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Understanding Greenhouse Gases and Their Global Impact

Published April 5, 2025

The Issue: Instead of replacing fossil fuels, data tells us that our use of renewable energy is merely supplementing our use of fossil fuels.

The Basics: Greenhouse gases are both a leading indicator and a cause of climate change. The greenhouse effect, a natural process, helps keep Earth warm enough for life. However, human activities ­ especially burning fossil fuels – have greatly intensified this effect, speeding up global warming. Given our current mix of energy sources, this journey seems as unyielding as a march across a scorching desert, with no shade in sight.

Our conventional wisdom leads us to expect that our increased use of renewables would cut greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, despite advances, wind and solar now generate just 15% of global electricity, while fossil fuel use – especially oil and coal – hit record highs in 2024. Since 1990, the share of fossil fuels in the global energy mix has barely dropped from 85% to 80%¹.

Further challenging our assumptions, the Annual Greenhouse Gas Index (AGGI), which tracks heat trapped by greenhouse gases, has steadily risen. In 2023, it reached 1.51-a 51% increase since 1990, the Kyoto Protocol’s baseline year for emission cuts. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) remains the biggest contributor, driving about two-thirds of the greenhouse effect. […Yearly AGGI changes mostly reflect shifts in CO₂ levels.]

The Relentless Consequences of the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Significant environmental and societal impacts:

• Global Warming: A continuous increase in Earth’s average surface temperature.
• Climate Change: Globally unpredictable weather patterns, rising sea levels, and an increase in extreme weather events.
• Health and Environmental Risks: Higher sustained pollution levels, disrupted ecosystems, and threats to food and water security.

So Where Are We? Climate Change and Human health

The out-of-season health risks associated with climate change extend beyond annual heatwaves and extreme weather events, specifically:

• Increased Spread of Infectious Diseases: Warmer temperatures expand the range of disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes.
• More Frequent Natural Disasters: Floods, hurricanes, and droughts cause injuries, displacement, and food shortages.
• Air and Water Pollution: Poor air quality leads to respiratory illnesses, while contaminated water supplies increase disease outbreaks.
• Exacerbation of Existing Health Conditions: Climate change worsens conditions such as asthma and heart disease.

Ecosystem Disruption: A Chain Reaction

Climate change doesn’t just heat the planet – it upsets ecosystems, changing their structure, function, and balance. Some key factors include:

• Natural Events: Fires, floods, hurricanes, landslides, windstorms, pest outbreaks, and volcanic eruptions.
• Human Activities: Deforestation, land-use changes, habitat loss, pollution, and while climate changes accelerate disruption.
• Biodiversity Loss: Species are struggling to adapt, with many facing extinction.
• Shifts in Species Populations: Disruptions can alter population dynamics, leading to imbalances in species composition and abundance.
• Impact on Ecosystem Services: Disruptions threatens essential services like clean air and water, food production, and climate regulation…

…And for Reference, these are the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, each originating from different sources:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): The most prevalent GHG [Green house Gases], primarily released from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
• Methane (CH₄): Emitted from agriculture (especially livestock, i.e., cows), landfills, and natural gas production.
• Nitrous Oxide (N₂O): Released through agricultural and industrial activities.
• Water Vapor (H₂0): A naturally occurring GHG, though human activities can influence its concentration. How? Warmer temperatures cause more evaporation, adding more water vapor to the atmosphere and strengthening the greenhouse effect. Water vapor also helps form clouds, produce rain, and influence weather patterns.
• Synthetic Gases: Fluorinated gases, ozone, and CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon)s also play a role in climate change. These synthetic gases trap more heat than natural ones like carbon dioxide, making them powerful drivers of global warming. While ozone occurs naturally, human activities and chemicals contribute to ozone layer depletion in the stratosphere and ground-level ozone formation.

Final Thoughts – A Shot of Reality

Understanding greenhouse gases and their cumulative impact is crucial in the fight against climate change. The effects of the enhanced greenhouse effect will continue to shape our world. While the adoption of renewable energy is increasing, fossil fuels still dominate global energy consumption.

Addressing these energy challenges will require a combination of policy changes, technological advancements, and collective global action. The question remains: Will we take action fast enough to mitigate the continuing damage?

¹Yergin, Daniel, Orszag, Peter, & Arya, Atul. (2025, February 25). ”The Troubled Energy Transition: How To Find a Pragmatic Path Forward” Foreign Affairs.