Carbon Emissions and the Reasons You Can't Blame Climate Change on Anyone but Yourself

You hear a lot of discussion about carbon emissions these days. You hear about the “big polluters” and grim predictions of looming environmental disaster. While it’s tempting to believe that someone out there is really to blame, you’ve been missing the big picture. While you could be excused for blaming large corporations on carbon emission restrictions, it turns out that your personal carbon footprint is far greater than that of anyone else.

What Are Carbon Emissions?

Carbon emissions are a gas that is emitted as a by-product of burning natural resources like coal, wood, or oil.

They’re also released when organic materials are manufactured or combusted.

They are also known as carbon dioxide emissions and are one of the leading contributors to global warming. Any product whose main purpose is to manage energy use may also produce carbon emissions.

Carbon emissions are the most common greenhouse gas. In fact, carbon dioxide is breathed out by all living things!

That might not sound too exciting, but carbon emissions can take different forms depending on what kind of fuel they’re from—coal, oil, or natural gas—and how they were burnt.

Specifically, they contain a variety of chemical elements including carbon and sulphur, which create different chemicals that interact with our atmosphere in several ways.

When you burn wood, gas, oil, or coal for energy, you release carbon dioxide.

Cars and power plants also release carbon dioxide into the air when they burn fossil fuels.

The more you drive and the more things you do at home (e.g., turning your thermostat up), the more carbon emissions you contribute to overall.

Emissions from vehicles and industrial operations also have an impact on carbon in the atmosphere.

Plants and animals absorb some of the carbon dioxide, but much of it remains in our atmosphere trapping heat. Remember:

• Most emissions come from the burning, transportation, and transformation of fossil fuels
• These emissions can cause serious health issues, contribute to global warming and acid rain
• They are any emissions produced due to human activity that intensify the natural greenhouse effect
• Carbon dioxide contributes to the temperature of our planet it is believed to contribute to climate change
• Human activities and energy production such as oil, coal, gas, and solid-waste incineration release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

The Top Sources of Carbon Emissions

You might be surprised to know that about two-thirds of carbon emissions come from the energy we use in our homes.

There are lots of small, easy ways you can cut emissions and save money at home. These include washing clothes in cold water and turning off lights when you don’t need them.

And you can all but eliminate emissions at home by driving less, using green power, and adding solar panels.

Energy emissions from electricity generation–emissions produced by power plants, transmission lines and other infrastructure–are often ignored when discussing total emissions.

Carbon is responsible for about 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The top two sources of emissions are electricity generation and transportation.

Throughout the world, coal-fired power plants supply much of the electricity you use.

But it takes a lot of energy to get those plants going–and burning coal is one of the leading contributors to global climate change.

You can help cut your emissions by generating electricity with clean, renewable sources like wind and solar.

Generate clean electricity with wind and solar power and you’ll be doing your part to help reduce your carbon footprint on the environment.

By using these resources to create electricity, we can help prevent the build-up of greenhouse gases and reduce our own contributions to climate change.

So, there’s a lot of benefit for everyone involved—everyone, in fact, except for utility companies and traditional fossil fuel producers.

The transition away from fossil fuels isn’t just good for climate change; it’s also great for consumers as well!

And with more renewable energy projects in the works worldwide, we can expect consumers to benefit even more in the years ahead.

Manmade Emissions Are the Problem

We’re all familiar with the science behind climate change. Carbon emissions are an important part of the process that causes it.

But there’s a part of the discussion that gets left out: we often do not understand where manmade emissions come from.

Together, the human carbon footprint is more than 60% of these carbon emissions. This means that human activities are creating over 60% of carbon emissions on Earth.

The carbon emissions are greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activity, such as fossil fuel burning and even cement production.

Our planet is warming, plants and animals are disappearing, there’s a hole in the ozone layer and pollution kills millions every year.

Surely, we have a responsibility to make sure we leave things better than we found them?

We emit a lot of emissions. You can see them in the air when you’re driving around.

You can smell them every time you burn wood, coal, or gas.

Minimising emissions is one of the ways we should be working to build a sustainable future.

It goes without saying that manmade GHG emissions are having a negative impact on our planet.

It’s not just about the atmosphere, either—it’s also about the oceans and other ecosystems as well.

It’s also a problem for humanity in general, even if it’s hard to see how at first.

The earth’s climate has been changing for millions of years, and it is a natural mechanism that keeps the planet healthy.

In fact, the earth’s climate has experienced earlier periods where levels of atmospheric CO2 were much higher than they have been in recent history.

Unfortunately, manmade emissions are speeding up these processes at a rate that the planet has not seen before.

Greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, planes, factories, and coal-fired power plants are all to blame for this problem. Remember:

• Air is a necessity needed to live
• Manmade emissions are polluting our air
• Emissions are a problem for the environment
• CO2 emissions are trapping heat in the atmosphere
• Healthier air will give you more energy to do stuff
• Wind and solar power plants will help reduce emissions

The Effects of Climate Change

Carbon emissions are the main cause of climate change, so if everyone acts, we can reduce these effects.

We can reduce our carbon footprint by recycling, turning off appliances and lights when not being used, and driving less.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising, causing changes in our climate. By using energy more efficiently and cutting back on our use of fossil fuels, we are cutting carbon emissions too.

Climate change is happening, and we’re causing it. Nobody’s denying that. So why can’t we do anything about it?

Let’s start by not fighting over what we’ve done. Instead, we should look forward—together.

We’ve all spent too long arguing about the past to see our way clearly into the future.

It is time to stop arguing and start focusing on solutions that will provide you with greater energy savings. And more convenient monitoring of your heating and cooling systems.

Climate change is increasing steadily and rapidly. The world needs to control its rising temperatures by putting an end to the release of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

It will be up to the people who are concerned about climate change to instil in their friends and families the need for conservation and for acting.

Your carbon footprint – the amount of greenhouse gases you generate during the course of your daily life. This is a powerful tool for measuring your impact on climate change.

And climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our generation.

With time, rising sea levels and shifting weather patterns will disrupt existing ecosystems and threaten the people that rely on them for food and livelihood.

Mountain glaciers supply fresh water for millions of people around the world, and fluctuations in their volume can affect water availability.

The effects of climate change are already here – carbon emissions lead to a warmer climate that threatens our health, safety, and economic prosperity.

Carbon Emissions and Human Health

Research has led to the theory that the burning of fossil fuels is a significant contributor to global warming and its harms, including to human health.

The current level of carbon emissions is unsustainable, and it is clear what need to be done.

Greenhouse gases which includes CO2 and methane trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere.

Tropical forests, like the Amazon rainforest, act like a giant sponge, soaking up carbon dioxide. But as forests are cleared for cattle grazing, timber, or to make room for farms, less carbon dioxide is soaked up.

Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from everything from car engines to power plants have made an impact on our climate and air quality.

It’s no secret, driving a car with a tailpipe means emitting greenhouse gases into the environment.

But did you know that all that pollution also influences human health?

Inhaling smog and pollutants has a huge impact on one’s lungs, heart, and even one’s mental health.

The health effects of climate change are far-reaching and significant. From elevated levels of ozone, particulate matter, and toxic chemicals to climatic events like heat waves.

Even floods, droughts, sea level rise and the spread of infectious diseases, will all have a profound effect on human health.

The most obvious solution would be to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions, but with no regulation in many parts of the world, that seems difficult.

An alternative would be to get educated about the risks. Then we can make informed decisions about our lifestyles and reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible.

People need to be willing to take part in carbon emission reductions.

This can be by taking alternative transportation or buying hybrid or electric vehicles, because current global warming trends need to be reversed.

Protecting the environment is inherently a good thing, especially from a conservation point of view.

Of course, there are various arguments on both sides of the issue and naturally, debate swells whenever large-scale changes take place.

While some say that reducing carbon emissions is going too far, others believe it’s not enough.

Solutions for Fighting Climate Change

If you are one of those people who feels helpless in the face of climate change, it may be time to look at solutions rather than problems.

Actions that you can take to reduce your carbon emissions can help do your part. And raise awareness that climate change is here, and we need answers now.

The time for indecision is past; we must be bold and decisive in combating climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

There are many ways to reduce energy consumption, and those efforts will have to come from all sectors of society.

And that means that we need to understand and think creatively about the emissions problem from multiple angles – not only from a standpoint of personal convenience or economic growth.

The recognition of the size of this problem is certainly daunting, but it’s also an opportunity.

We need to find a way to address climate change together and make a real impact on the problem.

Climate change is a complex issue, and there isn’t one simple answer to solving it.

That said, there are many steps that can be taken to foster a sustainable future for generations to come.

So, as you do your part to limit your own carbon footprint, investigate other ways you can help out with this global problem.

You just might be able to make a real difference.

Whether you believe in climate change or not, we should all agree that our planet is at a crucial crossroads. We are leaving behind a carbon footprint that has massive implications for generations to come.

And while there are many ways to tackle the problem, one of the most effective solutions is to simply do our best to reduce our environmental impact wherever possible.

If every one of us makes small changes in how we live our lives, we can collectively make a huge difference and help future generations escape this crisis.

Don’t be a climate change denier—make a change today!