Climate Change and Humans

Are humans involved in climate change?

Climate change occurs naturally, but the climate change we are currently experiencing is occurring at a much more rapid pace than any climate change seen in the past. Paleoclimatologists have studied past climate changes and compared them to the current change we are experiencing. The only difference is human activity.

D7.28 Emissions spelling CO2
A main cause of climate change is the contribution human activities have made to the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. By increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we are creating an enhanced greenhouse effect. This enhanced greenhouse effect reflects more thermal energy than is needed back to the surface of Earth, causing a rise in global temperatures. This rise in temperatures then impacts the climates and biomes around the world. We will take a closer look at the impacts of the rise in global temperatures in the final lesson of this section.

In the next lesson, we will look at the international programs working to study and slow climate change.


  Problem-Solving Activity


Carbon Dioxide © NASA


Background Information:
In this lesson, you looked at how the greenhouse effect is causing climate change. You also looked at how the increase in greenhouse gases is causing the enhanced greenhouse effect. One of the biggest greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide. This simulation will show you how the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased over a recent 14-year time period (2002 to 2016).  Scroll below the simulation to find the procedure. https://climate.nasa.gov/interactives/climate_time_machine



  1. The simulation is found in the background information.
  2. Click on the “Carbon Dioxide” option.
  3. Click the play button and watch how the levels of carbon dioxide change over time. The more colour seen on the map, the more carbon dioxide present in that location’s atmosphere.
  4. Click on the analysis tab to complete the analysis questions.
  1. What happens overall to the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during these 14 years?

    The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing during these 14 years.
  2. Where on the map does most of the carbon dioxide seem to be gathering?

    The carbon dioxide seems to be gathering close to the North Pole, though it can be seen gathering in different parts of the world during different years.
  3. Why is the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere changing in this way? What are some things that you do daily that contribute to this change?

    The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing because human activities are producing carbon dioxide as an emission and are reducing carbon sinks such as forests. Such activities include the burning of fossil fuels for energy, including electricity and gas, and deforestation. These activities are causing an increase in carbon sources, and a reduction in carbon sinks. The activities that you do daily that cause the levels of carbon dioxide to increase will vary depending on your lifestyle. Here are a few examples:


    • driving to school or work instead of walking, biking, or taking public transportation
    • using a furnace to heat up your home, or an air conditioner to cool it down
    • using any kind of electricity, including items charged by electricity, unless your electricity comes from a different source such as wind turbines, solar energy, or hydroelectricity
    • using a gas or wood-burning fireplace or having campfires