Approximately 32% of the CO₂ currently in the atmosphere originates from human activities, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution. This anthropogenic CO₂ has significantly altered the natural carbon cycle, contributing to elevated greenhouse gas levels and driving climate change.

Pooja Parihar

Hasan Altawil

Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are the primary drivers of the increase in atmospheric CO2. While natural processes such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires also release CO2, the vast majority of the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past century is due to human activities.

Contribution of Human Activities to Atmospheric CO2

Estimates suggest that over 75% of the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration since the Industrial Revolution (around 1750) has been caused by human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), as well as deforestation and land-use changes.

Historical Context and Quantitative Breakdown

• Pre-industrial levels: Atmospheric CO2 concentrations were around 280 parts per million (ppm) before the Industrial Revolution.
• Current levels: As of 2023, CO2 concentrations have exceeded 420 ppm, a level that has not been seen in millions of years.

The global carbon budget (which refers to the total amount of carbon that can be emitted while still keeping global warming within certain limits, such as 1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels) shows that a significant portion of the excess CO2 is tied to human emissions.

Role of Fossil Fuels:

The burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes accounts for about 65% to 70% of global CO2 emissions. The remaining emissions come from land use changes like deforestation (about 10% to 15%) and other human activities.

Natural vs. Human Contribution

• Natural carbon cycle: The Earth's natural carbon cycle (e.g., through oceans, soil, and vegetation) does involve significant exchanges of CO2, but it operates in a balanced way over long periods. Human activities, however, are adding CO2 at a much faster rate than natural processes can absorb.
• The "extra" CO2: Since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by roughly 130-150 ppm. Human activities are responsible for almost all of this increase, while natural processes have either absorbed or contributed to a smaller fraction of the total atmospheric CO2.

Key Points to Remember:

• Human activities are responsible for over 75% of the increase in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
• Fossil fuel burning is the largest contributor to these emissions.
• The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere today is largely due to human-driven activities, primarily from energy production, transportation, and land-use changes.

What appears to be true for this issue:

The model used to calculate “anthropic-caused“ warming appears to be a flat earth model. Such a model greatly over estimates the heat signature of the actual sun (which strikes the earth as a sphere, not as a flat earth. The difference, the over estimation component, is then blamed on man. The over estimation is just that, an over estimation of the total warming.

“http://climateofsophistry.com/2024/11/08/ai-discusses-climateofsophistry…”