Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities
Carbon dioxide helps to trap heat in our atmosphere. Without it, our planet would be inhospitably cold and most of the creatures who live on the planet would not be able to survive. However, an increase in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is causing the temperature to rise. Carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere increased since the start of the Industrial Revolution, which is creating the global temperature. Carbon footprint is how we call and measure greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere caused by humans, It’s usually measured in tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent).
The world emits around 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases each year !
The two significant natural sources of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere are Volcanic outgassing and wildfires. Furthermore, respiration- the process by which organisms liberate energy from food, emits carbon dioxide. When you exhale, it is carbon dioxide (amongst other gases) that you breathe out. On the other hand- Photosynthesis, the biochemical process by which plants and some microbes create food, uses carbon dioxide. Photosynthetic organisms combine CO2 and water (H2O) to produce carbohydrates and produce oxygen as a by-product.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) – Any type of gas in the atmosphere that prevents heat from escaping.
Greenhouse effect is the process by which greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere gain heat from the sun. Although this is a natural phenomenon that makes the planet habitable, our greenhouse gas emissions are causing the planet to warm at an unnatural rate which leads to the climate change. Climate change is a long-term changes in global or regional temperature and weather patterns. While these changes are occurring naturally, human-induced climate change is rapidly accelerating which causing the global warming. The Earth's average surface temperature has risen rapidly due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is just one factor in climate change. Fossil fuels are made from decomposing plants and animals. These fuels are found in the Earth's crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy (produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases when burned). Coal, oil, and natural gas are examples of fossil fuels.
Global climate change is already happening. Changes to Earth’s climate is increased by human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are already affecting the environment: glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking, river and lake ice is breaking up earlier, plant and animal geographic ranges are shifting, and plants and trees are blooming sooner.