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= What are the initial causes of Global Warming? = = = **In order to reverse the current warming of the environment, it is critical that humans change their present behaviors. Most people are not aware of how much simple daily activities can drastically change the environment as we know it today. The following tips will help YOU understand and help the environment!**

What behavior do you want us to change?
There are many human activities which contribute tremendously to not only the threats of arctic life, but global warming as well. Below is a list of the top activities that are most directly harming the environment. If you are not aware, look here to find a list of our behaviors that are causing the most harm to the world ar ound us today.

1. ** __Fossil Fuels__: ** Our excessive use of fossil fuels emits large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The gas fumes released from automobiles, the “smoke” that you see coming out of factory chimneys, and the waste from electric power plants is, believe it or not, mostly carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide, or CO2, is one of the leading causes of the melting of the polar ice caps. Burning coal, oil and natural gases also lead to excess and unnecessary emission of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.

2. ** __Deforestation of the Land__: ** For those who do not know, Trees and plants that survive by means of photosynthesis are vital for the survival of all oxygen-breathing creatures (that's us!). In essence, humans take in oxygen and emit carbon dioxide, while plants take in the carbon dioxide we produce and provide oxygen for us to breathe. Understanding that Trees and other plants play a major role in the absorption of carbon dioxide, it is easy to see how plants actually help our planet by absorbing the carbon dioxide that is produced by any human activity. Because of their abilities of removing carbon dioxide from the air, it can also slow the escape of heat into the atmosphere as well. Then, why do people desire to cut down forests and forests of trees if they actually help //reduce// the effects of global warming? The answer is simple: Humans are in need of trees and plants for agriculture, paper, wood and most importantly, farmland. Cutting down trees is one of the only ways to obtain these resources, which is yet another reason why our planet is warming so quickly.




 * 3. __Chemical Fertilizers:__ ** Chemical fertilizers can be beneficial to agricultural and farming communities, but can come with grave consequences. They are also responsible for the heating of the earth. Nitrogen Oxide (makes Chemical fertilizers) not only traps heat on the earth’s surface, but Nitrogen traps 300 times more than that trapped by Carbon Dioxide. This shows that Chemical fertilizers, though not as disruptive as carbon dioxide, do have the potential to be very dangerous in the future.



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