Why does climate change worry us so much? What caused it and what risks do we run? The causes of the greenhouse effect created by human activities and the commitments made to reverse the trend.
Life on Earth exists thanks to the combination of three factors: the right distance from the Sun, the chemical composition of the atmosphere, and the presence of the water cycle. The atmosphere, in particular, ensures our planet a climate suitable for life thanks to the so greenhouse effect natural: when the sun’s rays reach the earth’s surface, they are only partially absorbed, while they are partially reflected outwards; in the absence of an atmosphere, they would disperse into space but are instead largely retained and then redirected to the Earth by some gases present in the atmosphere (greenhouse gases, in fact, including mainly carbon dioxide and methane, but also water vapor and others).
The result is an additional amount of heat that is added to that coming from directly absorbed solar rays. A significant addition: Without the natural greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Earth would be -18 degrees Celsius rather than about +15.
By reducing emissions, mitigation reduces society’s future contributions to greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Ultimately, this can help reduce the amount that climate will change and thereby increase the potential that societal impacts will remain manageable.
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