Humans as the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse

On Earth
By: Michael John E. Pulma

Our Planet Earth that has an age of 4.543 billion year has been the home of all living
things and to non-living things since then, but theirs one among of all the species that is
perhaps superior to all, and that is us, the Humans. Humans have been perhaps the
superior species among all the species that have been living through out the millenniums.
Perhaps we have been the superior species because we out-smart or out-done other
living creatures through out the world. Although we do not belong among the Apex
Predators or the Top Predators but with our intelligence, we have been acting like one.
We Humans have been this, and that, yet we Humans act more like animals than the
usual animals because we tend to disrupt our home, Earth.

Earth has been experiencing such extreme weather and extreme heat all around the
globe. Ice melting, super typhoons occurring, sea level rising, heat is ascending, and
climate changing, all of this is because of the Global Warming. This happens when too
much carbon dioxide (CO2) have been absorb through out the atmosphere. Through out
the history our Carbon Dioxide that has been absorbing through out the atmosphere have
been increasing since Pre-Industrial Age up until now. And yet our Carbon Dioxide
production is still increasing causing the heat from the Sun to trap itself in the Earth
because of too much carbon dioxide in our Atmosphere. This is caused by man made
machines which burns fossil fuels in order to obtain energy and electricity.

Since Pre- Industrial age we humans have been producing CO2s through the atmosphere
by burning wood or burning coals or charcoals that helps us to warm ourselves for the
cold night, especially in the northern countries. But the rapid increase of CO2 production
started at the age of Industrial Age (1750-1850) when steam driven locomotive trains
begun to rise as a transportation of people and as well as things that can not be
transported by humans only. Because of steam driven train, this kind of train work by
burning coal or charcoal or oil or wood and by this they produce CO2 to the atmosphere.
Before the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, global average of CO2 was about 280
ppm. Can you imagine at that time, the production of CO2 in the atmosphere were already
blowing sky high.

Then, because of the raging mankind, WW1 and WW2 happened and more CO2
discharged because of the war’s discharge of explosive and gun powder’s burning.
Between 1850 and 1960, the world generally experienced a constant growth of CO2
emissions, due largely to industrialization and population growth, particularly in the United
States. This development only saw some interruptions by historic events, like the Great
Depression in the 1930s and the end of World War II in 1945. After rising rapidly during
the first part of the 20th century, global average temperatures did cool by about 0.2°C but
not in a good way because the cooling were mostly because of the smoke emission that
covered the atmosphere blocking Sun light and heat up until 1940 and remained low until
1970, after which they began to climb rapidly again.

And now, the 21st Century begun. The generation were humans are so digitalized now a
days. Were cars and technology is everything. Because of this the CO2 ppm (parts per
million) began to grow. Today’s rate of increase is more than 100 times faster than the
increase that occurred when the last ice age ended which is the Interglacial Warm Period
that has 280 ppm. More CO2 are being emitted to the atmosphere because first is, the
Population Growth mainly on China and India. Second, is the population of cars that are
being made causing to release carbon monoxide. Unlike carbon dioxide, it does not occur
naturally in the atmosphere. The “incomplete” combustion of coal, natural gas, and oil is
a known environmental source of carbon monoxide. Low levels of oxygen and low
temperatures result in the formation of higher percentages of CO in the combustion
mixture.

Finally, Humans being vicious towards nature just like the Amazon Rainforest Fire
Tragedy. The Amazon Rainforest or called The Lungs of the World have hidden attributes
that play a key role in reducing pollutant levels. Over the last 150 years, humans have
been pumping massive amounts of CO2 into the air by burning fossil fuels, coal, oil and
natural gas this is a major driver for global climate change. Under natural conditions,
plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere and absorb it for photosynthesis, an energy-
creating process that yields oxygen that is being released again through the air. Yet,
people burn them for deforestation. This is how cruel humans can be just for the sake of
territory and infrastructure.

Although we also need to really burn fossil fuel in order to obtain energy and electricity
now a days, but let us not forget about the other main source of energy just like the solar
power energy, wind power energy, hydropower energy, geothermal energy, and tidal or
wave power energy (Nuclear Power is exceptional here because its risky and nuclear
waste is deadly if not contained properly). This are the other main sources of energy that
perhaps does not emit CO2 into atmosphere. If we were to enhance our knowledge and
focus not only on burning fossil fuels but also to this other main sources of energy. By
this, we can discover new main stream power sources that can possibly make more
energy or more power than burning fossil fuel that emits CO2 to the atmosphere. And by
this, we humans can show that we are not only a one sided thought that thinks all about
modernizing and making infrastructure around the world but also thinks about on what
going to happen to our home Earth if we start looking at the future first and by not looking
at the current situation first, so that our future generation will be safe in our hand and by
not destroying it with our hands.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://andy15blog.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/pre-industrial-age/

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/rotary/global_warming/03.shtml

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/amazon-fires-cause-
deforestation-graphic-map/

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle/page5.php

https://www.thoughtco.com/railways-in-the-industrial-revolution-1221650

http://www.co2science.org/subject/questions/1998/greenhouse.php

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/news/7074.html

https://www.quora.com/How-did-World-War-II-affect-CO2-emissions

https://www.indsci.com/blog-search/carbon-monoxide-vs.-carbon-dioxide-lets-compare/

http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/why
_amazon_important/
https://time.com/5661162/why-the-amazon-is-on-fire/