Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas and since the industrial revolution, has been rising in levels in our atmosphere contributing to global warming and climate change. According to the EPA, as of 2019, carbon dioxide accounts for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions that stem from human activities. Knowing this, it means that, to reduce these emissions and mitigate global warming, we must be conscious of which activities we do that contribute to carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere the most. Combustion of fossil fuels is by far the human activity most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions; from transportation to energy use, fossil fuels are used often by human beings and are therefore responsible for the majority of carbon dioxide emissions. Transportation, in 2019, was responsible for 35% of carbon dioxide emissions; as fossil fuels such as diesel and gasoline are combusted to act as fuel for transportation, they contributed the most to carbon dioxide emissions. From cars to planes to trains, most forms of transportation rely on the combustion of fossil fuels and are the greatest way in which humans contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. The second and third most important ways in which humans contribute to the aforementioned emissions are through electricity, which is responsible for 31% of emissions, followed by industry at 16%, both also due to the use of fossil fuels for energy. By adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere through these processes, humans have contributed to an increase in the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. While this is an issue as it is a main contributor of climate change, to help address this issue, we first need to become aware of what human processes have contributed the most to the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere so we can figure out solutions and alternatives to the burning of fossil fuels. From this data, we can see that focusing on energy efficiency will be the best solution in regards to mitigating our contributions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#carbon-dioxide
I think this is a really good post, and seeing the human impact on the environment broken down into actual numbers is astonishing. It’s easy to understand how much CO2 humans are putting out and in what areas when you can clearly see the percentages listed like you did for your post. It makes you want to lower the percentages of things from your every day life, like transportation. But still, things like electricity and industry are going to be hard to cut down as just one person.
I think you did a great job outlining how humans contribute to issues surrounding carbon dioxide! I also like that you included solutions, such as energy efficiency, that can help.
I think this blog post is super insightful into the human impact of carbon dioxide emissions. The clear outlining of the effects of transportation in 2019 with numerical evidence of the percentage of CO2 emissions is a really useful way of easily being able to see the impact humans are having on our world.
I would love to know some examples in order to be energy efficient. I think a lot of people want to help out with climate change but don’t exactly know how. Energy efficient examples should definitely be broadcasted more throughout the country in order to help the environment.