“I’ve starred in a lot of science fiction movies and, let me tell you something, climate change is not science fiction. This is a battle in the real world, it is impacting us right now.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor & Former Governor or California
How do we know what’s causing the planet to warm? Is it us?
Let me re-emphasize that I am not a scientist. But I have digested a lot of information over the past several months. What I have learned is there are thousands of scientists working independently all over the world who have come to the came conclusions.
Here are the basics: fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) are our main source of energy. When they are burned to create energy, carbon dioxide is produced and enters the atmosphere. This CO2, along with methane and other gases, is causing too much of the sun’s heat to get trapped in our atmosphere. As more heat-trapping gases build up, the Earth is getting warmer.
If you want to take a deeper dive into the science and data behind climate change, I recommend this primer by Kerry Emanuel, Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT.
The fossil fuel companies were denying the problem for a long time. Let’s face it, there are billions of dollars at stake. But now they are acknowledging that CO2 is causing the rising temperatures. Some companies are more committed to working on solutions than others, but they are finally talking about their role.
Fossil fuel companies and climate scientists may disagree about solutions, but they agree on one thing…
It is us.