Who and what are the real causes of climate change?
Both natural and human factors drive climate change. The ice ages, which tend to occur in 100,000-year cycles, are one example of climate change occurring independent of humans. Transient natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, and cyclic effects, such as small changes in solar energy, also can cause both positive and negative temporary changes in the surface temperature. Greenhouse gases also are a part of nature. But there’s no doubt that the recent acceleration in climate change is attributable to human factors and an unnatural rise in greenhouse gases. We have seen that the world’s climate is changing in part, at least, because of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide from fossil fuel — created as we burn coal, oil and other fuels to power our cars, aircraft, electricity and industry. Carbon dioxide and other byproducts of human activities (e.g. deforestation, agricultural gases from rice fields and cows), as well as industrial nitrous oxide and chlor
