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Brynnah Anderson

Professor Massie

ENGL 1302

December 23, 2018

Causes of Climate Change

There are approximately 7.5 billion people inhabiting the earth. All of whom contribute

to the significant issue of climate change in some aspect. Climate change can be described as a

change in weather patterns due to the increasing levels of man-made pollution (Carr). Many

individuals are skeptical regarding the topic for the simple fact that they do not wish to believe

that society is slowly destroying the world through their actions. However, there are scholarly

articles and valid journals containing scientific evidence to support the claim that artificial

pollutants are the cause of climate change on the environment. The air we breathe, the land we

walk on, the vast oceans and the artic regions are all victim to the damages being made by

humans.

Air contaminants such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide are two main

contributing factors that cause the unfortunate phenomenon of climate change. Nitrogen oxides

are a group of seven highly reactive gases (EPA). Carbon monoxide can be described as a

colorless, odorless, tasteless, and toxic air pollutant. It is produced during the incomplete

combustion of carbon-containing fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, oil, coal, and wood

(National Academies of Sciences). According to a Huffington Post article, there are over 1

billion motorized vehicles on the planet (Tencer). Each of these automobiles emit nitrogen

oxides, carbon monoxide and many other hazardous fumes. However, cars are not the only
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source of these contaminants. Industrial activities such as producing steel are also to blame for

the pollution invading the air. In 2016, the World Steele Association reported that roughly 3.5

million pounds of steel was manufactured. The Steele industry is responsible for approximately

6.5% of all the carbon dioxide emissions (greenspec). These alarming numbers allow humanity

to observe exactly how these man-made pollutants are the cause of climate change. Releasing

these toxins into the environment causes an interaction between water and oxygen to occur,

therefore resulting in acid rain. This interaction causes a massive decrease in air quality as well

as negatively impacts land structures.

Aside from the contamination of air quality, another main component that is affected by

pollution, is the land that civilization occupies and walks on every day. The foundation of all

artificially manufactured buildings, products, homes, and roads all begin with the soil beneath

them. Factors such as solid waste, pesticides and deforestation all come into play when

discussing the demise of planet earth. Solid waste is any liquid or solid garbage that may

contaminate water, land and air supply. The deposition of solid waste from all over the world

seeps into the ground beneath it, therefore damaging good soil and the underground drinking-

water supply (Nathanson). Pesticides also contribute to the deterioration of nature. Pesticides are

chemicals used by many farmers to kill insects and other creatures in order to prevent harm from

plants and crops. Like solid waste, pesticides also break down and seep into the earth, causing

soil and drinking-water to become tainted. Lastly, deforestation is one of the most crucial

elements of land pollution that effects the environment the most. Deforestation is when humans

clear or thin forests in order to build homes and commercial facilities. According to Science

Magazine, when tropical forests were replaced by pastures, there was a significant increase in

surface temperature and a decrease in evapotranspiration and precipitation over Amazonia. In

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turn, this causes longer seasons of drought. Therefore, backing the claim that man-made

pollution is the cause of climate change.

While land and air pollution are extremely relevant in regard to climate change, the

contamination of oceans, rivers, and creeks all over the world is a major ongoing issue in society.

Oil spills, hazardous run off, and litter all impact the health of aquatic wildlife. Although there

are many other contributing factors, these three key elements cause majority of impurities within

all bodies of water. Oil spills occur when liquid petroleum hydrocarbon pollutes the ocean due to

human error. As a result of an oil spill, mass amounts of marine life are unable to survive after

ingesting these oils. These chemicals containing carbon dioxide are spilt into the ocean, which is

one of the main causes of global warming. Apart from oils spills, hazardous run off also impacts

bodies of water. Run off is when there is an excess amount of water on land that in turn travels

off of land surfaces and into rivers, creeks and oceans. Runoff becomes hazardous from sewage,

garbage, chemicals and fecal matter. As the water is running off from the land, it is picking up

contaminants along the way, before reaching the bodies of water, therefore causing pollution.

Litter and run off go hand in hand. Litter is considered trash that is left on the ground outside,

rather than being properly thrown away. Eventually, majority of this garbage will end up in the

ocean. Out of the 250 million tons of plastic produced each year, approximately 10% is found in

the ocean (Guern). All of this pollution invading vast amounts of bodies of water, is one of the

reasons for the increase in global temperature over the years. It is also the cause of drastic and

unusual weather patterns.

Lastly, the artic regions also experience immense amounts of pollution throughout the

year. All of the contaminants that effect the air, land and bodies of water, also impact the ice

caps, therefore causing them to melt. As stated previously, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide,
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pesticides, solid waste, oil spills and hazardous runoff are all contributing factors that induce

climate change. When discussing the artic and polar regions, these chemicals infect the ice caps.

Traces of these substances have been found in sediments, snow, sea ice glaciers, tundra and artic

animals. Finding these contaminants in such freezing conditions is an indicator that they traveled

far and are not biodegradable. The world is made up of approximately 71% water. When the ice

caps melt due to high amounts of pollutants, this increases the amount of water covering the

earth. Eventually, if society continues to act oblivious, there will be too much water for

civilization to continue. The earth will be submerged in water, therefore resulting in the loss of

humanity.

Overall, landscapes all over the world are being affected by the tremendous amount of

damage that society is inducing through the use of man-made pollution. With each year that

passes, the earth is slowly increasing in temperature. Whether it be air, land, bodies of water or

the artic regions, no aspect of life is safe from the lethal toxins that are invading the earths

beauty. Each pollutant causes colossal changes to the climate. If society continues on this route,

they will be responsible for the loss of civilization due to the absence of pure water and crops, as

well as the whole world being submerged by large amounts of water. Climate change is real and

through artificial pollution, humans are the reason why. There are changes that can be made to

hopefully fix the destruction. Every little action counts. All it takes is one person to make the

right decision. If everyone contributed to the cleaning up of the planet, society can change the

destiny of the world. It is time for humanity to open their eyes and make a change that will take

care of the planet, rather than destroy it.

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Works Cited

Carr, Paul H. "WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE DOING TO US AND FOR US?" Zygon:

Journal of Religion & Science (2018): 443-461.

EPA. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Pollution. 8 September 2016. 23 December 2018.

greenspec. Steel production & Environmental Impact. December 2018.

Guern, Claire Le. Coastal Care. 1 March 2018. 23 December 2018.

Nathanson, Jerry A. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 26 July 2017. 22 December 2018.

National Academies of Sciences. The Ongoing Challenge of Managing Carbon Monoxide

Pollution in Fairbanks, Alaska: Interim Report. 1 January 2002. 23 December 2018.

Tencer, Daniel. Number Of Cars Worldwide Surpasses 1 Billion; Can The World Handle This

Many Wheels? 23 August 2011. 22 December 2018.