures cause severe damage to biodiversity. Changes in land and water may lead some species to change their habitats. It may cause some species to disappear completely.
• Due to the warm air, the polar ice caps melt, causing sea levels to rise. The number of natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and erosion also increase.
• With the increase in temperature on the planet, the capacities and reserves of water basins may start to decrease. At the same time, the water capacity of lakes and rivers can also be damaged by the existing temperature. This is a crucial factor that may cause water, which is a basic need of life, to become insufficient over time.
• With increasing temperatures, forest fires also become more frequent and increase in certified areas. This situation brings with its drought and scarcity, causing major problems.
• As a result of global warming, permafrost in the polar regions begins to melt, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This causes gases that can harm the climate to accumulate more in the atmosphere.
• Climate change triggers more frequent extreme weather events such as extreme temperatures, heavy rainfall, and hurricanes.

What can be done to prevent climate change?

Climate change can negatively affect not only the environment but also economic and social life in many ways. The measures that can be taken at the individual and social level to prevent climate change are as follows:

Energy Saving: Unplugging appliances such as televisions, computers, and phone chargers when they are not in use is a major step that can be taken to prevent climate change. Electrical devices continue to consume energy if they are plugged in even when not in use. At the same time, energy-saving options can be considered for all electronic devices.

Sustainable Energy Sources: Sustainable energy sources can be preferred by reducing the use of fossil fuels in both individual use and production sectors. The use of technologies that support renewable energy sources such as household solar panels and wind turbines can be expanded.

Afforestation: Green areas can be increased, and more trees can be planted. For example, parks and gardens help to stabilize the temperature by preventing overheating in the city.

Water Conservation: Protecting water resources, which are diminishing because of global warming and climate change, is crucial for a sustainable future. The decrease in agricultural and forestry products due to desertification and drought caused by global warming is alarming. Therefore, it is necessary to save water for individual use, agriculture, and industries.

Sustainable Agriculture: The production processes of meat and dairy products cause large carbon emissions into the atmosphere. By reducing the consumption of these foods, the carbon footprint can be significantly reduced. In addition, instead of consuming exotic fruits and vegetables, local agricultural products can be preferred to support the elimination of greenhouse gases emitted during transportation.

Transportation: For close-distance travel, more environmentally friendly alternatives such as railways can be preferred instead of air travel. This is because airplanes consume copious amounts of fossil fuels and emit excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. At the same time, when buying a car, hybrid or electric models are options that can reduce the need for fossil fuels. For short distances, public transportation or bicycles can be used instead of motorized vehicles, which are also environmentally friendly options.

Recycling: Waste management systems can be developed to prevent the emission of harmful gases from burning garbage. At the same time, energy and raw materials can be saved by expanding the use of products made from recyclable materials.

We have already mentioned that the most crucial factor causing climate change is fossil fuels, and the areas where these fuels are consumed the most are production processes. For this reason, raising awareness among organizations and companies about reducing carbon emissions and using sustainable methods creates significant changes.

At QuickCarbon, we enable organizations to calculate and report their carbon footprints according to ISO 14064-1:2018 standard and GHG Protocol without any consultancy services. Based on the reports you obtain; you can reduce your activities that may cause climate change and support the construction of a sustainable future.