{"id":65,"date":"2013-10-30T01:59:27","date_gmt":"2013-10-30T01:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/therevolutionmovie.com\/?page_id=65"},"modified":"2021-05-21T14:30:13","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T18:30:13","slug":"causes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/therevolutionmovie.com\/index.php\/open-your-eyes\/climate-change\/causes\/","title":{"rendered":"Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Atmospheric Dumping Ground<\/span><\/h3>\n

Today\u2019s atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide far exceed the natural range over the last 650,000 years.[6. IPCC. Fourth Assessment Report. Synthesis Report. www.ipcc.ch<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"The

The Carbon Cycle showing how carbon is recycled in the environment<\/p><\/div>\n

Our current rate of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere of about 2 parts per million (ppm)\/year exceeds that of the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum \u2013 a period of global warming where many terrestrial mammals became extinct. Humans have released about 1,374 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since the 1800s.[7. World Meteorological Organization. \u201cGreenhouse Gas Bulletin. The State of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere Based on Global Observations through 2011.\u201d Nov. 19, 2012. www.wmo.int<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Before the Industrial Revolution (around 1750), the Earth\u2019s carbon dioxide level was 280 ppm. As of January 2013, the global carbon dioxide concentration had risen to 395 ppm \u2013 it is predicted that by 2013 those levels will hit 500 to 1000 ppm.[8. IPCC. Data Distribution Centre. \u201cCarbon Dioxide: Projected emissions and concentrations.\u201d November 2011. www.ipcc-data.org<\/a>]<\/p>\n

The atmosphere is treated as an unregulated dumping ground free for everybody to put whatever they want into it and that needs to stop<\/em>. – Andrew Weaver, University of Victoria, Revolution<\/p>\n

Temperatures have risen around the world, with greater temperature increases at higher northern latitudes.[9. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Synthesis Report. Chapter 1.1. \u201cObserved changes in climate and their effects.\u201d www.ipcc.ch<\/a>] Average Arctic temperatures have increased at almost twice the global average rate in the past 100 years.[10. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Synthesis Report. Chapter 1.1. \u201cObserved changes in climate and their effects.\u201d www.ipcc.ch<\/a>] Recent studies suggest it was increased carbon dioxide levels that led to the end of the last ice age.[11. Nature. \u201cGlobal warming preceded by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations during the last deglaciation.\u201d J. Shakun et al. April 5, 2012. www.nature.com<\/a>] The raised temperatures that brought the earth out from beneath the ice are similar to the rapid increase in levels we\u2019ve created since the industrial revolution.<\/p>\n

Progress: Non-Stop Carbon Dioxide<\/h3>\n
\n
\"Carbon

Carbon Pollution in our Atmosphere<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Climate

Climate Change was once caused by natural events like Volcanic Activity<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to global warming of all the greenhouses gases. Depending on emission rates, carbon dioxide levels of today could double or triple by 2100.[12. United States Environmental Protection Agency. \u201cClimate Change. Causes of Climate Change.\u201d www.epa.gov<\/a>] Scientists estimate that the Earth will warm by an average 1.1 to 6.4\u00b0C by 2100 \u2013 increasing an average of 0.2\u00b0C per decade.[13. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Synthesis Report. www.ipcc.ch<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Past climate change was caused by natural events: changes in Earth\u2019s orbit, the sun’s intensity, the amount of explosive volcanic activity, changes to the surface of the Earth and the position of the continents.[14. Government of Canada. \u201cCanada\u2019s Action on Climate Change. 10 Things You Should Know About Climate Change.\u201d Aug. 23, 2012] Now, climate change is caused by human activities.<\/p>\n

We are putting more carbon emissions into the atmosphere than the lands and oceans can absorb. Together, they absorb about half of global carbon dioxide emissions, but it\u2019s not enough to stop global warming. In fact, oceans have been taking up more than 80 percent of the heat being added to the climate due to increased greenhouse gas emissions for the last 50 years.[15. PCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Synthesis Report. Chapter 1.1. \u201cObserved changes in climate and their effects.\u201d www.ipcc.ch<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Due to global warming, land and ocean uptake of carbon dioxide will be reduced \u2013 so more carbon dioxide will remain in our atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Our Fossil Fuel Addiction<\/h3>\n
\"Carbon

Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels (like oil during transportation) makes up 57 percentof global greenhouse gases<\/p><\/div>\n

Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil) makes up 57 percent of global greenhouse gases.[16. EPA\/IPCC] Fossil fuels are burned for electricity, transportation, industry, cooking and heating.<\/p>\n

Did you know that carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas has no carbon-14, a radioactive form of carbon?[17. American Geophysical Union. New monitoring system identifies carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning. www.agu.org<\/a>] This is how carbon dioxide from human activities can be calculated separately from carbon dioxide from natural processes.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rehab Needed for Energy Addiction<\/h3>\n

We have relied on fossil fuels as our main supply of energy for more than 150 years. Fossil fuels supply 80 percent of global energy needs and[18. World Coal Institute. Key Elements of a post-2012 agreement on Climate Change. www.worldcoal.org<\/a>] demand will grow by more than one-third by 2035.[19. International Energy Agency. \u201cNorth America leads shift in global energy balance, IEA says in latest World Energy Outlook.\u201d November 12, 2012.] China, India and the Middle East account for 60 percent of the growth.[20. International Energy Agency. \u201cNorth America leads shift in global energy balance, IEA says in latest World Energy Outlook.\u201d November 12, 2012.]
\nArguments that fossil fuels are cheaper to use than renewables, flies in the face of the subsidies provided to fossil fuel industries. In 2011, fossil fuel subsidies totalled $523 billion.[21. International Energy Agency. \u201cNorth America leads shift in global energy balance, IEA says in latest World Energy Outlook.\u201d November 12, 2012.]<\/p>\n

\"We

We have relied on fossil fuels as our main supply of energy for more than 150 years<\/p><\/div>\n

2010 carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels totalled 30.3 billion tonnes:[22. International Energy Agency. CO2 Emissions From Fuel Combustion. Highlights 2012.]<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. 43% coal = 13.1 billion tonnes<\/li>\n
  2. 36% oil = 10.9 billion tonnes<\/li>\n
  3. 20% gas = 6.1 billion tonnes<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    2035 carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are estimated to be 37 billion tonnes.41% coal = 15.3 billion tonnes[23. International Energy Agency. CO2 Emissions From Fuel Combustion. Highlights 2012.]<\/p>\n