Global Warming: Not Just from Fossil Fuels

There are many assumptions and misconceptions regarding the effects of global warming that are commonly distributed to people by the means of unreliable sources, and a vast majority of them are often superstitious, exaggerated, or inaccurate. However, there are truly a multitude of complications that global warming can have on the planet and its inhabitants. Although many causes of global warming are relatively well known and acknowledged by most people as well as the negative and harmful results caused by them, the major polluters are barely ever discussed. 

There are also far more lesser-known and less publicized contributors to global warming that have yet to be recognized by the general public, some of which can have an impact on the planet equal to the sources of global warming that are more talked about. 

A few already known contributors to global warming are meat production, cars, planes, fossil fuels, coal plants, greenhouse gasses produced by waste disposal, and other forms of atmospheric pollution. However, a reasonable amount of these listed problems have already been solved in one form or another through natural alternatives, recycling, solar panels, and electric cars and whatnot. 

Despite this, there are still unknown factors and variables we must take into consideration. For example, the emissions produced by landfills are as significant as all the jets in the air, more carbon dioxide is released to maintain our homes than all fossil fuel-based vehicles combined, and the emissions caused by building a car is equivalent to constructing just 2 meters of road. This means that even if the majority of the global population transitioned entirely into electric cars, nothing will change if roads are built the exact same way as they are now. 

Additionally, according to sources concrete manufacturing industries produce 8% of all carbon emissions, and farming/food production industries practically rely on greenhouse gasses to function properly due to the use of fertilizers and factories, so zero emission food is realistically impossible. Furthermore, there is a clear correlation between the prosperity of a nation and its carbon emissions. In other words, the more wealthy nations as a whole tend to produce more polluters and emissions than impoverished nations. 

Another issue that is often overlooked is deforestation. Trees are exceptionally helpful when it comes to filtering carbon out of the atmosphere and limiting pollution, thus slowing down rapid climate change. Due to the role that trees prominently play in limiting global warming, the preservation of large-scale forests is of utmost importance and is unfortunately taken for granted. 

The Amazon Rainforest in particular has been a major defense against global warming for a long time, however recently substantial portions of the rainforest have been completely desecrated by humans. According to sources, 13,2354 square kilometers of the forest alone were lost between August 2020 and July 2021 for selfish motives. Despite the Amazon Rainforest acting as a natural shield against climate change caused by us, we as a species are still digging ourselves a deeper hole by destroying what little protection we have left in favor of making room for monetarily motivated structures and artificial farming space.

Taking all this provided information into account, there are a variety of contributors to global warming that people are not aware of, and are consequently never acknowledged. However, in truth, people underestimate the overwhelming amount of societal complications stemming from global warming. Although there are a variety of issues caused by global warming that make humanity’s predicament seem hopeless, in all actuality, there are equally just as many undiscovered solutions that can remedy those issues if we stand together and create them ourselves. Personal responsibility is key. If you want change, then be that change.